Business & Financial News, U.S & International Breaking News

Asia stocks fell on Monday as investors scaled back expectations of an aggressive interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, while heightened Middle East tensions following Iran's seizure of a British tanker lifted crude oil prices.

Robert Morgenthau, 99, who became the scourge of white-collar criminals over three decades as the Manhattan district attorney, died on Sunday, his family told the New York Times.

Smoke spread so quickly through a burning Japanese animation company that a majority of victims who had tried to flee through a rooftop door were unable to open it before perishing, Japanese media said on Monday.

Trading hit a feverish pitch on China's new Nasdaq-style board for homegrown tech firms on its debut on Monday, with most stocks surging and drawing attention away from the main board.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc won a solid majority in an upper house election on Sunday but his coalition and allies fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to begin revising the pacifist constitution, public broadcaster NHK said.

Puerto Rico's governor on Sunday said he would not seek re-election next year but refused to resign as the island braced for more protests by demonstrators demanding he step down over offensive chat messages.