Mers outbreak cuts sharply into S Korea growth

South Korea's economic growth has been hit sharply by both the Mers outbreak and continued weak exports.

Japanese recession figures prompt talk of snap election

Japan has unexpectedly sunk into recession in the third quarter, raising the prospect of a snap election as the country’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, attempts to secure a mandate to breathe life into the world’s third biggest economy.

Japan inflation slows, threatening economic policy agenda

(Reuters) - Japan's annual core consumer inflation eased in August in another sign that the Bank of Japan could eventually be forced to take additional easing steps to meet its 2 percent price goal sometime next fiscal year.

Singapore Bears Retreat as ETFs Win Flow: Southeast Asia

Money managers are turning bullish on Singapore after shunning it for more than a year as political stability and cheap equity valuations push the city-state to the top of a Morgan Stanley market ranking.

Japan mulls setting aside 1 trillion yen for stimulus next fiscal year: Nikkei

(Reuters) - Japan's government is considering setting aside 1 trillion yen ($9.65 billion) for stimulus spending next fiscal year to help lessen the economic damage from a sales tax hike scheduled for October next year, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday.

Japan Machine Orders Fall by Record in Spending Caution Sign

Japan’s machinery orders fell the most on record in May, suggesting that companies remain cautious about deploying record cash reserves into investment.

BOJ Inflation Confidence Seen Cutting Chance of Stimulus

The confidence Bank of Japan officials are demonstrating in achieving their inflation target is lowering the chances of additional monetary easing this year even as the economy weakens.

Japan's deficit hits record as economic growth slows

Japan's current account deficit widened to a record 1.5tn yen ($15bn; £8.7bn) in January, the largest since records began in 1985. In further bad news, the country's economic growth figures were also revised downwards.

BOJ's Ishida: recovery on track even if GDP falls after tax hike

(Reuters) - Japan's recovery will remain on track even if the economy contracts in the second quarter after sales tax is raised on April 1, a Bank of Japan board member said on Wednesday.

Japan's economy grows at slower pace, raises stakes for Abenomics

(Reuters) - Japan's economy grew at a much slower pace than expected at the end of last year, posing a challenge to policymakers as massive government stimulus efforts showed few signs of sparking momentum in consumption and exports.

5 ways China's slowdown will ripple across globe

BEIJING (AP) — The reaction was slow in coming, but financial markets and corporate bosses have been jolted awake to China's relentless growth decline and are scrambling to cope with wrenching changes in global business.

China Faces Obstacles on Road to Consumer Society

Business should be picking up for Zhao Guoping, a Beijing shopkeeper, as Chinese leaders try to build a consumer society to replace a worn-out economic model based on trade and investment.

Japan factory output rises on stronger demand at home

Tokyo (AFP) - Japan's factories boosted output in September, data showed Wednesday, reversing a slide in the previous month owing to stronger domestic demand and highlighting that the world's third-largest economy is gathering steam.

BOJ's Kuroda: there's room for policy response if tax hike hurts economy - minutes

(Reuters) - The Bank of Japan has room to respond with monetary policy if a proposed sales tax hike hurts the economy, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda told a government panel on the tax, according to minutes released on Friday.

IMF calls for Japan reforms, plan to clear debt

TOKYO (AP) — The International Monetary Fund said Japan's economy is recovering from years of stagnation, but that far-reaching reforms and a "credible plan" are needed to reduce its debt mountain and sustain growth in the long run.

Japan growth data revision adds to recovery hopes

Japan has revised up its growth numbers for the first three months of the year, adding to hopes of a recovery in the world's third-largest economy.

Uneven recovery for China's factories

Activity in China's manufacturing sector increased again in January, but separate surveys of purchasing managers' sentiment painted a mixed picture on the pace of recovery and hinted at continued weakness in export markets.

Japan government to downgrade economic assessment in November: sources

(Reuters) - Japan will downgrade its assessment of the economy in a monthly report due at the end of the week, government sources told Reuters on Wednesday, as the global economic slowdown pushes the country to the brink of recession.

China's new leaders face tough economic choices

BEIJING: China's economic model that delivered three decades of double-digit growth is running out of steam and the country's next leaders face tough choices to keep incomes rising. But they don't seem to have ambitious solutions.

World Bank cuts Asia growth outlook for this year

BEIJING (AP) — The World Bank cut its growth forecast for Asia on Monday in a new sign of the impact of weakening global demand and warned China's cooling economy faces the risk of a "more pronounced slowdown."