Beirut / Geneva - International human rights groups are calling on Syria to halt the "unfair trial" of a dozen dissidents and to release them unconditionally.

Japanese electronics giant Toshiba Corp. is considering launching a takeover bid for SanDisk Corp. as the major U.S. flash memory maker has rejected a buyout offer from South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co., it was learned Wednesday. Toshiba, which is teaming

The key Nikkei average skidded down to the worst level in more than three years on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Thursday morning on the heels of another dive on Wall Street amid the ongoing financial turmoil. At the morning close,

Hitachi Ltd. and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. said Thursday they will expand their alliance in flat-panel displays and televisions using such displays. As part of their agreement, Hitachi will procure glass panels for plasma displays from Matsushita. Matsushita-made panels will

Rex Holdings Inc. has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against a lower court ruling that the tender offer price under a management buyout scheme in 2006 was unfairly low, company officials said Thursday. The appeal came after Tokyo

Chipmaking equipment orders received by domestic and foreign manufacturers in Japan in July plunged 46.0 pct from a year earlier to 55 billion yen, extending the losing streak to a 16th month, an industry body said Thursday. Chipmakers scaled back

Gasoline prices in Japan fell for the sixth straight week this week as gas stations compete to cut prices against a backdrop of falling consumption, data showed Thursday. Regular gasoline retailed for 173 yen per liter on average as of

Toyota Motor Corp. is set to cut its steel procurement costs by working closely with steelmakers, informed sources told Jiji Press Thursday. Major steelmakers, including Nippon Steel Corp. and Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd. , have given Toyota a list some

Satoshi Aoki, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, on Thursday warned that the ongoing U.S. financial crisis is having a major effect on the global economy. Automobile demand in such emerging economies as China and India has already begun

Japanese oil industry leader Akihiko Tenbo said Thursday he hopes that key U.S. crude oil futures prices will stay around 90 to 110 dollars per barrel. If the prices drop below 90 dollars, oil-producing countries would cut output and the

Three major Japanese flour mills, including Nippon Flour Mills Co. , said Thursday that they will raise prices of commercial-use products. Nippon Flour Mills will lift the prices of flour for bread by 255 yen per 25 kilograms and those

ArmInfo. The next meeting of Armenian and Azeri Presidents Edvard Nalbandyan and Elmar Mammadyarov will take place in New York within the frames of the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly next week, French Co-chair Bernard Fassier told journalists.

ArmInfo. The ARF Dashnaksutyun Party is not planning 'to return’ the Armenian ex- president Robert Kocharyan to politics as prime minister, Head of ARFD faction Vahan Hovhannisyan said at the National Press Club, Thursday.Robert Kocharyan is a free politician, he

Arminfo. The world finance market has affected Armenian market too, Director General of 'Bank VTB (Armenia)' Valeriy Ovsyannikov said at today's press-conference in Yerevan. He also added no active credit operations has been hold at the Armenian market over the

ArmInfo. The events in Georgia set aside the process of implementing the investment programme on upgrading the electric network economy of Armenia for a month at least, Director General of "Electric Networks of Armenia" CJSC Yevgeny Gladunchik said at today's

ArmInfo. On 16 September permanent representative of Armenia to international organizations in Vienna Ashot Hovakimyan handed over to IAEA Director General Mohammad El-Baradei Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan's letter about his appointment. As Arminfo was informed from press-service of Armenian

ArmInfo. 'Having no internal resources to preserve power Serzh Sargsyan makes bargains with world community in the matter of the Karabakh conflict settlement and world recognition of the Armenian genocide’, - Armenian opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan's press-secretary Arman Musinyan said

ArmInfo. 'Turkey makes use of the results of the visit of the Turkish President Abdullah Gul to Armenia perfectly, while Armenia is overmodest and does not try to make use of the brave step of Serzh Sargsyan who invited his

ArmInfo. CJSC 'Electric networks of Armenia' may receive the first tranche of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development 50 mln dollars at the end of November - beginning of December 2008, Director General of the company Yevgeniy Gladunchik said at

ArmInfo. 'Electric Networks of Armenia" CJSC started assimilation of the first tranche of $30 mln, "VTB Bank" credit of $70 mln which are directed to reconstruction of the electric network economy of Yerevan, Director General of the company Yevgeny Gladunchik