IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Honda slashes forecast

Honda Motor Co, Japan's second-largest automaker, slashed its full-year profit forecast by 62 percent as the yen surged to a 13-year high against the dollar and car sales in North America and Europe plummeted.

The company expects net income of 185 billion yen ($2.08 billion) for the year ending March 31 compared with an earlier forecast of 485 billion yen, it said in Tokyo. Operating profit may total 180 billion yen compared with Honda's previous estimate of 550 billion yen.