Browsing: Business

TOKYO: Japan’s defense spending and related costs for fiscal 2026 will total about 10.6 trillion yen, or roughly 1.9% of the country’s 2022 gross domestic product, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Friday, putting the latest budget cycle near a level that had

KUALA LUMPUR: Halal exports of Malaysia rose to RM68.52 billion in 2025, up 10.9% from a year earlier, as food and beverage products and halal ingredients continued to anchor overseas sales in one of the country’s key export segments. Halal Development Corporation

SEOUL: South Korea has approved its first paid self-driving freight transport service, authorizing autonomous driving startup RideFlux to begin commercial cargo operations on a long-distance route linking Seoul and Jincheon. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the service is scheduled to

SEJONG: South Korea’s automobile exports rose in March as strong global demand for hybrid vehicles lifted overseas shipments despite weaker sales in parts of Asia and the Middle East. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources said auto exports totaled $6.37 billion

BEIJING: Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, arrived in Beijing to begin an official visit to China that runs from April 12 to April 14, with both sides framing the trip as a step

BEIJING: China’s automobile industry posted a sharp rebound in March, with production rising to 2.917 million units and sales reaching 2.899 million units, according to data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Output jumped 74.4% from February and sales increased

SEOUL: The Bank of Korea held its benchmark interest rate at 2.50% on Friday, extending a pause that began in July 2025 and marking a seventh straight policy meeting without a change, as policymakers weighed rising inflation pressure, weaker growth risks and heightened

BEIJING: China’s consumer inflation rose 1.0% in March from a year earlier, official data showed on Friday, easing from February’s 1.3% increase as spending cooled after the Lunar New Year holiday period. On a month-on-month basis, the consumer price index fell 0.7%, reversing

ISLAMABAD: Gold prices held steady on Thursday as investors weighed a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire, preparations for talks in Islamabad and a fresh round of U.S. inflation data that could shape the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates. The metal stayed range-bound after

TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average fell on Thursday as investors pulled back after a powerful relief rally, with renewed concern over Middle East tensions and higher oil prices prompting a more defensive tone across the Tokyo market. The Nikkei 225 closed down 0.73%