It seems that barely a week goes by these days without a titan of Japan Inc. falling on hard times. Shareholders are gripped by a sense of dread that the great corporate leaders that helped build the world’s third-largest economy are losing their grip. The fear is spreading to even the best-run companies. While those emotions are understandable, investors would …

The unexpectedly large fine the European Commission has slapped on Google—€2.4 billion—is evidence that the search giant’s relationship with European regulators is now a vicious circle of escalation. Google’s reluctance to give up any revenue from its fastest-growing ad format may lead to significant, unpredictable losses in its biggest market outside the US. The case in which competition commissioner Margrethe …

DUBAI / Reuters Qatar’s stock slumped on Sunday as a deadline for Doha to accept a series of political demands by four Arab states was expected to expire late in the day with no sign of the crisis ending while Saudi Arabia’s rally extended for a third session. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said at the weekend …