Japan’s yen plunges to lowest level against the dollar since 1990 | Business and Economy

Japanese currency sinks to 160.17 per dollar, the lowest since April 1990. The Japanese yen has slumped to a 34-year low against the United States dollar. The yen on Monday sank to 160.17 per dollar, the lowest since April 1990, prompting speculation that Japanese authorities would intervene to prop up the currency for the first … Read more

Jobless engineers, MBAs: The hidden army of Indian election ‘consultants’ | India Election 2024

“How many tennis balls can fit in a passenger plane?” Neeraj, a young economics graduate from the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), was given 15 minutes to solve this question during his interview rounds at Nation With Namo (NwN), one of the in-house political consultancies of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He got … Read more

US House approves aid package worth billions for Ukraine, Israel | Politics News

The Democratic-majority Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week, sending it to President Joe Biden to sign into law. The United States House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support has passed a $95bn legislative package providing security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, despite bitter objections from Republican hardliners. The legislation proceeded … Read more

Boeing subject of 32 whistleblower complaints, documents reveal | Business and Economy News

Boeing has been the subject of 32 whistleblower complaints with the workplace safety regulator in the United States during the past three years, newly obtained documents reveal, amid mounting scrutiny of standards at the beleaguered aircraft maker. The figures shed light on the extent of alleged retaliation by Boeing against whistleblowers as the Virginia-based company … Read more

Manipur’s BJP CM inflamed conflict: Assam Rifles report on India violence | India Election 2024

Kangpokpi/Imphal, India – On Christmas Eve, it was eerily calm inside a makeshift bunker with piles of gunny bags and a tin roof. Hunkered inside and clutching their single-barrelled rifles, 19-year-old Chonminlal Kipgen and 26-year-old Paolal Kipgen from the predominantly Christian Kuki-Zo community looked out and scoured the hills of Kangpokpi district for armed fighters … Read more

Singapore tightens rules for expat workers with an eye on local discontent | Business and Economy

Singapore – One of the world’s most open economies is attempting a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, the Southeast Asian city-state wants to lure the world’s best and brightest to bolster its workforce, one of Asia’s most diverse. On the other hand, it has to assure locals competing with foreigners for jobs that … Read more

Thailand’s economy stumbles as Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia race ahead | Business and Economy

Bangkok, Thailand – Sheltering from the sun on a street corner, Kridsada Ahjed rues the day he got involved with the loan sharks who now gobble up most of his daily earnings. “I went to the loan sharks because people like me – with no assets or savings – cannot qualify to get help from … Read more

What is the economic cost of Baltimore’s bridge collapse? | Shipping News

The collapse of a major bridge in Baltimore earlier this week has led to the suspension of vessel traffic at the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest harbours in the United States, until further notice. On Wednesday, it was reported that Maryland would receive initial funding of $60m from the federal government as state … Read more

As China ages, senior citizens see a retirement of striving to get by | Business and Economy

Taichung, Taiwan – When Hao Pengfei retired last year, it felt nothing like he had expected it would when he was a younger man. “I used to think that retirement is more about relaxation and hobbies and less about stress and concerns,” Hao told Al Jazeera from his home in China’s eastern city of Nanjing. … Read more

US Senate passes $460bn spending bill to avert government shutdown | Politics News

Vote is a major step towards finalising the 2024 federal budget after months of deadlock in the divided Congress. Lawmakers in the United States Senate passed a spending package shortly before a midnight deadline, averting a partial government shutdown. The lower house on Friday voted 75-22 to approve a $460bn spending package of six bills … Read more