A former Ameriprise Financial Inc stockbroker previously accused by U.S. securities regulators of engaging in insider trading ahead of a 2010 merger by Pfizer Inc has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
U.S. prosecutors have launched a money-laundering investigation into a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
A Republican takeover of the U.S. Senate has brightened prospects for an effort to fight frivolous patent litigation, although the path to success is far from clear, sources close to the lobbying effort said on Wednesday.
The world's biggest companies disclose little or no financial details about their operations abroad, according to a report by Transparency International, which singled out Chinese companies but pointed to U.S. tech giants like Amazon and Google as well.
