IN BRIEF (Page 16)

Sony surges

Sony Corp, the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, rose to the highest level in more than two weeks in Tokyo trading after a research report said Sony reduced the cost of making its PlayStation3 video-game console by 35 percent.

Sony gained 1.2 percent to close at 1,922 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the highest level since Dec 15. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average advanced 1.3 percent. Shares traded for half a day yesterday on markets in Japan.