The G.A.O. would have 100 days to review the action, which can be expected to stoke a debate about American jobs and military competitiveness in an election year.

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When much of the country is contemplating recession, farmers are flourishing because of runaway demand.

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At a moment when much of the country is contemplating recession, farmers are flourishing because of runaway demand worldwide.

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Oil prices rose to nearly $104 a barrel, exceeding the inflation-adjusted high reached in the early 1980s.

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Regulators issued the fine for failing to comply with a 2004 judgment that Microsoft had abused its dominance.

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Japan's exports rose more than expected in January as shipments to Asia and Europe cushioned soft exports to the United States. The trade deficit of 79.3 billion yen ($734 million) was the biggest since the 394.4 billion yen in January 2006, the government said.

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Several arrests in Hong Kong for posting sexually explicit images of what appear to be some of Asia's best-known pop stars has led to a debate over free speech on the Web.

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The Nikkei and Hang Seng indexes were down sharply amid fears about shrinking consumption in the U.S.

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Higher costs in China could spell the end of an era of ultra-cheap goods.

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Concern over China's use of surveillance technology prompts new rules for U.S. exports.

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Until Jérôme Kerviel was charged in unprecedented fraud, there was nothing superlative about him.

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Société Générale said that the fraud had been committed by a trader in charge of hedging on European index futures.

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Most of the exchanges across Asia rebounded modestly on Wednesday after two days of sharp declines in response to fears of an American recession.

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Markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney fell further in the opening hours of trading Tuesday than they had all day on Monday.

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Across the globe, huge demand for biofuels has created tension between using land to produce fuel and using it for food.

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A huge underwater oil field discovered late last year has the potential to transform Brazil into a sizable exporter and win it a seat at the table of the world's oil cartel.

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Now that the price of crude oil has crossed the $100-a-barrel threshold, and then retreated slightly, what direction will it take?

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Suffering a crisis of confidence these days about its ability to compete with its emerging Asian rivals, Japan is in the midst of a growing craze for Indian education.

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A proposal to ban the planting of a genetically modified corn strain sets up a bitter war within the European Union.

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Inspired by the gum-splotched sidewalks of New York, a British professor is taking on the sticky problem and developing a nonstick chewing gum.

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The United Nations' top food and agriculture official said Monday that the world food supply is dwindling and that food prices are soaring to historic levels.

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The investment bank became the latest to seek a lifeline from the East as it wrote down $10 billion in mortgage-related assets.

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Flush with petrodollars, oil-producing countries have embarked on a global shopping spree.

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European Union officials may ban the sale of genetically modified corn plants that could harm butterflies.

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A recent pattern in which China issues regulations aimed at favoring Chinese industries over foreign competitors has raised concerns among U.S. officials.

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