PetroChina on Thursday reported that 2012 net profit fell 13.3 percent, despite increased production, as the oil giant was hit by a slowdown in the growth rate of the Chinese economy.

San Miguel's consolidated net profits surged 57 percent to 27.6 billion pesos ($677.55 million) last year, boosted by strong turnover from new businesses, the top Philippine conglomerate said Thursday.

China Unicom on Thursday reported that net profit for 2012 soared 68 percent, driven by a strong increase in revenues from the company's third generation mobile services.

North Korea on Thursday threatened strikes on US military bases in Japan and Guam, escalating tensions as suspicion deepened that Pyongyang was behind a cyber attack on South Korean broadcasters and banks.

South Korea said Thursday it had sourced a damaging cyber attack on its broadcasters and banks to an IP address in China, fuelling suspicions that North Korea may have been responsible.

A rat may have caused a power cut that knocked out cooling systems at Japan's tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, the operator said Thursday, an episode that highlighted the jerry-rigged nature of the fix.

Google chairman Eric Schmidt has warned that India is lagging badly behind in harnessing the power of the Internet because of its failure to invest in high-speed telecom networks.

For years Myanmar's paranoid junta blocked websites such as Gmail and YouTube. However, when Google chairman Eric Schmidt visits this week, he will find a small but flourishing Internet community.

More than a billion people use YouTube each month, it says, with viewing on smartphones helping drive growth.

More than a billion people use YouTube each month, it says, with viewing on smartphones helping drive growth.

Pop mogul Simon Cowell launched an innovative online talent contest Wednesday, inviting wannabee stars from around the world to post clips of their skills on YouTube.

Two people including a Buddhist monk were killed and at least three mosques were destroyed after riots broke out in a town in central Myanmar, police said Thursday.

For years Myanmar's paranoid junta blocked websites such as Gmail and YouTube. However, when Google chairman Eric Schmidt visits this week, he will find a small but flourishing Internet community.

Wednesday's concerted cyber attack against South Korean broadcasters and banks originated from an IP address in China, but the identity of the hackers cannot be confirmed, officials said Thursday.

The fossilized remains of a huge prehistoric flying reptile was unveiled Wednesday at the Rio de Janeiro National Museum where an international congress on the extinct species is to be held in May.

A US-based group monitoring human rights in North Korea said Wednesday it was hit by a cyber attack that disabled its website for several hours.

Lawmakers and advocates on Wednesday called for safeguards to be placed on the domestic use of drones in order to protect the privacy of Americans.

Paul McCartney will kick off a world tour in Warsaw on June 22, four days after he turns 71, the former Beatle's official website annouced Wednesday.

A new vaccine that has raised hopes of becoming a potent new tool in the battle against malaria seems to stop working in children after four years, according to research published Wednesday.

US online retail giant Amazon began selling its advanced Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in Brazil this week, tapping into the biggest consumer market in Latin America.