Asia

McDonald's is targeting private equity firms for its planned sale of 2,800 restaurants in North Asia, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is preparing for its spring meeting which gathers the leading economic voices across the globe to discuss the issues and policies impacting the world's financial markets.

With the world economy entering a more uncertain phase and the top central banks sounding ever more cautious, attention may turn in the coming week to signs of whether years of aggressive stimulus have yielded any significant rise in inflation.

The American government has cited Chinese Internet controls as a trade barrier in a report that comes as Beijing tries to block its public from seeing news online about the finances of leaders' families.

With trade and concerns over Chinese investment in the U.S. becoming hot issues on the presidential campaign trail, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker weighed in on efforts to help the U.S. be more competitive globally.

Japan's NTT Data Corp said on Monday it has agreed to buy Dell Inc's information technology consulting division for over $3 billion to expand in North America and bolster its services business.

Japanese stocks rose on Friday as a weaker yen raised sentiment, while investors bought stocks with high dividend yields such as life insurers before companies go ex-dividend next week.

Japan is now the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, knocking China out of first place. Economic policies in Japan are keeping interest rates near record lows there, and Japanese investors have put more money in the U.S., whose Treasury bonds offer higher yields.

The Bank of Japan kept policy steady despite concerns over recent volatility in bond market, saying growth is starting to pick up.

Japan's central bank unleashed a $1.4 trillion, open-ended asset program Thursday as Tokyo looks to jumpstart the economy after decades of stagnation. 

Chinese hackers who allegedly broke into Google's databases accessed valuable information about U.S. knowledge of Chinese espionage activities.

GOP presidential candidate Carly Fiorina is weighing in on China relations ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.S. later this month. In an interview with FOX Business Network’s Stuart Varney, Fiorina says she would use the opportunity for serious negotiations.

Nokia revealed the $7.4 billion sale of its devices and services division to Microsoft is being delayed several weeks as the companies await regulatory approval in Asia.

Japan's economy contracted less than initially estimated in the final quarter of 2015 but private consumption remained weak, underscoring the challenges facing premier Shinzo Abe in restoring growth amid intensifying overseas headwinds.

The Bank of Japan is expected to cut next fiscal year's economic and price forecasts at a quarterly review in April, sources say, reflecting growing gloom in the bank after its most recent stimulus measures fell on stony ground.