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• Japan finmin Aso: weak yen result, not goal of anti-deflation policies

  TOKYO, Feb 3- Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso on Sunday said it was not Tokyo's goal to weaken the yen and its policies were purely aimed at beating deflation, brushing off foreign concerns about currency wars ahead of a G20 meeting in Moscow.

• ANA in Talks With Boeing to Speed Up 777 Jet Deliveries

  Japan's All Nippon Airways is in talks with U.S. aircraft maker Boeing to speed up the delivery of three 777 jetliners as its fleet of 787 Dreamliner airplanes remains grounded with undiagnosed battery problems, the Nikkei newspaper said on Sunday.

• ANA in talks with Boeing to speed up 777 jet deliveries-Nikkei

  TOKYO, Feb 3- Japan's All Nippon Airways is in talks with U.S. aircraft maker Boeing Co to speed up the delivery of three 777 jetliners as its fleet of 787 Dreamliner airplanes remains grounded with undiagnosed battery problems, the Nikkei newspaper said on Sunday.

• Weak Yen Yet to Reach Corporate Japan's Bottom Line

  Currency hedging cost Japanese companies such as Honda Motor the chance to fully cash in on a weak yen last quarter, raising the risk that investor expectations could outrun earnings.

• Weak yen yet to reach corporate Japan's bottom line

  TOKYO, Feb 3- Currency hedging cost Japanese companies such as Honda Motor Co the chance to fully cash in on a weak yen last quarter, raising the risk that investor expectations could outrun earnings. "The rally is completely driven by hopes rather than facts," said Soichiro Monji, chief strategist at Daiwa SB Investments.

• Services trade deal could open U.S. to more foreign workers

  "It's inevitable that that's going to be on the table," said Jake Colvin, vice president at the National Foreign Trade Council, which represents major U.S. exporters such as Boeing Co, Microsoft Corp and Caterpillar Inc..

• UPDATE 2-Boeing 787 investigation making progress -US NTSB

  WASHINGTON, Feb 1- U.S. officials on Friday said they are making progress in their investigation of a battery fire on a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner in Boston this month, as the grounding of Boeing's entire fleet Of 787 s stretched into a third week.

• UPDATE 2-Canada January auto sales dip but Detroit makers strong

  *Chrysler ousts Ford as No. 1 in sales in Canada in January. Feb 1- Auto sales in Canada slipped 2.2 percent in January, data showed on Friday, on weaker demand for European vehicles and strong comparable data from a year ago when Japan's automakers were rebounding from earthquake and tsunami disruptions.

• FOREX-Euro broadly stronger, U.S. dollar up on yen after jobs data

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- The euro hit a 14- month high against the U.S. dollar and 33- month peak against the yen on Friday, the beneficiary of stronger-than-forecast euro zone manufacturing data and expectations of easy monetary policy from Washington and Tokyo.

• UPDATE 4-U.S. January auto sales indicate strong start to 2013

  *GM, Ford, Toyota top Wall Street forecasts. *Chrysler, Honda, Nissan fall short of analysts' estimates. "We all started the year with a little bit of apprehension with the fiscal cliff debates and the new tax rates," said Toyota Motor Corp's Bill Fay, head of U.S. sales for the Toyota brand. "

• FOREX-Euro broadly stronger; US dollar up on yen after jobs data

  NEW YORK, Feb 1- The euro hit a 14- month high against the U.S. dollar and 33- month peak against the yen on Friday, the beneficiary of stronger-than-forecast euro zone manufacturing data and expectations of easy monetary policy form Washington and Tokyo.

• UPDATE 3-U.S. auto sales for January signal strong start to 2013

  *GM, Ford, Toyota top Wall Street forecasts. DETROIT, Feb 1- Several major automakers, including General Motors Co and Toyota Motor Corp, posted better-than-expected U.S. vehicle sales for January, kicking off the fourth straight year of the sector's recovery from the depths of recession.

• Bank-fraud software takes aim at government secrets

  SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1- The world of criminal computer hacking has traditionally been far removed from the cyber-spying efforts of governments, but security experts say several recent cases suggest the lines are starting to blur.

• Global manufacturing revives in January

  JPMorgan's Global Manufacturing PMI, produced with research and supply management organisations, rose to 51.5 in January from December's 50.1, above the 50- mark that divides growth from contraction for the second straight month.

• Kyle Bass' Next Big Idea From Tiger 21 

  

  CNBC's Gary Kaminsky talks with Kyle Bass, Hayman Capital Management, about what's driving the current rally, and whether he sees investment opportunities in Japan.

• UPDATE 3-Merck tumbles on worries about osteoporosis drug

  *Per-share earnings $0.83 in quarter vs forecast $0.81. *Quarterly sales $11.74 bln, vs forecast $11.48 bln. Feb 1- Merck& Co Inc's quarterly results beat estimates, but the company issued a cautious 2013 profit forecast and said it would delay seeking approval for a high-profile osteoporosis drug, sending its shares lower in premarket trading.

• Australia protests to Japan about whaling ship

  CANBERRA, Australia-- A support vessel for the Japanese whaling fleet is sailing in Australian waters in pursuit of anti-whaling activists, Australia said after protesting to the Tokyo government.

• GLOBAL MARKETS-Shares gain, dollar dips as growth outlook brightens

  *MSCI World up as PMIs point to global expansion. LONDON, Feb 1- The dollar fell and world stocks gained on Friday as fresh economic data signalled that the euro zone's downturn has eased and China's growth was on track, but moves were limited as investors await a U.S. jobs report. MSCI's world equity index added 0.5 percent to stay close to its best level since May 2011.

• UPDATE 2-Merck beats forecast for 4th qtr, cautious on 2013

  Feb 1- Merck& Co Inc's quarterly results beat estimates, helped by strong sales of its Januvia diabetes drug and Gardasil vaccine against cervical cancer, but the company forecast 2013 profit at the low end of expectations. The No. 2 U.S. drugmaker said it earned $1.4 billion, or 46 cents per share, in the fourth quarter.

• FOREX-Euro buoyant on positive euro zone outlook, yen slips

  LONDON, Feb 1- The euro hit a 33- month high against the yen and a 14- month peak against the dollar on Friday, lifted by improving euro zone manufacturing data and bets of a firm U.S. jobs number. The euro rose more than 1 percent to hit 126.17 yen, its highest since April 2010, before pulling back to last trade at 125.74 yen.