It sounded so promising. Anyone, anywhere would be able to strap on a headset in their living room and be able to experience events anywhere in the world - or outside of it - as if they were really there.

China will increase its healthcare subsidies by 19 percent this year as part of efforts to deepen social reforms and strengthen safety nets, the government said on Saturday.

With optimism building that the United States is already recovering smartly from another horrible start to the year, focus will shift this week to reports that may show the euro zone is finally shaking off half a decade of torpor.

China's central bank cut its benchmark interest rate on Sunday for the third time since November, as economic growth cools to levels not seen since the global financial crisis.

A top EU official urged Athens and its creditors to make progress in their talks on a cash-for-reform deal on Monday, warning there was no "Plan B" in the event of a Greek default.

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) are in talks to expand their technology partnership to fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs), sources said on Saturday, as global automakers face rising costs to comply with stricter emission regulations.

Japan's Takata Corp (7312.T) said it expects to return to profit this financial year on higher Asian and U.S. sales, but the troubled company made few provisions for possible costs related to a massive global recall of its exploding air bags.

Timo Soini, the Finns Party leader and possible new finance minister of Finland, said on Friday it would make sense for Greece to leave the euro zone.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras forecast a happy end soon to fraught negotiations with creditors on a cash-for-reform deal, and the chairman of euro zone finance ministers said talks were making progress, though not enough for a deal next Monday.

General Motors Co said it will fall short of its goal of having 500,000 GM vehicles on U.S. roads by 2017 that are powered by some form of electricity.