Japan's exports were badly hit by the steep drop in steel prices and other commodities. The world's third largest economy's exports fell 12.9 percent on the year in January to Yen 5.35 trillion ($47.12 billion), while the imports also fell 18 percent.

A startup is getting ready to launch a ride-sharing app that could compete against Uber. The startup claimed that they would aim to form a better relationship with drivers and pay the drivers better with lower commission. As for now, the company is still gathering data, with the help of Uber drivers paid $25 per week to carry Juno devices while doing their job.

NYSE-listed Broadridge Financial Solutions has invested in AMA Partners, BV (AMA). By taking minority stake in AMA Partners, Broadridge will expand its corporate governance solution in Europe.

BDC Capital, a subsidiary of Business Development Bank of Canada, has launched IT Venture Fund II with corpus of C$150 million. With an objective of bridging gap in the mid-stage funding, the new fund will support new generation of IT entrepreneurs in Canada.

Apple found support from Facebook and Twitter that it should not be forced to help FBI in unlocking the smartphone of one of the San Bernardino mass shooting assailants, Farook. Even if Apple unlocked phones in the past for solving criminal investigations, it is still the company' best interest to protect their privacy of their customers.

Puerto Rico has run into deep economic crisis, with its fiscal agent, the Government Development Bank, running out of reserves to cover even essential services. The government is tilting towards holding on to its debt repayments to sustain the island as a going concern, but their plea to creditors and the Congress to bail them out of the crisis is met with resistance on both fronts.

University of Chicago scholarship programs get $50 million donation from Sequoia Capital chairman Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman. The said huge donation will fund the Odyssey Scholarship Program and the Collegiate Scholars Program.

Standard & Poor has trimmed Brazil's loan rating into "junk territory' following the nation's failure to reduce its fiscal risks and the political hurdles facing the economy of Brazil. The government is hopeful to reform its fiscal strategy amid political challenges and economic slowdown.

MindMaze has secured a total of $100 million funds from an early round led by India’s Hinduja Group. MindMaze, which until now is focusing on developing virtual reality interfaces in the healthcare sector aims to form future contracts and service centers, as well as expanding the technology for other uses in the form of gaming, educational and fitness applications.

Whole Foods is calling back its specialty cheese, Pecorino Aged Cheese in Walnut Leaves, that have been sold from its New York and Florida stores. The product, which tested positive for the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, may have a fatal impact on the health of its consumers. The company has already notified its retailers and distributors and alerted its consumers of the same.