they say they have fined three japanese electronicsmakers a total of more than $170 million. european commission officials say sony, panasonic, and sanyo were involved in a cartel from 2004 to 2007, violating the eu's anti-trust rules. sanyo was later acquired by panasonic. the officials say sony is to pay 30 million euros, panasonic 39 million, and sanyo 97 million. the officials said samsung sdi of south korea was also involved, but they want the company will not be subject to a fine because it revealed the existence of the cart sell. cartel. >>> charlie sheen china, new car sales in november mark the sixth consecutive month of double-digit growth on the back of government stimulus measures. that has already brought the total for this year to a new record high with one month remaining. the country's association of automakers says manufacturers sold nearly 3 million cars in the country in november. that's up 16.5% from a year earlier. sales of small cars continued to soar thanks to tax breaks and demand for sport utility vehicles remained strong among people looking for upgr

shares across most sectors are gaining, especially exporters like electronicsmakers. they're being supported by overnight weakness in the yen. the dollar has come off from the overnight high at the upper 114 yen level. right now the pair in the mid 113 yen levels. the euro though has bounced back against the dollar. it is at 1.07 on the upper end. that's a three-week high. on monday following italy's resounding rejection of the reforms, the euro had plunged to the 1.05 level in the immediate aftermath. analysts say the common currency staged a swift recovery as the no vote was largely expected. let's take a look at markets open now in the asia-pacific region and we are seeing gains elsewhere too. south korea leading the gains. the kospi up 1.2%. china markets will open in just under half an hour. >>> it is almost christmas. and for many that means holiday shopping. here in japan it's not christmas without a cake. and this year department stores are offering a wider selection than usual. one store in tokyo has expanded its lineup of pricier cakes including large ones a