Friends to help police bullying and abuse on Facebook

Facebook users who are being bullied or abused can now report the problem to friends, as well as site moderators.

The option to contact a "trusted friend" has been added to the website's safety centre.

Facebook said that the system was designed to help people solve online problems "face to face".

Toyota eyes annual sales of 10 million cars

Japanese carmaker Toyota has said it is aiming for global sales of 10 million vehicles a year by 2015, compared with 8.7 million in 2010.

The company is also targeting annual operating profit of 1 trillion yen ($12bn; £7.4bn) "as soon as possible".

Firms blame high tariffs, lack of tech'l skills for low R&D investments

Local companies consider the high cost of equipment and technology and the lack of skilled manpower as major obstacles to investments into research and development (R&D), a government think-tank said.

The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), in a policy paper, said major constraints for home-grown companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) are "high tariffs" and the "lack of tax breaks," as well as the absence of technical manpower especially in the fields of engineering and science and technology.

Thai farmers and multinational companies

Can the US science-based products and service company DuPont help Indonesia stabilize the price of chilies throughout the year including during prolonged rainy seasons as Indonesia experienced in 2010? Chili prices skyrocketed up to Rp 100,000 (US$11.5) in December and January. The government blamed the drastic climate change for the flavor shortage.

The question is tempting because the company claims, “It is uniquely positioned to increase global food production across the value chain by boosting crop yields through advanced seed genetics, agronomic practices and product innovations that help farmers maximize productivity and quality; advancing the nutritional content derived from crops.”

Sri Lankan government accused of handing over land to multinational companies and setting up casino zone

The Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has accused the Sri Lankan government of handing over prime land to multinational companies and trying to set up a casino zone in Colombo.

JVP Propaganda Secretary and parliamentarian Vijitha Herath told a press conference today that the government was planning on creating a casino zone in D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha in Colombo.

iPad 2 tablet launched by Apple's Steve Jobs

Apple has launched the second generation of its iPad tablet computer at an event in San Francisco.

The company said the machine featured a faster processor, improved graphics, and front and rear cameras.

Apple leads the industry in sales of tablet devices, but has recently begun to lose share to rivals such as HP and Samsung.

Facebook buys group text service Beluga

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Facebook is making a play for a piece of the small but much-buzzed-about group text messaging market. On Tuesday, it announced that it has acquired eight-month-old Beluga.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.