TOKYO — Japan logged a record trade deficit in the six months to September, owing to soaring prices for energy and raw material imports being further inflated by the yen’s steep decline against the U.S. dollar, the government said in a report on Thursday.
According to the Finance Ministry, the deficit stood at 11.01 trillion yen (73.43 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of fiscal 2022 since April, marking the biggest for any fiscal half-year period since record keeping began. (Japan-Trade Deficit-September)
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SUVA — Fiji’s economy is expected to recover much faster than earlier expected, and register a double-digit growth this year, said a Fijian official on Thursday.
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Economy Shiri Gounder attributed this to a strong rebound in tourism, a pick-up in private sector confidence and strong consumption activity, according to Fijivillage news website. (Fiji-Economy-Growth)
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NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched Mission LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) in the presence of visiting U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in the country’s western state of Gujarat.
Mission LiFE follows a three-pronged strategy. First is encouraging individuals to practice simple yet effective environment-friendly actions in their daily lives. Second is enabling industries and markets to respond swiftly to the changing demand. Third is influencing governments to support sustainable consumption. (India-Mission LiFE-Environment)
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PHNOM PENH — A centuries-old sandstone Asura head statue has been discovered in front of the south gate of the Angkor Thom temple in Cambodia’s famed Angkor Archaeological Park, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Thursday.
Asura is a demigod, titan or antigod, according to the context. They exist in both the Hindu and the Buddhist religions. (Cambodia-Angkor-
Archeology)
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BANGKOK — Finance ministers and senior representatives from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies wrapped up a meeting here Thursday, pledging efforts to manage inflationary pressures and support sustainable development.
During the two-day APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting 2022, participants discussed issues including easing inflationary pressure, redirecting stimulus measures from COVID-19 to long-term growth drivers and maintaining fiscal sustainability. (APEC-Finance Ministers-Meeting)