Toyota is recalling its 2010 Prius and Lexus hybrids worldwide because of brake problems, marking another setback for a carmaker already plagued with recalls and suspended sales because of safety issues.

The recall will include 437,000 vehicles, including 133,000 Prius and 14,500 Lexus models in the US to update software in their anti-lock brake systems, says the LA Times.

The Washington Post adds that the nation's largest auto insurer alerted federal safety regulators on numerous occasions starting in 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyotas, according to the insurer, State Farm.

Google is feeling the heat from red-hot social network Facebook. The search giant is upgrading its Gmail program to add social-media tools similar to those found on Facebook. Google will incorporate photo and video sharing within the Gmail application, along with a new tool for status updates, writes USA Today.

In the long run, the record snowfall that has assailed the Washington region will go down as a mere blip in an economic landscape dominated by the recession, the experts say. But that is cold comfort to many local businesses forced to shut down and dig out over the weekend just as they hoped to turn the corner toward recovery, reports the Washington Post.

A former Intel executive pleaded guilty yesterday to criminal charges alleging that he passed on sensitive information about his company to Galleon Group hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam and then profited from Galleon's trading on his tips. The employee, Rajiv Goel, 51, worked for Intel's treasury group and assisted Intel Capital, the company's investment arm, in its strategic investment decisions, according to the FT.

Now that air travelers are warming to the idea of paying extra for service amenities, American Airlines is going to ask them to pay to stay warm in the air. Beginning May 1, coach passengers on American's domestic flights that last more than two hours, as well as those on flights to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America, will have to pay $8 for a blanket and inflatable neck pillow, says USA Today.

Japan Airlines chose Tuesday to keep its ties with AMR's American Airlines rather than strike a new alliance with Delta Air Lines, dealing a blow to Delta's trans-Pacific growth ambitions just as competition over Japan's skies heats up, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Since it aired Feb. 28, 1983, the final episode of CBS' M*A*S*H sitcom, which averaged about 106 million viewers, reigned as U.S. TV's most-watched show. Sunday, the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl XLIV victory on CBS set a record: 106.5 million, according to USA Today.

General Motors's European division said Tuesday it plans to invest €11bn on its model line-up by 2014 as part of a complex turnaround plan aimed at reaching break-even in 2011 and returning to profitability in 2012, reports the Wall Street Journal.

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