Palm oil prices are set for another year of volatility and tight supply as Malaysia makes slow progress in tackling a labour crunch and government policies on green energy and food security spur demand, a Reuters poll showed.

Oil prices rose on Monday on worries about supply disruption amid rising tensions in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, which could make an already tight market even tighter, while OPEC and its allies continued to struggle to raise output.

The International Monetary Fund has reaffirmed Hong Kong’s position as a major international financial center, commending the city’s strong economic recovery and the government’s efforts to safeguard financial stability.

The nation’s economy is heading toward uncertain territory due to a variety of factors at home and abroad which could restrict its growth, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki on Thursday.

The announcements Friday by TotalEnergies and Chevron have swelled the ranks of foreign firms that have quit Myanmar after the February military coup.

Sri Lanka consumer prices shot up a record 14 per cent in December, surpassing a previous high of 11.1 from a month earlier, official figures showed on Saturday as food and fuel shortages worsen.

Bank of Japan (BoJ) revised its inflation forecast on Tuesday and adjusted its view of price risks, while leaving its monetary easing policy in place in a nod to lingering pandemic uncertainty.

Persistently high levels of ozone pollution in Asia are costing China, Japan and South Korea an estimated $63 billion annually in lost rice, wheat and maize crops, a new study says.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore on Monday issued guidelines that limit cryptocurrency trading service providers from promoting their services to the general public, as part of a bid to shield retail investors from risks.

Indonesia’s state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said on Friday that together with the energy ministry it was strengthening a coal delivery monitoring system to ensure enforcement of domestic sales rules and energy security.

China’s digital currency has debuted on app stores with fanfare, with online wallets for the electronic yuan seeing mass adoption in the two weeks since a public launch, yet its actual use in transactions has been far less impressive.

China’s economy likely grew at the slowest pace in 1-1/2 years in the fourth quarter, dragged by weaker demand due to a property downturn, curbs on debt and strict Covid-19 measures, raising heat on policymakers to roll out more easing steps.

The Bhutanese economy is expected to grow by 5.1 per cent in the financial year 2021-22, according to the World Bank’s “Global Economic Prospects” report, released on January 11.

China’s economy expanded at its fastest pace for 10 years in 2021, according to an AFP poll of analysts, but its strong recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is threatened by Omicron and a property sector slowdown.

Most Asian and European markets rose Monday as traders brushed off another negative performance on Wall Street as US data showed fewer new jobs than expected were created last month but that wages saw a strong gain, keeping pressure on the Federal Reserve in its battle against inflation.

Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked China to help restructure debt repayments as part of efforts to help the South Asian country weather a worsening financial crisis, his office said in a statement on Sunday.

Shares in embattled Chinese property giant Evergrande rallied on Tuesday after a day-long suspension, as the company confirmed it had been ordered to demolish part of a resort in Hainan province.

Sri Lanka unveiled a $1.1 billion targeted relief package Tuesday to help consumers pay soaring food costs as an economic crisis bites.

Embattled Chinese developer giant Evergrande announced Monday it was once again suspending trading of its shares in Hong Kong ahead of an announcement.

Activity in South Korea’s factories expanded at the fastest pace in three months in December but the economy struggled to gather momentum as rising global coronavirus cases and continued supply constraint weighed on production and overseas demand.