News
YAOUNDE: The World Trade Organization’s 14th ministerial conference ended early Monday without agreement on extending the long-running moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, a lapse that sharpened questions about the body’s ability to update trade rules and advance wider institutional reform. WTO officials said the moratorium had expired after ministers ran out of time in Yaounde, Cameroon,…
Business
SEOUL: The Bank of Korea said on Friday that its 2025 net income climbed to a record 15.3275 trillion won, nearly doubling from the previous year as gains on foreign-currency assets and stronger securities prices lifted results. The total marked a 96.03% increase from 2024 and surpassed the central bank’s previous high…
CHONGQING: China’s medical equipment market expanded 60.5% between 2021 and 2025, reaching 1.44 trillion yuan ($208 billion) last year, according to data released at the 2026 China Medical Equipment Conference in Chongqing. The figures also showed medical equipment exports totaled $45.8 billion in 2025, up 62.4% from 2019. The China Association…
SEOUL: South Korea posted an 11.3 trillion won managed fiscal surplus in January as stronger tax collection offset higher government spending, with value-added tax and income tax leading the increase in receipts. Finance ministry data showed tax revenue reached 52.9 trillion won in the month, up 6.2 trillion won from a…
GABORONE: Botswana is facing renewed pressure on its diamond-driven economy after S&P Global Ratings lowered the country’s long-term sovereign rating to BBB- from BBB and its short-term rating to A-3 from A-2, while keeping a negative outlook. The cut leaves Botswana at the lowest investment-grade level and comes as weaker rough…
Travel
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 carrier also reported a passenger load factor of 89.9% for the month, compared…
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 a sharp rise from the end of 2025, underscoring the pace of recovery…
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. The measure pauses the issuance of new immigrant visas while the department conducts…
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 in visitor numbers and revenues in 2025 and reflects a broader government push…