Asia ended 2017 less free than it began it. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual assessment of freedoms across 167 countries said Asia-Pacific had “experienced the biggest decline of any of our seven regions in 2017” after climbing up the rankings in recent years. In the research firm’s report released Wednesday, Asia scored 5.63 — lagging […]

China reported on Wednesday that factory activity expanded less than expected in January, with the official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index coming in at 51.3. The Chinese manufacturing PMI was forecast to dip to 51.5 in January from 51.6 in December, according to a poll of economists by Reuters. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while […]

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday said it recorded an operating profit of about 15.2 trillion Korean won ($14.15 billion) for the quarter ending in December, which was in line with guidance. That was a 64.3 percent jump from a year earlier. The firm’s fourth-quarter revenue came in at about 66 trillion won, a 23.7 percent on-year […]

Wall Street extended declines and the dollar gave up its gains ahead of Asia’s Wednesday trading day. U.S. indexes fell on Tuesday as stocks sold off for a second day. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 362.59 points, or 1.37 percent, to close at 26,076.89, the S&P 500 lost 1.09 percent to finish at 2,822.43 […]

The latest attempt by the Indian government to rescue troubled state-owned banks falls “far short of what is really required,” ratings agency Moody’s said Tuesday. Authorities in the third-largest economy in Asia announced last week their plans to inject 881.4 billion rupees ($13.8 billion) into 20 state-run lenders by March. But to receive the much-needed […]

Ten years after Apple began selling iPhones in India, perhaps the last great growth market for the iconic handset, the company is inching toward opening stores in the nation. Setting up shop at busy malls in megacities could help with marketing, but it’s unlikely to be enough for the company to make inroads in the […]

South Korean regulatory plans to tackle cryptocurrency speculation spooked investors earlier this month. But as the new rules take effect on Tuesday, participants in the market are sounding a positive note. South Korea’s Foreign Securities Commission on Tuesday confirmed to CNBC that new measures outlined by the body earlier this month had been implemented, but […]

The Trump administration said on Monday it would not immediately impose additional sanctions on Russia under a new law designed to punish Moscow’s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, insisting the measure was already hitting Russian companies. “Today, we have informed Congress that this legislation and its implementation are deterring Russian defense sales,” State […]

Mexico and the United States are looking into whether armed U.S. federal air marshals could be deployed on commercial cross-border flights, according to a document seen by Reuters and a Mexican official, as Mexico deepens security ties with its neighbor. Since Donald Trump took office, U.S and Mexican officials have said that Mexico has tried […]

A Russian military aircraft engaged “in an unsafe interaction” with a U.S. Navy plane in international airspace on Monday, the U.S. State Department has warned. The incident took place over the Black Sea, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in an official statement. The pilot of a Russian SU-27 fighter was “closing to within […]