Conservation groups says 70 captured dolphins in Japanese town set free over weekend

TOKYO — A Japanese fishing town that holds a well-known annual hunt to kill and sell dolphins for meat has released 70 of the animals from its first catch of the season following an international outcry, a conservationist group said Tuesday.

Enjoying the season’s treasures: Apples, pumpkins, corn mazes and don’t forget chrysanthemums

NEW YORK — Pick-your-own orchards are expected to have a strong fall season, thanks to consumers staying closer to home for leisure activities and an increased interest in local food and lower prices.

Despite downturn, auto makers hope to dazzle with new models, technologies at Frankfurt show

FRANKFURT — Sales have plunged, General Motors Co. has emerged from bankruptcy and Chrysler has been taken over by Italy’s Fiat. The past year’s turbulence will be reflected this week in a smaller U.S. presence at the Frankfurt Auto Show — along with the new electric vehicles many hope will secure the auto industry’s post-recession comeback.

Delta Air Lines says available cash will decline, discloses 2010 pension obligations

ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines Inc., the world’s biggest airline operator, said Monday its available cash on hand will continue to fall by the end of the year as demand for air travel has been hit hard by the economic downturn.

Japan Airlines shares soar; American Airlines, Delta Air Lines reportedly mulling stakes

TOKYO — Shares of Japan Airlines Corp. surged Monday amid speculation that American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are vying to buy stakes in the money-losing carrier.

NEC, Casio, Hitachi to bring their mobile phone handset businesses by 2010

TOKYO — Japanese electronics makers NEC Corp., Casio Computer Co. and Hitachi said Monday they will combine their mobile phone handset-manufacturing operations by April next year in a bid to boost their competitiveness at home and abroad.

World stock markets pull back as weak dollar weighs on Tokyo shares; oil falls to near $68

HONG KONG — Most Asian stock markets retreated Monday, with Japan’s benchmark sliding more than 2 percent following the dollar’s recent weakness against the yen. European markets opened lower.

Asian stock markets pull back as weak dollar weighs on Tokyo shares; oil falls near $68

HONG KONG — Most Asian stock markets retreated Monday, with Tokyo’s benchmark sliding more than 2 percent following the dollar’s recent weakness against the yen.

Report: Troubled Japan Airlines considers raising $2.8 billion, seeking capital from Delta

TOKYO — Money-losing Japan Airlines Corp. is considering raising 250 billion yen ($2.8 billion) from financial institutions and others including Delta Air Lines Inc. under a major restructuring plan, a newspaper said Sunday.

AP Source: American Airlines talking with struggling JAL about a cash infusion

DALLAS — American Airlines parent AMR Corp. is negotiating for closer ties and possibly an investment in financially troubled Japan Airlines Corp., according to a person familiar with the talks.

Report: Struggling JAL in talks with Air France-KLM over capital tie-up

TOKYO — Struggling Japan Airlines Corp. has entered talks with Air France-KLM over a capital tie-up, a newspaper said Saturday.

Rare Badlands dinosaur skeleton makes trip to Japan _ a mammoth task

BISMARCK, N.D. — Dakota the duckbilled dinosaur is a hit in Japan after making its biggest trip ever.

AP Source: Delta Air Lines weighs making cash infusion, business ties with Japan Airlines

ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines Inc. is considering making a cash infusion of a couple hundred million dollars to aid struggling Japan Airlines Corp., a person briefed on the talks said Friday.

Japan’s 2Q growth weaker than first estimated but shows recovery after yearlong contraction

TOKYO — Japan’s growth in the second quarter was weaker than initially thought, but government figures still show that the world’s second largest economy has managed to climb out of a recession.

Japan’s list of those 100 or older swells to more than 40,000 people

TOKYO — The number of Japanese centenarians has doubled in the past six years to a record high of more than 40,000, with women dominating the list of those whose lives have spanned more than a century, the government said Friday.

At least 746 US military deaths in Afghanistan region since 2001, Defense Department says

As of Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009, at least 746 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department. The department last updated its figures Thursday at 10 a.m. EDT.

Amnesty International: Japan executes mentally ill prisoners, death row drives some insane

TOKYO — Japan executes mentally ill prisoners, some of whom are driven insane by harsh treatment while on death row, according to a report issued Thursday by Amnesty International.

World stock markets rise as Fed report boosts US economic recovery hopes

LONDON — European and Asian stocks rose Thursday and Wall Street was expected to gain at the open after a Federal Reserve report boosted hopes the U.S. economy is recovering steadily.

World stocks rise as Fed report raises US recovery hopes; oil above $72 after OPEC decision

HONG KONG — World stock markets headed higher Thursday amid optimism about the U.S. economy, while oil prices climbed after OPEC kept production levels unchanged.

Report: North Korea’s No. 2 leader says Kim Jong Il in good health, not planning succession

TOKYO — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is in good health and has not named his third son as his successor, the communist country’s No. 2 leader said in an interview with a Japanese news agency Thursday.

Japanese machinery orders slide 9.3 percent in July, reversing previous month’s jump

TOKYO — Japanese machinery orders, a closely watched indicator of corporate capital spending, fell back in July after rising the previous month, the government said Thursday, suggesting the outlook for the world’s No. 2 economy remains murky.

Chevron Australia signs natural gas deals worth $60 billion with South Korea, Japan

SYDNEY — Energy giant Chevron signed deals worth 70 billion Australian dollars ($60 billion) to supply liquefied natural gas to Japan and South Korea, Australia’s prime minister said Thursday.

Asian stocks rise as Fed report raises US recovery hopes; oil above $72 after OPEC decision

HONG KONG — Asian stock markets headed higher Thursday amid optimism about the U.S. economy, while oil prices climbed after OPEC kept production levels unchanged.

Japan’s next ruling party forms coalition with party that wants to review US troop agreement

TOKYO — Japan’s next ruling party agreed Wednesday to form a coalition with two smaller parties, one of which wants to move a U.S. Marine base off of Okinawa and review an agreement that stations 50,000 American forces in the country.

Japan’s new leaders agree to form coalition government

TOKYO — Japan’s new ruling party is forming a coalition government with two smaller groups, despite differences on foreign policy and on the presence of U.S. Marines on Okinawa, party leaders announced Wednesday.

Britain: Suspicion between rich and poor countries threatens climate change pact

LONDON — Two British Cabinet ministers said Tuesday that attempts to broker a new global pact on climate change by the end of the year are at risk of failing.

EU welcomes new Japanese pledge on emissions cuts

BRUSSELS — The European Union is welcoming plans by Japan’s incoming prime minister to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020.

Japan’s current account surplus down 19.4 percent in July; auto and steel exports plunge

TOKYO — Japan’s current account surplus in July fell 19.4 percent from a year earlier as exports tumbled amid a slow recovery in the global economy, the finance ministry said Tuesday.

World stocks rise as investors feed on G-20 stimulus pledge; Hong Kong gains 2.1 percent

BANGKOK — World markets rose Tuesday as investors fed on a pledge by the world’s 20 biggest economies to underwrite the global recovery with stimulus efforts.

Asian stocks rise as investors feed on G-20 stimulus pledge; Nikkei up 0.3 percent

BANGKOK — Asian markets rose Tuesday as investors fed on a pledge by the world’s 20 biggest economies to underwrite the global recovery with massive stimulus efforts.