Japan's cabinet approved changes on Friday to a 66-year-old law that bans late-night dancing in clubs, a decision that will help businesses cash in on an expected influx of tourists ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Legal & Regulatory
Tesco getting hammered after rating downgrades
Two credit rating agencies have reduced Tesco's rating to the cusp of investment grade after a horrible set of first half numbers on Thursday.
ECB faces test of its own as Europe braces for landmark banking review
After putting the euro zone's top 130 banks through their paces, the European Central Bank will face a test of its own on Sunday - will its landmark health check succeed in convincing investors the region's lenders are safe?
Senior Japan official calls for Abe to delay sales-tax hike
A top Japanese government official said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should delay a planned sales-tax increase, the strongest sign yet that economic weakness is causing concern among those close to the premier ahead of the difficult tax decision.
Swiss gold referendum's support falls short of majority: poll
A proposal to prohibit the Swiss National Bank from selling any of its gold reserves has the support of 44 percent of the public, a closely watched survey showed on Friday, though that result falls short of the backing it needs to pass into law.
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An international financial watchdog said on Friday member states should take action to ward off risks emanating from Iran and North Korea, which it said had failed to tackle money-laundering and financing of terrorism.
European bank stress tests have found that Ireland's permanent tsb (PTSB) (IPM.I) had a capital shortfall of 800 million to 850 million euros at the end of 2013, a source familiar with the process said on Friday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel thanked ECB President Mario Draghi for spelling out to leaders at an EU summit that governments must play a role in boosting the faltering euro zone economy, and said it was their firm intention to do so.
A unit of Bank of New York Mellon Corp, one of the largest wealth managers in the United States, has won regulatory clearance for the sale of its stake in a joint venture with China's Western Securities Co Ltd , as a shake-out continues among partnerships in the country's financial industry.
Drugmakers are looking for some kind of indemnity from governments or multilateral agencies against possible losses or claims arising from the widespread emergency use of new Ebola vaccines in Africa.
The U.S. Federal Reserve said on Thursday it would assume wider corporate bond spreads and a higher oil price in the most strenuous scenario it will use in next year's run of its annual check of banks' health.
Drugmakers Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) and Mylan Inc (MYL.O) on Wednesday declined to explain in detail why they changed the terms of a $5.3 billion deal in which Mylan will buy part of Abbott's overseas generics business and reincorporate for tax purposes in the Netherlands.
Japan's plan to open up to casino gambling has been delayed again, three people familiar with the process said, dealing a blow to one of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy priorities and to hopes the first resort will open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
U.S. securities regulators adopted a rule on Wednesday designed to avert another financial crisis, but two officials dissented, saying it did not do enough to discourage banks from lending to borrowers with shaky credit and then passing the mortgage risk to investors.
