The Bank of Japan said Friday it would maintain its long-standing, ultra-loose monetary policy as it looks to boost economic growth.

From Elon Musk to Bill Gates and Apple’s Tim Cook, some of the United States’ biggest business titans have headed to Beijing, seemingly defying the barrage of doomsayer narratives around the US-China trade war.

The first shipment of Russian oil to energy-starved and dollar-strapped Pakistan was due to be unloaded at Karachi port on Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said.

China’s foreign exchange reserves rose more than expected in April, official data showed on Sunday, as the dollar fell against other major currencies.

Pakistan announced financial support Friday from the United Arab Emirates and China totalling $1.3 billion, giving the ailing economy a shot in the arm as it seeks to meet conditions for the resumption of an International Monetary Fund bailout.

Major cryptocurrency bitcoin breached the key $30,000 level for the first time in 10 months on Tuesday, adding to its steady gains as investors raised bets that the US Federal Reserve will soon end its aggressive monetary tightening campaign.

Li Xiting, founder and chairman of Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics, a global provider of medical devices based in China, has again topped Forbes’ list of billionaires in Singapore.

Oil prices rose on Tuesday after Opec+ plans to cut more production jolted markets the previous day, with investors’ attention shifting to demand trends and the impact of higher prices on the global economy.

Pakistan’s year-on-year inflation hit 35.37 per cent in March -- the highest in nearly five decades -- as the government scrambled to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions to unlock a desperately needed bailout.

The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Dhaka together with the Sri Lankan expatriate community and associations organised an evening programme today at the Dhaka Sheraton to showcase trade, investment, and tourism opportunities in Sri Lanka

The Pakistani rupee on Friday strengthened 2.38 per cent in interbank closing at 278.46 rupees against the dollar, a day after the central bank raised its policy interest rate by 300 basis points (bps) to 20 per cent, trading data showed.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has set a target of exporting $685 billion worth of products this year, an increase of 0.2 per cent year-on-year, vowing to mobilise all the nation’s capabilities to achieve this goal at an export strategy meeting recently.

Many small suppliers in Japan have received requests for price cuts from their clients despite rises in raw materials and other prices, according to a survey by a major labor group.

Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) dropped to $0.2 billion in January 2023, down 90 per cent from last year as the rupee’s depreciation slowed down imports, the central bank said on Monday.

Japan’s economy expanded just 0.2 per cent in the last quarter of 2022, a smaller rebound than expected despite the long-awaited reopening of the country to tourists, government data showed Tuesday.

Oil prices eased around 1 per cent on Monday after rising in the previous session, as investors focused on short-term demand concerns stemming from crucial upcoming US inflation data and refinery maintenance in Asia and the United States.

China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao said talks held on Monday with Australian counterpart Don Farrell were a key step toward bringing bilateral economic and trade ties back on track, with relations improving after being strained in recent years.

Malaysia is confident of achieving positive growth and avoid a recession this year despite having to navigate through global headwinds.

Sri Lanka is completing the pre-requisites to unlock a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and expects rapid approval from the global lender, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday.

Japan is considering relaxing controls on exports to South Korea as its president, Yoon Suk-yeol, seeks to improve ties amid a strained East Asian security environment, the Sankei newspaper reported on Saturday.