Asia | DD News

January 30, 2026 8:44 AM

Asia underrepresented among UNSC permanent membership; should be rectified, says Guterres

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that Asia is underrepresented on the Security Council’s roster of permanent members, and this should be rectified. Speaking to reporters on Friday (India time) about his priorities for the year, he pressed for reforming the Council because “the centrality of the peace and security system lies in the UN and within" it. While as the secretary-general he could not say what the reformed Council should be, his personal opinion, he said, is “that we ...

January 19, 2026 9:15 AM

Stocks and dollar slip in Asia, China data a mixed bag

Stock markets slid in Asia on Monday after President Donald Trump threatened to slap extra tariffs on eight European nations until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, pushing the dollar down against the safe-haven yen and Swiss franc. Gold and silver both jumped to all-time highs, while oil flatlined on concerns about what an all-out trade war between the U.S. and Europe could mean for global growth and demand. A holiday in U.S. equity and bond markets made for thin trading and likely contri...

December 5, 2025 3:03 PM

Saudi Arabia cuts January oil prices to Asia to five-year low

Saudi Arabia has lowered the official selling price of its Arab Light crude for Asian buyers in January to sixty cents a barrel above the Oman/Dubai benchmark, the lowest premium in five years. The move reflects growing signs of surplus in the global oil market. The premium has now fallen for a second month, down from one dollar for December. The weaker pricing comes as oil supplies rise worldwide. OPEC and its partners, led by Russia, have been increasing output, although eight members of the ...

October 7, 2025 1:11 PM

World Bank lifts China 2025 GDP forecast to 4.8% ahead of a slowdown next year

The World Bank lifted its 2025 growth projection for China to 4.8% and raised its forecast for much of the region, but warned of slowing momentum next year, citing low consumer and business confidence and weak new export orders. Publishing its biannual economic outlook for East Asia and the Pacific region on Tuesday, the World Bank said it now expected China to grow 4.2% next year, after forecasting in April growth of 4.0% both this year and next. "Growth in China, the region’s largest econo...

October 5, 2025 11:38 AM

OpenAI’s Altman seeks funds for infrastructure expansion on Asia, Middle East tour, WSJ reports

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has embarked on a global fundraising initiative spanning East Asia and the Middle East, seeking financing and manufacturing partners to meet the company's demand for its computing capacity, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the meetings. Altman has held discussions since late September in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan with major suppliers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Foxconn, Samsung, and SK Hynix to boost AI chip pr...

September 26, 2025 9:06 AM

Stocks slump as Trump slaps new tariffs, Fed cut bets recede

Shares in Asia slid on Friday, with pharmaceutical companies hit hard after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a fresh round of punishing tariffs and as traders pared bets of sharp U.S. rate cuts following stronger-than-expected economic data. Trump announced the U.S. would impose 100% duties on imported branded drugs, 25% tariffs on heavy-duty trucks and 50% tariffs on kitchen cabinets. Shares of pharmaceutical companies across Asia tumbled in the aftermath, with Japan's Topix pharmaceutica...

September 7, 2025 6:30 PM

Undersea cable cuts in Red Sea disrupt internet in Asia and Middle East

Cuts to undersea cables in the Red Sea disrupted internet access in parts of Asia and the Middle East on Sunday, though the cause of the incident remains unclear. The disruptions affected major subsea systems, including the South East Asia–Middle East–Western Europe 4 (SMW4) and the India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) lines near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to NetBlocks, which monitors global connectivity. It said the outages slowed internet services in several countries, including...

March 18, 2025 9:12 AM

Asia’s high-altitude Snow Marathon returns to Himachal on March 23

The fourth edition of the Snow Marathon Lahaul, Asia’s only and the world’s highest snow marathon held at an altitude of 11,000 feet, is set to take place on March 23. The event will be hosted in Sissu, located in the Lahaul-Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh, officials announced on Monday. This one-of-a-kind marathon challenges long-distance and ultra-runners to compete under extreme conditions. This year, over 300 participants from across the country will compete in four categories: 42 k...

September 16, 2024 6:39 PM

India third-largest gold buyer in May, after Switzerland and China: WGC

The global gold market experienced a turnaround in May, ending a 12-month slump for gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with a resurgence in inflows. This positive momentum was driven by strong demand in Europe and Asia, despite minor outflows in North America. By the end of May, global gold ETF holdings had risen to 3,088 tonnes, with total assets under management (AUM) reaching $234 billion, a 2% increase for the month. Physically backed gold ETFs enjoyed a net inflow of $529 million, marking t...

May 14, 2024 3:54 PM

Asia to contribute 60% of global growth in 2024: IMF official

Asia continues to power ahead as the engine of the global economy, with the region expected to contribute a massive 60% to world growth in 2024, a senior International Monetary Fund (IMF) official stated on Monday. Speaking at the 13th IMF-Japan High-Level Tax Conference for Asian Countries in Tokyo, IMF Deputy Managing Director Okamura highlighted Asia's lead role in driving global economic recovery post-pandemic citing the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook projections. The global economy h...