News Headlines - 27 April 2011

▽Sony may face global legal scrutiny over breach - Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/sony-lawsuits-idUSN2717342520110427
Sony Corp could face legal action across the globe after it belatedly revealed one of the biggest online data breaches ever.

▽Chip companies warn on Japan effect - Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/638a545c-70c3-11e0-9b1d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1KhVtt2wn
Some of Europe’s largest semiconductor companies on Wednesday warned that disruption following the Japanese earthquake would mean lower growth for the global chip sector this year.

▽Japanese cars to be in short supply around the world - The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/japanese-cars-to-be-in-short-supply-around-the-world-2275765.html
The hangover from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has worsened for Japan's car manufacturers, who have just reported that their combined domestic production facilities are only operating at about 50 percent of their normal output.

▽Japan's credit rating could be cut following earthquake - Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/gilts/8478024/Japans-credit-rating-could-be-cut-following-earthquake.html
Standard and Poor's, one of the top rating agencies, warned the cost of rebuilding could hit 50 trillion yen (£366bn) as it downgraded the outlook for Japan's debt rating from "stable" to "negative".
The worry is that Japan's massive public sector debt – already twice the size of the economy – will swell further.

▽Livedoor founder will serve time for fraud - Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/87e58f54-6ffd-11e0-8591-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1KhVtt2wn
It is a mark of how Mr Horie has remained a popular figure that he is still affectionately known by his nickname, “Horiemon” and his supporters still claim that his arrest was a backlash against western-style capitalism.
That has allowed him to re-invent himself in the past few years as a commentator and management guru.