Asia
Japan and US put munitions production at the centre of regional deterrence
Shinjiro Koizumi and Pete Hegseth linked industrial capacity to denial-based defence while Tokyo prepares to update its security strategy.
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23 dispatches found
Results for “Import Costs”
Asia
Africa
Naira and Ugandan shilling face pressure as other African currencies steady
Import demand is weighing on Nigeria and Uganda, while dollar supply and corporate sales are cushioning Kenya, Ghana and Zambia.
Russia
Russia's wealthiest provide over 1% of state spending through wartime donations
Budget documents show 471 billion roubles in so-called voluntary contributions after a March meeting with Vladimir Putin, helping limit a deficit swollen by wartime costs.
United States
US voters favour Democrats on costs but distrust both parties' ability to solve problems
An AP-NORC poll gives Democrats a 38%-27% edge on the cost of living, yet only about two in ten registered voters see either major party as focused on people like them or able to solve problems.
India
Modi urges wider global integration for India's UPI payment network
India's prime minister wants UPI linked with more national payment systems, prioritizing countries with large Indian communities and strong trade ties to reduce remittance and transaction costs.
Asia
Japan centers new defense budget on drones, artificial intelligence and missiles
The ¥8.9 trillion request for the fiscal year beginning in April 2027 combines uncrewed weapons, longer-range strike systems, AI-enabled command and stronger state support for arms production.
Middle East
Austria and Greece enter widening effort to restart US-Iran diplomacy
Washington's contacts with Vienna and Athens were followed by calls to Tehran, broadening an uneven diplomatic search for a way out of the war and the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Asia
Extreme El Niño threatens Southeast Asia's water, food and urban resilience
Pacific temperatures could average 2°C above normal and drive severe drought, crop losses, haze and inflation, while governments expand pumps, irrigation, monitoring and water coordination.
United States
US economic records coexist with slower hiring and uneven industrial gains
Payrolls, stocks and goods exports have reached notable highs, but weaker job creation, limited factory hiring and disputed investment totals complicate the administration's account of a broad economic boom.
Europe
BMW operating profit falls 37.4 percent as group prepares 8,000 job cuts
Lower deliveries, tariffs, trade barriers and tighter regulation compressed the automaker's first-half earnings and margins, prompting a global workforce restructuring through the end of 2027.
Asia
Bank of Japan opens door to early rate hike as inflation and yen risks intensify
The central bank held its policy rate at 1 percent but warned for the first time that underlying inflation could exceed target, placing the September meeting and further monetary tightening in focus.
United States
Two-thirds of Americans say Iran war has not been worth fighting
A national poll put Donald Trump's approval on Iran at 28 percent and found stronger public demand for lower fuel prices and a permanent ceasefire than for continued military action.