MOMENTUM: The TAIEX is expected to move between 7,900 and 8,100 points in the days ahead after closing a shortened week at its highest level in almost seven years
Asian stocks were little changed in quiet holiday business on Friday with most bourses closed, while those that were open traded cautiously ahead of key US jobs data due later in the day, dealers said.

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SUBDUED: Caution before the release of nonfarm jobs data held back share prices in New York, although the Dow Jones managed to extend gains into a sixth session
Wall Street ended a winning, holiday-shortened week with a quiet advance on Thursday as investors awaited the release of employment figures for last month and remained cautiously optimistic after their recent buying streak. For the week, the major indexes showed gains each day and returned to positive territory for the year.

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Oil prices fell on profit-taking on Thursday ahead of the Easter holiday weekend, reversing earlier gains that were linked to a massive plunge in US motor fuel reserves, traders said.

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European stock markets posted modest gains on Thursday in line with a subdued morning on Wall Street, as investors adjusted their holdings ahead of a four-day closure for the Easter weekend, dealers said.

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The dollar edged up from a two-year low against the euro in Asian trading on Friday as players took to the sidelines ahead of keenly awaited US jobs data, dealers said.

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VIDEO SHARING: YouTube is trying to show Thailand how to block access to pages that contain clips considered offensive to the king instead of blanking the whole site
Popular video-sharing Web site YouTube and the Thai government are discussing ways to end an impasse that arose after clips mocking the country's revered king appeared online, a Thai official said yesterday.

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PERSPECTIVE: Although newspaper revenues have been declining, top editors predict that the Internet may allow them to return to deeper, more sophisticated journalism
Are newspapers set to become yesterday's news? Don't count on it, say editors at some of Europe's iconic publications.

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Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency based in Paris, has settled its lawsuit against Google Inc and will allow the Internet search leader to post news and photos from AFP journalists.

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The chairman of Telecom Italia, Guido Rossi, resigned on Friday after clashing with the company's largest shareholder, capping a week that began with AT&T and America Movil offering to buy control of Telecom, the biggest Italian telecommunications company.

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The nation's two largest air carriers are expected to see robust profit growth as fuel price pressure eases, analysts predicted yesterday.

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■ Grassroots credit
Overdue ratio down 7.91%
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