Thais are crowding shopping malls and department stores to stock up on black clothes, as they begin a year of mourning for beloved King Bhumibol Adulaydej that could end up dampening consumption in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.

Canada's central bank maintained its key lending rate at 0.5 percent Wednesday, saying domestic growth is likely to be weaker than expected this year despite a projected up-tick in the global economy.

Saudi Arabia attracted massive investor demand of about $67 billion on Wednesday for its first international bond offer, as the world's top crude exporter allayed concern about the impact of low oil prices on its finances.

Two international airlines have announced plans to suspend flights to the Nigerian capital Abuja by next month due to falling demand as a currency crisis in Africa's top economy deepens.

China won the bulk of its complaint against the United States in a ruling on Wednesday by a World Trade Organization dispute panel, after challenging US rules on "dumping" of goods.

A multi-million-dollar racket that used fake Indian call centres to trick US citizens into paying bogus tax bills may be the tip of the iceberg, with police warning similar scams could be operating across the country.

SAUDI petrochemical giant SABIC on Wednesday reported a 6.8 percent drop in net profit for the quarter ended September 30, compared with the same period last year.

German industrial firms recorded a sharp uptick in orders in August, official data showed on Thursday, outdoing analyst forecasts and reducing fears of an autumn slowdown in Europe's biggest economy.

Vietnam and Iran pledged Thursday to boost future trade to $2 billion, as Tehran seeks to jump-start its sputtering economy after crippling international sanctions were lifted this year.

Norway plans to spend a record amount of its oil riches next year -- an election year -- to stimulate its economy hit hard by oil price weakness, a budget bill presented Thursday showed.

Protectionism's rise in Europe and the United States is pushing the world's economic leaders toward a delicate balancing act: defending globalization but acknowledging the pain that sometimes comes with it.

Shares in Japanese IT giant Fujitsu soared Thursday on news it is considering merging its struggling personal computer division with China's Lenovo, the world's biggest PC maker.

Google took on rivals Apple, Samsung and Amazon in a new push into hardware Tuesday, launching premium-priced Pixel smartphones and a slew of other devices showcasing artificial intelligence prowess.

German new car sales increased sharply in September for the second month in a row, official data showed on Wednesday. The KBA transport authority recorded 298,002 new cars on the road in September, an increase of 9.4 percent over the same month in 2015.

Sri Lanka's cash-strapped national carrier said Wednesday it will pay a penalty for cancelling leases on four Airbus A350s, with official sources putting the figure at about $115 million.

Indonesia has hailed a tax amnesty as a major success after it raised more than $7 billion in its first few months, but criticism is mounting that the controversial scheme lets the super-rich off the hook.

Switzerland on Wednesday raised the pressure on Malaysia to cooperate with its probe into scandal-tainted 1MDB, saying new evidence indicated a "Ponzi scheme" was used to cover up $800 million in misappropriations from the Malaysian state fund.

Bangladesh yesterday sought India's assistance in setting up of a network for supplying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to high-rise buildings and apartments, cooperation in the field of bio-fuels and training of its personnel in hydrocarbon sector.

Oil rose towards $52 a barrel on Wednesday, hitting its highest since June, supported by an industry report that U.S. inventories probably fell for a fifth straight week and Opec's deal to cut supply.

BRITAIN'S shock decision to leave the European Union will not be as damaging to developing Asia's economies as feared, the World Bank said Wednesday as it increased its growth forecast for the region this year.