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General Motors Co and Chrysler Group reported September U.S. auto sales gains of at least 20 percent, a sign that consumers have returned as vehicle inventories have risen after being crimped by the March earthquake in Japan.

A powerful typhoon slammed into Japan on Wednesday, leaving 13 people dead or missing in south-central regions and halting trains in Tokyo before grazing a crippled nuclear plant in the tsunami-ravaged northeast....

The European Union will call on China this week to boost domestic demand and on the United States and Japan to tackle their public deficits as part of global efforts to rebalance growth, an EU document showed.

The head of the World Bank said Wednesday the world had entered a new economic danger zone and that Europe, Japan and the United States all need to make hard decisions to avoid dragging down the global economy.

Fitch Ratings warned on Thursday that it might downgrade the credit rating of China within two years and there was a greater than even chance of a downgrade of Japan's credit status.

Helicopters ferried supplies Tuesday to thousands of people still cut off by Japan's worst storm in 28 years. Typhoon Talas left at least 46 dead and 54 missing in a nation still struggling to recover from its devastating tsunami just six months ago....

Japan's death toll from tropical depression Talas, earlier downgraded from a tropical storm, has risen to 25 with 52 missing, the government said Monday, as torrential rain pounded the west of the country at the weekend, triggering mudslides and bursting river banks.

Japan’s ruling party was set to pick a new leader Monday to become the country’s sixth prime minister in five years. Five candidates are running to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who is resigning after 15 months amid public criticism over his administration’s handling of the tsunami disaster and ensuing nuclear crisis as well as disgust with political infighting.

As Mr. Kan confirmed his intention to resign, the race to pick Japan’s sixth leader in five years was up in the air on Friday.

Moody's Investors Service cut the rating on Japan's government debt by one notch to Aa3, its fourth-highest rating, blaming large budget deficits and the build-up of debt.