Bloomberg Japan’s second-quarter gross domestic product data put the nation in an unexpected spot: at the top of the growth table among Group of Seven advanced economies. The strongest domestic demand in years helped drive Japanese GDP to a sixth consecutive quarter of expansion, elevating hopes for a sustainable recovery in an economy that’s been better known in recent years ...

Bloomberg Alibaba and Tencent can count themselves among the world’s costliest technology companies after a stellar run. To justify those lofty valuations, China’s two largest corporations have to deliver on some of the riskiest bets they’ve placed in years. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., which created China’s largest online bazaar but has scant brick-and-mortar experience, spent $8 billion investing in a ...

Bloomberg Toshiba Corp.’s talks to sell its chips business to a consortium led by Bain Capital hit an impasse over the timing of payments for the business and governance issues, according to people familiar with the matter, casting doubt on the company’s ability to complete a deal quickly. The Bain group wants to make cash payments after Toshiba resolves a ...

Bloomberg China’s home sales grew last month at the slowest pace in more than two years amid regulators’ moves to rein in soaring prices. The value of new homes sold rose 4.3 percent to 779 billion yuan ($117 billion) in July from a year earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations based on data released Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics. ...

Bloomberg The US’s top general reassured South Korea that President Donald Trump is prioritizing a diplomatic solution to tensions with North Korea, echoing comments from administration officials who sought to tamp down fears of imminent nuclear war. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, reaffirmed the US commitment to protect South Korea after a meeting with ...

Bloomberg Gunmen killed 18 people in an attack on a restaurant in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, the second assault in the city center in less than two years that comes amid a surge of militant violence in West Africa. Two militants were shot by security forces before the attack ended by 5 a.m. on Monday, according to a government statement. ...

Bloomberg Serbia should end its claim to all of Kosovo and seek to regain control of the northern part of the breakaway province where Serbs are in the majority, Deputy Premier Ivica Dacic said in an opinion piece published by Vecernje Novosti on Monday. In his second such appeal in two weeks and echoing calls for a compromise by President ...

Bloomberg Angela Merkel’s main rivals for the Chancellery stepped up their criticism of her handling of Germany’s domestic and international agenda, slamming her for failing to address the diesel scandal rocking the auto industry and accusing her of kowtowing to President Donald Trump. Six weeks before federal elections that will determine whether Merkel wins a fourth term, Social Democratic Party ...

Bloomberg Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said he may be a dual citizen, which potentially bars him from serving in parliament and could jeopardize the government’s razor-thin majority. Joyce said he’d been advised by New Zealand High Commission that he may be a citizen by descent. He won’t step down as deputy leader and will refer the matter to ...

The latest round of congressional sanctions against Russia garnered much attention for the message they sent to President Donald Trump: We don’t trust you to decide when to lift or ease sanctions on Moscow. True, it was an important signal to the American people, the president and the rest of the world that nearly all of America’s legislators felt Russia ...