Toyota Motor Corp will reduce global production for September by 40 per cent from its previous plan due to the worldwide shortage of semiconductors, the Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday.

Oil prices steadied on Wednesday, after four days of declines with investors still wary about prospects for stronger fuel demand as the use of rail, air and other forms of transport remained constrained amid surging Covid-19 cases worldwide. 

China is facing a high profile test of its commitment to curbing industrial pollution after steel output surged in the first half of the year to well beyond its target of capping production at 2020’s peak, sending emissions to new highs. 

China moved on Tuesday to tighten control of its technology sector, publishing detailed rules aimed at tackling unfair competition and companies’ handling of critical data.

Asian markets were broadly down Tuesday as investors weighed record gains on Wall Street against fears the resurgent Delta coronavirus variant may put the brakes on the global economic recovery.

The head of Afghanistan’s central bank has fled Kabul, questioned the loyalty of Afghan security forces and blamed President Ashraf Ghani and his inexperienced advisors for the country’s swift and chaotic fall to the Taliban.

The changeover of state power in Afghanistan may not affect business with Bangladesh as the bilateral trade volume is not that significant, said local businesspeople yesterday.

The central bank will lend $50 million to under-pressure Sri Lanka this week as part of Bangladesh’s efforts to support the Island nation suffering from a foreign exchange crisis.

Safe-haven currencies such as the yen held firm against riskier currencies on Tuesday as disappointing economic data from China, the spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus and political tension in Afghanistan weighed on risk appetite.

Japan’s economy grew slightly in the second quarter, recovering from a slowdown at the start of the year despite continuing virus surges and restrictions, data showed Monday.

China’s factory output and retail sales growth slowed sharply and missed expectations in July, as new Covid-19 outbreaks and floods disrupted business operations, adding to signs the economic recovery is losing momentum. 

The Chinese government has asked automakers to strengthen data security and store key data generated locally in the country. 

China will draft new laws on national security, technology innovation, monopolies and education, as well as in areas involving foreigners, the national leadership said in a document published late on Wednesday. 

China’s vehicle sales slid in July for a third consecutive month, hit hard by flooding in some areas of the country, Covid-19 outbreaks in other areas and the global shortage of semiconductors. 

China Communications Construction Company will be tasked with ensuring maintenance of the Bangabandhu bridge for the next five years for Tk 170 crore.

Once brimming with combat boots, flak jackets and other war paraphernalia, the smugglers’ markets in Pakistan are being forced to rethink their business model as foreign troops exit Afghanistan and contraband dries up.

China’s factory gate inflation in July rose at a faster clip from the previous month and exceeded market expectations, adding to strains on an economy losing recovery momentum as businesses struggle with high raw material costs. 

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday it may not have enough funding for the next six months to help millions of people in Myanmar facing food insecurity amid a wave of Covid-19 infections and political unrest in the southeast Asian nation.

From an office in Shenzhen’s sprawling electronics district, an engineering team is prototyping a bioreactor that will one day produce “cultivated meat”, discussing component sizes in a video call with scientists sitting in kitchens and bedrooms in the UK.

Beijing’s ability to balance its virus response and economic growth is facing a big test.