Six Pacific countries are at a high risk of debt distress in part due to government spending to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, the World Bank said in a report on Thursday. The report, titled Raising Pasifika, said fiscal consolidation was needed in Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Tonga
READ MOREGermany’s Commerzbank (ETR:CBKG) said on Wednesday that net profit nearly doubled in the first quarter, a better-than-expected result helped by higher interest rates. The bank said it sees “upside potential” in net interest income this year, and raised its forecast to 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) from a previous 6.5 billion euros. The bank’s shares
READ MOREMost Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday, tracking some overnight resilience in U.S. equities as markets awaited more cues on the world’s largest economy, although broader gains were held back by disappointing Chinese economic data. Outperformance in Japan’s Nikkei 225 index persisted, with the index up 0.9% at an 18-month high as a strong first-quarter
READ MOREAustralia’s InvoCare Ltd shares jumped nearly 12% on Monday after it revealed a higher A$1.86 billion ($1.26 billion) offer from global private equity firm TPG had been tabled just weeks after it rejected a lower bid it said undervalued the funeral services provider. Shares of InvoCare rose to A$12.36 by 0424 GMT, outperforming the broader
READ MOREMoscow acknowledged on Friday that its forces had fallen back north of Ukraine’s battlefield city of Bakhmut after a new offensive, in a retreat that the head of Russia’s Wagner private army called a rout. CONFLICT DIPLOMACY ECONOMY INSIDE RUSSIA IN-DEPTH STORIES
READ MOREToyota Motor Corp said on Friday the vehicle data of about 2.15 million users was left publicly available in Japan for about a decade from November 2013 to mid-April. The incident comes as the world’s biggest automaker by sales makes a push into vehicle connectivity that is seen as crucial to offering services such as
READ MOREMost Asian stocks sank on Wednesday as markets hunkered down before key U.S. consumer inflation data due later in the day, with Chinese bourses down for a second straight session after disappointing trade readings. China’s Shanghai Composite and Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 indexes fell 1.2% and 0.8%, respectively, tracking weaker-than-expected import data that ramped up
READ MOREMost Asian currencies retreated on Tuesday tracking softer-than-expected Chinese import data, while the dollar firmed ahead of more cues on the U.S. economy from key inflation data due this week. China’s yuan fell 0.1% as data showed China’s imports fell more than expected in April, indicating that local demand in the country remained dim despite
READ MOREOil prices crept higher on Friday on the prospect of supportive measures by the OPEC+, although fears of an economic slowdown stemming from a banking crisis kept gains limited and put prices on course for their worst week this year. Media reports said that Saudi Arabian and Russian ministers met this week to discuss potential
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