Google co-founder and chief Larry Page ended the mystery about his soft, sometimes raspy voice with a personal online post Tuesday about being diagnosed with partially paralyzed vocal cords.

Germany's economy crept back into growth in the first quarter of the year, after a sharp contraction at the end of 2012, while France slipped into recession, data showed on Wednesday.

Asia-focused bank HSBC announced Wednesday that it will make another US$2-3 billion (1.5-2.3 billion euros) of new cost savings, as the group seeks to boost profitability.

Sony shares rocketed Wednesday after a U.S. hedge fund called for the partial sell-off of its entertainment unit, in a rare bid by a major foreign shareholder to penetrate Japan's staid corporate culture.

Microsoft Corp.'s forthcoming update to its personal computer operating system will be called Windows 8.1 and will be available later this year free to existing Windows 8 customers, the marketing chief for the Windows unit said on Tuesday.

Warren Buffett-backed Chinese carmaker BYD Co. Ltd. rolled out Hong Kong's first electric taxi fleet on Wednesday, marking a milestone for its all-electric battery car that highlights its promise and its limitations.

Weak economic data across the eurozone pushed European stocks lower Wednesday, as news hit that the 17-country currency bloc is now in its longest-ever recession.

The dollar held firm versus the yen in Asian trade Wednesday, clinging to recent gains after upbeat U.S. data with analysts saying the greenback could climb higher.

The price of oil fell below US$94 on Wednesday after Germany, Europe's largest economy, reported anemic growth for the first quarter.

Taiwan's HTC Corp. fell out of the world'stop 10 smartphone makers in the first quarter as the company's sales continued to slide, tech tracking firm Gartner Inc. said in a report.