A Chinese editor has died as a result of a police beating he received for his paper’s reporting on corruption, journalists and rights groups say.
Wu Xianghu had been in hospital since the attack in October, suffering from an existing liver problem made worse by the beating, earlier reports said.
Wu was reportedly attacked by some 50 policemen after his paper accused them of charging illegal bicycle fees
Microsoft’s offer to allow rivals access to its software blueprint may not be enough to prevent European Union action, the EU has warned.
The EU has threatened to fine the group 2m euros (£1.4m; $2
DaimlerChrysler has suspended at least six managers over bribery allegations linked to the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq, the Financial Times says.
Quoting “people close to the carmaker”, the paper said between six and nine senior managers had been suspended after an internal investigation.
A report published last year listed the carmaker among more than 2,000 firms said to have paid Iraqi kickbacks
The US stockmarket watchdog SEC will investigate computer services firm IBM over one of its earnings reports and its stock options scheme.
The move gives the SEC the right to see internal IBM e-mails, documents and to interview company executives.
IBM said it was co-operating with the investigation, but in after-hours trading its share price fell 1
Bank of Italy governor Antonio Fazio has resigned, a central bank spokeswoman has announced.
Pressure had been mounting on Mr Fazio to quit following a scandal over the sale of Italy’s Banca Antonveneta.
Mr Fazio is facing an investigation into suspected insider trading and abuse of office relating to his handling of the bank takeover battle
Allegations that President George Bush authorised security agents to eavesdrop on people inside the US have caused a storm of protest.
The New York Times says the National Security Agency was allowed to spy on hundreds of people without warrants.
The NSA is normally barred from eavesdropping within the US
A South Korean cloning pioneer has admitted fabricating results in key stem cell research, a colleague claims.
At least nine of 11 stem cell colonies used in a landmark research paper by Dr Hwang Woo-suk were faked, said Roh Sung-il, who collaborated on the paper.
Dr Hwang wants the US journal Science to withdraw his paper on stem cell cloning, Mr Roh said
Three Italian bank bosses involved in a controversial takeover deal this summer have reportedly been arrested.
Gianpiero Fiorani, ex-Banca Popolare Italiana (BPI) boss, was charged with criminal association in market rigging, AP quoted prosecutors as saying.
Also reportedly detained were former chief finance officer Gianfranco Boni and consultant Silvano Spinelli
The European Commission has begun legal action against Italy over its central bank’s handling of recent bank mergers.
It comes after Dutch bank ABN Amro said the Bank of Italy tried to block its bid for Italian lender Antonveneta.
Central bank chief Antonio Fazio Bank of Italy was said to have wanted an all-Italian merger instead
A US judge has declared a mistrial in the first federal lawsuit against drugs giant Merck and its Vioxx painkiller.
The move came after a jury in Houston was unable to agree on whether the drug had caused a man’s fatal heart attack.
Merck is facing a mass of Vioxx lawsuits