TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares edged closer to 14-month highs on Friday while the dollar was on the defensive as investors grew more convinced that the Federal Reserve is settling into a phase of very gradual interest rate hikes.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week to a two-month low, pointing to labor market strength that could pave the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates by December.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eight U.S. Democratic senators asked the Labor Department on Thursday to launch a probe into whether Wells Fargo may have violated wage and working hour laws by failing to pay overtime to tellers and sales representatives who stayed late to meet sales quotas.

(Reuters) - Yahoo Inc said on Thursday that at least 500 million of its accounts were hacked in 2014 by what it believed was a state-sponsored actor, a theft that appeared to be the world's biggest known cyber breach by far.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New U.S. rules intended to prevent runs on money market funds are already sending tremors through markets and sparking debates on Capitol Hill, even though they are still weeks away from coming fully online.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Friday, pulled down by a technical sell-off following two sessions of strong rises and on caution ahead of a gathering of OPEC ministers next week in Algeria to discuss possible production cooperation to rein in global oversupply.

HANAM, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea's Hyundai Motor <005380.KS> will launch its standalone premium auto brand Genesis in China within two to three years, betting on a luxury lane to profit as competition bites at the lower end of the world's biggest auto market.

BERLIN (Reuters) - Volkswagen said it will halt production of the Golf hatchback at its core Wolfsburg factory for three days starting on Friday because of technical problems at a stamping plant.

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - As far as OPEC decision-making is concerned, Algeria, which plays host to oil ministers next week, has always been the land of surprises.