US National Security Agency

Tokyo on August 3 described claims that Washington spied on Japanese politicians and major firms as "deeply regrettable", in its first official response to revelations from whistleblower group WikiLeaks.

"I will withhold comment. But If this is true, as an ally, it's deeply regrettable," the government's top spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a regular press briefing.    

The US spied on senior Japanese politicians, its top central banker and major companies including conglomerate Mitsubishi, according to documents released jULY 31 by WikiLeaks, which published a list of at least 35 targets.

The US wiretapped two of France's economy ministers and spied on the country's largest companies, French media reported citing WikiLeaks documents, just days after it emerged the US had spied on three of the country's leaders.

WikiLeaks announced in a press statement on Tuesday, that the US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on the last three French Presidents - Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.

WikiLeaks referred to top secret intelligence reports and technical documents on the communications of high-level French officials over the past ten years.

The US is not targeting French leader Francois Hollande's communications and will not do so in the future, the White House said, after documents published by WikiLeaks showed Washington had wiretapped the president and his two predecessors.

Germany's foreign intelligence agency helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan where US special forces killed the al-Qaeda leader, according to a German news report published May 17.

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said April 30 he expected Berlin to get to the bottom of a Brussels spy scandal after Germany reportedly snooped on the EU and France at Washington's behest.

The German chancellor's office has known since 2008 of US economic espionage targeting European companies such as Airbus but did not react, the Bild daily said April 27, citing intelligence agency documents.

Monday's shootout outside the headquarters of the US National Security Agency appears to be a 'local criminal matter' and not a terrorist attack, according to a senior US official, NBC News reported.

Birdman, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and The Grand Budapest Hotel were neck in neck at the 87th Academy Awards ceremony.

Birdman, however, snatched two of the most prestigious film awards - best director and and best picture, as well as best original screenplay and best cinematography.