Business
ANKARA: Türkiye has raised electricity and natural gas prices for households and several business categories, with the biggest increases reaching 25% and taking effect on April 4. The Energy Market Regulatory Authority said residential electricity tariffs rose 25%, while prices increased 17.5% for public and private services, 5.8% for industrial…
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates entered the world’s top 10 merchandise exporters in 2025 for the first time, ranking ninth globally after its goods exports rose to $707 billion, according to the latest World Trade Organization trade statistics. The WTO’s main merchandise table also showed the UAE ranked 13th…
SEJONG: South Korea’s food exports rose 4.0% from a year earlier in the first quarter, supported by strong overseas demand for ramyeon, snacks, beverages and fresh fruit, according to provisional government data released on April 3. Food exports reached $2.5622 billion in the January to March period, up from…
HANOI: Vietnam’s exports rose 19.1% from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2026 to $122.93 billion, according to official data released on April 4, extending a strong start to the year for one of Southeast Asia’s most trade-dependent economies. Imports increased at a faster 27% pace to $126.57…
BEIJING: China’s central bank has added 12 banks to the roster of institutions authorized to operate the digital yuan, widening the reach of the e-CNY and lifting the total number of approved operators to 22. The People’s Bank of China said the newly admitted institutions will connect to the…
SEOUL: South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves fell in March as a stronger U.S. dollar reduced the converted value of non-dollar assets and authorities used reserves in operations to ease currency-market strain, central bank data showed on Friday. Official reserves stood at $423.66 billion at the end of March, down…
DAEJEON: South Korea’s consumer prices rose 2.2% in March from a year earlier, accelerating from 2.0% in February as higher oil costs pushed up transport-related prices, official data showed on Thursday. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 0.3%, matching the pace seen in February. The reading…
TOKYO: Japan’s industrial output fell 2.1% in February from the previous month, official preliminary data showed on Tuesday, as weaker production in autos, fabricated metals and electronic parts reversed some of January’s strength. The decline matched economists’ median forecast and marked the first monthly drop in three months. On…
Technology
NEW DELHI: India is preparing a new fund worth more than 1 trillion rupees, or about $11 billion, to support domestic semiconductor production, according to a report published Thursday. The report said the proposed funding would provide subsidies for chip design projects, manufacturing equipment and the development of a local semiconductor supply chain, covering activities that range…
EuroWire, LEIPZIG: BMW Group has launched a pilot project using humanoid robots in production at its Plant Leipzig, marking the company’s first deployment of humanoid robotics on a factory floor in Germany. BMW announced the project on Feb. 27 and provided additional details on March 9, describing the move as part of what it calls “Physical AI,”…
CUPERTINO: Apple on Tuesday introduced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by its new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, positioning the laptops for professional workflows and expanded on-device artificial intelligence. Apple said the systems add faster storage, updated wireless capabilities and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity while keeping the same form factors. Preorders opened Wednesday, March…
CUPERTINO: Apple on March 2 introduced the iPhone 17e, a lower-priced model in its iPhone 17 lineup that starts at $599 with 256GB of storage and is also offered with 512GB for $799. The company said the phone will be sold in black, white and soft pink with a matte finish. Pre-orders begin March 4 at 6:15…