IBT Staff Reporter

A major study released by Japan's first-ever independent commission appointed by Parliament says the nuclear disaster was ultimately caused by government-business collusion but lays blame on Japan's society as well.

France's new Socialist government announced tax rises worth 7.2 billion euros on Wednesday, including heavy one-off levies on wealthy households and big corporations, to plug a revenue shortfall this year caused by flagging economic growth.

Chinese, Indian and Japanese navies in the Gulf of Aden show a sense of pragmatism and cooperation among their forces, but wariness of China's military is unlikely to lift anytime soon in East Asia.

The government says it's taking shark fin off the state menu, but the rest of the country still hasn't lost its taste for the delicacy.

The Kurils are a chain of islands four thousand miles from Moscow, with horrible weather and a sparse, poor population. But they are on Japan's doorstep, and promise mineral and natural riches - and that's why Prime minister Medvedev is there

The rocky relationship between the Chinese government and the Western media is changing, as Chinese-language editions multiply. Meanwhile, Chinese media are eyeing the West too.

China's services sector expanded at its fastest pace in three months in June, an official survey showed on Tuesday, but left intact market expectations that Beijing will deliver more policy measures to support growth in the near future.

Asian shares inched up on Tuesday as manufacturing data around the world highlighted the drag on growth from the protracted euro zone debt crisis, raising expectations for the Federal Reserve to take further steps to underpin the fragile economy.

Tokyo's firebrand governor Shintaro Ishihara and the Chinese Foreign Ministry are at it again. This time it's over the naming of a pair of panda bears. Really.

Barclays Chairman Marcus Agius is expected to resign on Monday over the Libor interest-rate scandal, the BBC and the Guardian said on Sunday.

The Fragrant Harbor was passed from British to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. Today, it's still torn between its Western-style freedoms and the Beijing model.

Spain's economy shrank further in the second quarter but looks set to stabilize over the rest of the year while the government continues to push structural reforms and budget austerity, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Sunday.

China's factory downturn worsened in June as a key activity index hit a seven-month low; the report is expected to raise expectations that the central bank may seek more policy easing.

How powerful is the Syrian military? How do Western nations stack up against it? And would it be wise to intervene in the first place?

The two countries are set to sign a historic General Security Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) to allow classified military intelligence sharing on Friday.

A grim tale of local abuse heats up tempers over China's population control policy.

Asian shares rose on Thursday on encouraging U.S. economic data, but prices could falter with markets tense ahead of a European summit deeply divided on how to tackle the protracted euro zone debt crisis and stop it spreading further.

Stockton, California, is expected to file for bankruptcy before the end of the week, becoming the largest U.S. city to seek protection from its creditors.

Latin America and China are closer than ever, and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao is touring the continent with a bucketful of money. Everybody wins? Some critics are skeptical

Both North and South Korean meteorological officials are reporting that a current drought affecting the Peninsula is the worst it has experienced in over 100 years.

What is so special about the term civil war, and why are governments, media and analysts shying away from openly using that label to describe what's happening in Syria?

Moody's Investors Service on Monday downgraded the long-term debt and deposit ratings for 28 Spanish banks and two issuer ratings, following on the heels of a cut to Spain's sovereign rating to just above junk status earlier this month.

In the wake of the Syrian downing of a Turkish F-4 Phantom reconnaissance jet on Friday, there has been a great deal of restraint, but it appears Ankara's patience with Damascus may be wearing thin.

Money manager Ezra Merkin has agreed to pay $410 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general that accused Merkin of steering client money to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, a person familiar with the settlement said on Sunday.

The Republican campaign against U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is gaining steam ahead of an expected vote in the House of Representatives on a contempt of Congress count in the coming week.

Victory for the Muslim Brotherhood-backed politician may be an indication of Egypt's possible move toward becoming an Islamic democracy.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is considering splitting its business in two, separating its struggling handset manufacturing division from its messaging network, The Sunday Times reported.

The answer from Greek citizens and businesses themselves strongly suggests that it is.

Spain's banks would need between 51 billion and 62 billion euros ($64-78 billion) in extra capital to weather a serious downturn of the economy and new losses on their books, two independent audits of the sector showed on Thursday.