CULTURE AND SPORT

Japan announced a USD49 billion reconstruction budget for areas devastated by the quake and tsunami.  

Apple has surpassed Finland's Nokia to become the world's largest handset vendor in revenue terms, a technology research company said.  

The US military will use armed drones over Libya, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

Toyota announced Thursday it is recalling more than 300,000 sport utility vehicles in the United States to fix faulty airbag sensors.

Vietnam Television has decided to stop broadcasting a TV soap opera series Wednesday after it received strong criticism from viewers.

Aggressive new strains of wheat rust disease have decimated up to 40 percent of harvests in some regions of north Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Mourners bowed their heads at vigils to mark the first anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, which unleashed the biggest maritime oil spill in history.

A Hong Kong movie billed as the world's first 3D porn film has broken the city's first-day box office record.

Apple nearly doubled its quarterly net profit on record iPhone sales but iPad sales dipped.

Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh held talks with the head of the Chinese State General Administration of Sports, Liu Peng in Hanoi.

Seven civilians were killed and 18 wounded in a NATO air raid that targeted the southwestern Tripoli suburb of Khellat Al-Ferjan.

Toyota said it will reduce auto production at its Chinese plants by 50-70 percent until June 3.

A rebel official in Libya's besieged city of Misrata pleaded for Britain and France to send troops to help fight Moamer Kadhafi's forces.

EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger is preparing legislation to force oil-drilling companies to pay for pollution, a source said.

Samsung said it would take counter-action against Apple after the US firm filed suit alleging that the South Korean giant copied its smartphones and tablet computers.

Seventeen people, including two children, have been killed in a helicopter crash in India's north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

US Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview published Tuesday that NATO can handle Libya without US help.

Vietnam won the championship title at the first Asian Pencak Silat Championship that ended in Bedok Sports Hall, Singapore on April 18.

A rebel official in Libya's Misrata City pleaded desperately for Britain and France to send troops to help fight strongman Moamer Kadhafi's forces.