Asia Business

Several Australian airlines on Wednesday cancelled their flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, after a nearby volcano catapulted an ash tower miles into the sky.Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all issued advisories announcing changes to their flight schedules after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores island spewed a nine-kilometre (5.6-mile) tower a …

Australian airlines cancel Bali flights after volcano erupts Read More »

Chinese leader Xi Jinping headed to Peru on Wednesday, bound for a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organisation leaders overshadowed by fears of renewed global trade tensions under Donald Trump.Xi will join leaders from the United States and other Asia-Pacific nations in the Peruvian capital Lima for the APEC gathering, after which he will …

China’s Xi heads to Peru for APEC meeting shrouded in Trump fears Read More »

The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven is considering going private by buying back its own shares in a bid to avoid a takeover by Canadian rival Couche-Tard, reports said on Wednesday.Seven & i Holdings is eyeing the move as a countermeasure to Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard’s seven trillion yen ($45 billion) takeover proposal, the Nikkei …

7-Eleven owner considers going private to avoid foreign buyout: reports Read More »

A stocks rally following Donald Trump’s US election win lost steam Tuesday as traders looked to consolidate recent gains, sending major indices lower on both sides of the Atlantic.The euro hit a one-year low and the pound fell against the dollar, which has been invigorated by expectations that Trump’s trade policies could keep interest rates …

Global stocks slip as markets take post-US election breather Read More »

A former Wall Street Journal reporter began proceedings Tuesday to sue the newspaper for “unreasonable dismissal”, after she said she was fired for taking up a role heading a Hong Kong press union.Selina Cheng reported on the Chinese electric vehicle industry for the newspaper before she was made redundant in July, weeks after she was …

Hong Kong press union head sues WSJ for ‘unreasonable dismissal’ Read More »

China is looking to slash taxes on home purchases as the government strengthens fiscal support for its ailing real estate sector, a media report said on Tuesday. Regulators are preparing a proposal that would enable major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing to reduce the deed tax for buyers to as low as one percent from …

China planning to cut taxes on home buying: report  Read More »

Once confined to rectangular screens, chirpy plumber Mario and pointy-eared Princess Zelda are popping up in theme parks and toy stores as Nintendo goes all out to win non-gamer fans.It wasn’t always this way: for many years, the Japanese company shied away from promoting products or creating media other than video games.But its push for …

Nintendo courts non-gamers in ‘about-turn’ strategy Read More »

Fighter jets and attack drones took centre stage as China’s largest air show officially opened on Tuesday, an opportunity for Beijing to showcase its growing military might to potential customers and rivals alike.China has poured resources into modernising and expanding its aviation capabilities as it faces off against the United States and others around regional …

China’s largest air show takes off with fighter jets, attack drones Read More »

Australia will move to stem the exodus of its banks from the Pacific Islands, the country’s top economic official said, as concerns mount that China could bolster its influence by filling in the gaps.For years, Western banks have been shuttering branches throughout the South Pacific, citing political turmoil, wafer-thin profits and the high cost of …

Australia moves to keep its banks in the Pacific Read More »

Sri Lanka’s new leftist leader has drawn strong support from an unlikely source as he seeks to expand his three parliamentary seats to a house majority in elections on Thursday.President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, 55, who counts Karl Marx and Che Guevara among his heroes, has the backing of the country’s largest and most influential private …

Sri Lanka’s leftist president faces first parliament test Read More »