The euro weakened in Asia on Wednesday as traders sold the unit over fears about the eurozone's fiscal woes and a gloomy world economic outlook from the International Monetary Fund.

The European common currency was changing hands at $1.2859 in Tokyo afternoon trade against $1.2881 in New York late Tuesday, while it edged down to 100.58 yen from 100.77 yen.

Anti-poverty activists posing as digger-driving investors staged a symbolic land grab in Tokyo on Wednesday as they called on world finance chiefs to help keep food prices under control.

Seven young men and women, dressed in dark suits and flashing thousand-yen bills, rode toy diggers and excavators over a map of Africa, picking up paper fruit and vegetables.

Japan's Toyota on Wednesday announced a global recall of 7.43 million vehicles, including its popular Camry and Corolla models, over a possible fire risk, in a fresh blow to the firm's reputation for safety.

The country's biggest automaker ordered the recall, which amounts to slightly more vehicles than it sold worldwide in its fiscal year to March, because of a fault with its electric windows.

Europe must do more to tackle its fiscal crisis, which is heaping extra pressure on an already-strained global financial system, the International Monetary Fund warned in a new report Wednesday.

Despite some new policy measures, among them a bond-buying program aimed at helping debt-riddled nations tame their borrowing costs, the risks of a world credit crunch and recession loom, the IMF said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday said that a "tough path" of austerity was the best way for Greece to overcome its economic crisis as thousands of protesters demonstrated a few blocks away.

Merkel, the leader of Europe's largest economy -- and chief crisis paymaster -- also praised the course of Greek reforms and repeated her desire to keep Greece in the euro-zone, a badly-needed message of support to the country's embattled government.

Russia confirmed on Tuesday signing more than $4.2 billion in arms deals with Iraq during the second half of the year that make it the nation's largest weapons supplier after the United States.

A joint statement issued after talks between visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev said the deals were agreed during delegation visits this year and totaled "more than $4.2 billion."

Iraq could more than double its current daily oil production by 2020, vastly boosting its economy and helping to bring stability to global energy markets, the International Energy Agency forecast on Tuesday.

The country's crude oil output could grow to 6.1 million barrels per day (mbpd) in eight years' time from about 3.0 mbpd currently, the IEA said as it unveiled its Iraq Energy Outlook report in London.

Greek 12-month consumer price inflation slowed to 0.9 percent in September from 1.7 percent in August, official figures showed on Tuesday.

Compared to last month, prices rose by 2.5 percent, the Hellenic statistical authority added.

Now hiring in Detroit: Software developers and programmers.

General Motors is moving past layoffs and the Motor City's rusty, low-tech image. It's setting out on its own to develop software and invent the most advanced gizmos for your car.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said on Tuesday that the oil-rich Gulf kingdom will work to satisfy global energy markets and to "moderate" prices.

"We will provide the markets with what they need," Naimi told reporters on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting in Riyadh. "We will work to moderate prices."