JAPAN

A Chinese graduate was said to be involved in attacks that were linked to Japan, India and Tibet. Trend Micro released the research paper, which unveiled details on the hacker.

AYUTTHAYA, Thailand, March 31 - Honda Motor Co <7267.T>, Japan's third-largest car maker, officially resumed production on Saturday at its plant in Ayutthaya in Thailand, which was forced to close for almost six months after severe flooding last October.

Japan's government approved on Friday a bill to double the nation's consumption tax by 2015, which is seen as an important step towards putting the public finances on a sustainable path.

Stocks and other risky assets rallied Friday, rounding out the quarter with even more price gains on a day that encapsulated the main developments of the year so far: encouraging news out of Europe, better-than-expected consumer sentiment in the United States, and the perceived and steady pull of inflation.

U.S. President Barack Obama is moving ahead with sanctions against Iran's oil industry, in the hope that increased economic pressure will push Tehran into abandoning its nascent nuclear program.

We are witnessing the beginning of a new age in computing, an age that will allow computers to perform even thousands of times faster than the fastest supercomputer of our days. Those computers will operate on the exaFLOP level and are expected to appear by the end of the decade.

Japan said Friday it will shoot down a long-range rocket North Korea plans to launch next month if it flies over any part of its territory, the defense minister said.

DeNA Co Ltd and Walt Disney Co said on Friday they would jointly develop mobile social games, marking another step in the Japanese gaming platform operator's quest to become a global player.

In its latest bid to slow dollar inflows in a global currency war, Brazil has dealt an unexpected blow to its own commodity exporters, choking off medium-term trade financing at a vulnerable time for the sector.

Futures on major US stock indices point to a higher opening Friday ahead of a wave of economic data including core PCE price index and Chicago PMI.

Retail sales in Japan increased 3.5 percent year-on-year in February, supported by subsidies on cars and higher fuel prices, according to data from the Japanese ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Most of the Asian stock markets ended lower Friday as weaker-than-expected U.S. jobless claims and industrial production data in Japan hurt investors sentiment.

The Malaysian F1 Grand Prix race was an action packed event not only for the thrilling races and celebrity spotting but also for the stunning current wives and girlfriends of this season's drivers.

Positive jobs data from the U.S. and Germany were not enough to keep investors bullish Thursday, as a moderate asset sell-off continued, with traders apparently squaring up their positions in anticipation of earnings season.

Every young girl loves her dolls as a child; but not every girl wants to look like those beloved dolls. However, a bizarre and potentially dangerous trend sweeping the Internet has teenagers like Venus Angelic and Dakota Rose gaining online fame because they resemble living dolls.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TYO:9501), or Tepco, operator of the failed Fukushima nuclear power plant, has asked the Japanese government for in additional bailout money to pay for mounting expenses, including compensation costs to victims of the nuclear meltdown.

Facebook (NYSE: FB), the No. 1 social network website, will stop insider trades of its shares Friday because its initial public offering roadshow will begin next week.

We want to correct the myth that there is, or could be, a shortage, Ali al-Naimi wrote, noting fears of a global oil shortage. It is an irrational fear, a fear without basis.

Apple has been sticking to 3.5-inch screen size for its phones and 9.7-inch screen size for its tablets. But for past few months, we have been hearing rumors about bigger screen iPhone and smaller screen iPad dubbed iPad Mini. Recent reports have warmed up all these rumors.

Aerosmith is back with a new album and tour.

Economic recovery in Europe and North America is diverging and remains fragile, as Canada and the United States experience steady growth and European economies continue to falter, a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Thursday.