Iraqi Prime Minister announced that an investigation had uncovered the existence of 50,000 "ghost soldiers", and promised a widening crackdown on corruption.
South Korea's Samsung scrapped a merger between two major units, citing the spiralling cost of buying back stock from shareholders opposed to the deal.
Residents of Japan's Okinawa Sunday elected a governor who opposes plans to relocate a US military base within the island chain, a fresh setback in efforts to resolve a thorny issue in military relations.
A powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia, sparking a tsunami warning for areas up to 300 kilometres (185 miles) away.
Japanese entertainment colossus Sony said it will debut a cable-style television service delivered through its popular PlayStation video game consoles.