The U.S. dollar faced selling pressure in Asian currency markets Friday with traders eyeing the safe-haven Japanese yen as questions swirl over the timing of an end to the U.S. Federal Reserve's massive stimulus.

Oil prices were up slightly Friday as traders awaited the release of industrial production data from the U.S. later in the day.

Airbus' new A350 plane is due to take off on its much-anticipated maiden flight Friday, a milestone for an aircraft the firm hopes will help close the gap with rival Boeing in the lucrative long-haul market.

Facebook on Wednesday added Twitter-style hashtags to help the more than 1 billion members of the social network tune into topics of interest at the leading social network.

Yahoo on Wednesday announced it has bought a startup that makes picture-taking applications for iPhones, as part of efforts to enhance its Flickr photo service.

Japanese automakers Nissan and Mitsubishi are joining forces to grab a bigger share of the country's lucrative market for tiny cars, now dominated by their three rivals.

Apple Inc. is exploring launching iPhones with bigger screens, as well as cheaper models in a range of colors, over the next year, said four people with knowledge of the matter, as it takes a cue from rival Samsung Electronics.

World Bank on Wednesday lowered its growth estimate for the global economy in 2013, but said that expansion appeared better balanced than just before the 2008 financial crisis.

The European Union said on Thursday it had lodged a complaint at the World Trade Organisation against China's imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports of stainless steel tubes, six months after Japan filed a similar case.

Japan's stock market plunged and other global shares followed Thursday amid concerns that central bankers in the U.S. and Japan might turn off the tap of money that has kept markets afloat during the economic crisis.