China Spends More as Growth Ebbs

Spain to Cede Bank Control

Spain will be forced to give up most of the control over its banks—and will be required to impose losses on local investors—in return for a bailout of as much as $123 billion.

Israel's Olmert Acquitted of Bribery

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was acquitted of bribery in two separate corruption cases in an Israeli court, but found guilty in a third case on a lesser count of breach of public trust.

U.S. Presses Vietnam on Rights Record

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for closer ties between Washington and its former wartime foe Vietnam, even as she said the government in Hanoi isn't doing enough to respect human rights.

• U.S. Looks to Tiny Laos for Influence
• Clinton Praises Mongolian System

In U.K. Visit, Hollande Urges Unity on Debt

Everyone in France must contribute to reducing the national debt, President François Hollande said, insisting his austerity measures aren't meant to punish the rich.

• Crisis Blog: U.K. Rolls Out Red Carpet

Romanian Court Raises Bar for Recalling President

Romania's Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that at least half the electorate must cast ballots for the vote to be valid in a recall referendum aimed at removing the president.

U.K. Drops Key Lords Reform Vote

Plans to overhaul Britain's unelected House of Lords hit difficulty Tuesday when Prime Minister David Cameron faced a rebellion among members of his party opposed to the reform.

Nomination in Myanmar Seen as Risk to Reforms

Myanmar's military nominated a former general with close ties to the previous military junta to be the new vice president, disappointing observers who had hoped to see a known reformer elevated to the post.

Bishop's Exit Tests Vatican Relations

he surprise resignation of a Catholic auxiliary bishop from China's state-sanctioned church over the weekend could renew tensions between Beijing and the Vatican over who should lead the nation's estimated nine million Catholics.

• Congregation Applauds as Bishop Leaves

U.S. Looks to Laos for Influence

Hillary Clinton's visit to Laos on Wednesday will be the first by a U.S. secretary of state in 57 years, and it comes as the small, landlocked nation is taking on growing importance as it is pulled deeper into China's orbit.

OECD Warns on Unemployment

The unemployment rate in developed economies will remain high for longer than previously expected, increasing the risk that more workers will be permanently shut out of the jobs market, the OECD said.

Morocco Bus Crashes Kill 27

Two bus crashes in separate locations in Morocco claimed 27 lives, including those of a German and a Dutch tourist, the state news agency reported Tuesday.

Authorities Walk Fine Line With Cambodia Virus

Health officials have had to walk a fine line between keeping the public informed and avoiding unnecessary worry about an disease that has killed more than 50 children in Cambodia.

• Video: Answers Found in Deadly Cambodian Outbreak

India Insurer to Cover Ships Carrying Iran Oil

United India Insurance has agreed to provide protection and indemnity cover to Indian tankers carrying oil from Iran with General Insurance Corp. offering reinsurance, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Congolese Warlord Gets 14 Years' Jail

The International Criminal Court handed down its first sentence, imprisoning for 14 years a Congolese warlord convicted of using child soldiers.

Korean Political Heiress Seeks Presidency

Park Geun-hye, a stalwart of South Korea's conservative New Frontier Party, formally launched her presidential campaign, which if she wins would make her the country's first female president.

• Bios: South Korean Presidential Race

Russia: Flood Warnings Insufficient

Authorities failed to properly warn residents in the Black Sea region of floods that killed at least 171 people, Russia's emergencies minister said.

• Video: Russian Flood Victims Blame Government

China Reiterates Support for EU Integration

A senior Chinese leader expressed confidence that Europe would successfully resolve its sovereign-debt crisis and reiterated China's support for a unified Europe.

Nigeria Clamps Down on Violence

Gunmen on Saturday swept through the central city of Jos, a faultline in volatile ties among Christians and Muslims, shooting dead at least 59 people and displacing more than 300.

Replica Disney Dancers on North Korea Stage

North Korean leader Kim Jong Eun and several other top officials attended a televised variety show over the weekend that included dancers imitating Disney characters.

• Video: Was that Mickey Mouse in North Korea?

Clinton Praises Mongolian System

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience in Mongolia that her visit is a reminder of U.S. support for democracy in a region where China's influence continues to deepen.

• Video: Clinton Takes on Mongolia

Singapore to Soften Death Penalty for Drugs

In a surprise shift, Singapore announced plans to amend laws that dictate a mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers.

To Power Syria, Chávez Sends Diesel

Chávez and his state-oil company are providing vital energy support to Assad and conducting business with Syrian firms blacklisted by Washington and Brussels.

Romanian Court Clears President's Impeachment

Romania's top court cleared the way for a national referendum on whether to remove the country's president from office after a parliamentary vote to impeach him.

Iraq: Kurdish Oil Exports to Turkey Are Illegal

Iraq's government said crude-oil exports from the semiautonomous northern region of Kurdistan to neighboring Turkey are "illegal" and threatened on Monday to take "appropriate action."

Further BOJ Easing May Be Needed

Former Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Iwata said the central bank may need to do more as the weak job market will likely fail to bring about the moderate inflation the bank is targeting.

China's Trade Growth Slows

China's trade surplus widened in June as export and import growth both weakened, reflecting faltering economic conditions in China and abroad.

• Video: Another Sign Economy is Weakening
• Earlier: Consumer Inflation Eased
• Heard: China's Imports—Cause for Optimism

Rebels Threaten Mining Exports in Congo

An offensive by rebels led by a renegade general in the Congo has approached a major eastern city and threatens to choke the country's exports of tin ore, gold and a rare metal used in smartphones and computers.

• Photos: Fleeing Congo's Rebels
• Earlier: Peacekeepers at War in Congo
• Heart of Darkness: Inside Congo's Long War

Slump Claims U.K. Refinery

Like steel-makers and shipbuilders before them, the aging oil refineries that provided Europe's fuels are dying off as demand shifts to suppliers elsewhere, depriving communities of jobs that will be difficult to replace.

Philippines Aims to Boost Mining Revenue

The Philippines unveiled a new mining law that aims to generate more revenue from the sector even as it imposed a moratorium on new contracts.