Tokyo - Surging

Kobe, Japan - Japan is hoping for a long-term deal on targets for halving carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050 at the upcoming G8 meeting in July, Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita said in Kobe Sunday.

Speaking at a meeting of G8 environment ministers, Kamoshita said he hoped "the target would present a shared vision among the countries participating in the G8 summit."

He also called upon China, the United States and other important CO2 producers to take part in the summit.

Japan, which currently holds the G8 presidency, believes that without the largest producers of CO2, a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol that runs out in 2012 would be ineffective.

Cologne, Germany  - Toyota's financial services arm, which lends to buyers of Toyota cars, says it has increased its German business 4 per cent in the past year and would this year mark 20 years of