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…

    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…

    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.…

    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…

    Travel

    SHARJAH: Air Arabia said it will expand its European network with a new daily, non-stop route between Sharjah International Airport and Rome Fiumicino Airport, with flights scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026. The…

    ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways carried 2.2 million passengers in January 2026, the Abu Dhabi based airline said in its monthly traffic update, reporting a 29% increase from 1.7 million passengers in January 2025. The…

    HANOI: Vietnam recorded its strongest ever month for inbound tourism in January 2026, welcoming nearly 2.5 million foreign visitors, according to official statistics. The total was the highest monthly figure on record and marked…

    WASHINGTON: The U.S. State Department will begin an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries on Jan. 21, applying revised screening standards under the public charge provision of U.S. immigration law.…

    MENA Newswire, HANOI: Vietnam’s tourism sector is accelerating a transition toward greener and more sustainable development as authorities position the industry to support national economic growth in 2026. The shift follows a strong recovery…