Australia’s goods imports rose 2.6% month-over-month to a fresh record of AUD 46.63 billion in May 2026, picking up from a downwardly revised 0.2% gain in the prior month amid resilient domestic demand.Imports of intermediate and other merchandise goods grew 0.3% to AUD 20.72 billion, supported by…
The benchmark KOSPI slipped nearly 4% to around 7,990 on Thursday, extending losses to its lowest level in three weeks, as a global selloff in AI-related semiconductor stocks pressured market heavyweights.The decline followed sharp overnight losses in US chipmakers after concerns over the sustainab…
Australia May Trade Deficit A$3.02B
TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - The monetary base in Japan was down 13.7 percent on year in June, the Bank of Japan said on Thursday - coming in at 559.203 trillion yen.That missed expectations for a fall of 10.0 percent following the 12.2 percent decline in May.Banknotes in circulation fell 1.8 percent, while c…
Malaysia's banks could see a softer loan growth trend in 2H due to weaker uptake by the property and construction sectors, CIMB Securities analyst Ei Leen Tan says in a note. Higher construction and financing costs and external uncertainties are weighing on these sectors, prompting developers to st…
The rapid expansion of alumina and aluminium capacity in Indonesia raises the risk of another captive coal power construction boom and the depletion of its bauxite ore reserves, researchers with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) warned on Thursday.Here are some details:
By Jungmin Ryu and Brenda GohUnstaffed coffee shops, ramen eateries and flower outlets are spreading across South Korea as owners turn to robots and self-service to overcome rising labour costs in a business model that relies on the widespread honesty of users.Such stores, usually open 24 hours, we…
By Sam Schechner, Meghan Bobrowsky and Amrith RamkumarSAN FRANCISCO — Like much of the tech world, startup founder Quinn Slack was riled up.It was just hours after the Trump administration on Tuesday said it was lifting its weekslong export ban on Anthropic's powerful artificial-intelligence model…
The annual inflation rate in Peru’s capital, Lima, accelerated slightly to 4.01% in June 2026 from 3.9% in the previous month.Still, it remained above the central bank's 1%-3% target range.Prices accelerated primarily for food & non-alcoholic beverages (3.32% vs 2.88% in May), furnishings & househo…
Papua New Guinea's economy expanded by 5.6% in 2025, one of the strongest growth rates in the Pacific, but the boom is not translating into jobs or better livelihoods for most citizens, the World Bank said on Thursday in its June economic update.The resource-rich nation's growth was driven by both…
By James GlynnSYDNEY--Reserve Bank of New Zealand Gov. Anna Breman has appointed Angus McGregor as Assistant Governor, Financial Stability, following an extensive recruitment process.McGregor joined the RBNZ in 2022 and has been acting in the position since March 2025.Breman said McGregor brings de…
Gold stabilized above $4,000 an ounce on Thursday after falling to an eight-month low earlier this week, as Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation expectations had eased over the past month, suggesting there was no urgency to raise interest rates.However, he reiterated the central bank’s…
By Janet H. ChoThe Trump administration's Education Department is making major changes to the federal student loan program, limiting who is eligible, reducing how much students and families can borrow, and changing how loans must be repaid.Critics say the changes will increase borrowing costs for s…
By Kwanwoo JunSouth Korea's headline inflation accelerated to a 30-month high in June, topping 3% for a second straight month--well above the central bank's 2% target.Elevated inflation in the country is likely to strengthen the case for the central bank to tighten monetary policy at its rate-setti…
By David LawderThe World Bank board of directors on Wednesday approved $265 million in financing to support construction of a new pumped hydropower storage plant in Morocco, two days after abandoning a goal to devote 45% of its lending resources to climate-related projects.
By Kwanwoo JunSouth Korea's headline inflation accelerated to a 30-month high in June, topping 3% for a second straight month--well above the central bank's 2% target.Elevated inflation in the country is likely to strengthen the case for the central bank to tighten monetary policy at its rate-setti…
By Renju JoseKPMG Australia on Thursday named Michael Ebeid, the former boss of public service broadcaster SBS, as its first independent chairman, as the firm battles a scandal over whistleblower allegations that staff misused confidential information to win audit work.The appointment comes a week…
South Korea's consumer inflation accelerated to a two-and-a-half-year high in June, cementing expectations for an interest rate hike by the central bank as early as its upcoming policy meeting on July 16.The consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.2% from a year earlier, marking the biggest jump since De…
South Korea’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 3.2% in June 2026, marking the fastest pace since December 2023 and up from 3.1% in the previous month.The latest reading was in line with market expectations and well above the central bank’s 2% target, reflecting accumulated increases in raw-mate…
By Kwanwoo JunSouth Korea's headline inflation accelerated to a 30-month high in June, topping 3% for a second straight month--well above the central bank's 2% target.Elevated inflation in the country is likely to strengthen the case for the central bank to tighten monetary policy at its rate-setti…
