Global food prices rose in May from the month before after three months of decline, and the world's food import bill is set to jump in 2017, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday.

Asian currencies edged lower on investor caution ahead of major occurrences such as the British general election result, the European Central Bank's policy meeting, and Senate testimony from ex-FBI director James Comey due in the coming 24vhours.

Demand for gold in Asia was muted this week as the bullion's rebound in prices curbed purchases, with discounts in India widening to the highest in more than five months.

India called on Thursday for a coalition of middle-income countries to drum up support for globalisation as a political backlash in the United States and parts of Europe against free trade and investment imperils its growth aspirations.

Australia's economy squeezed out just enough growth last quarter to match the Netherlands' record of 103 quarters without recession, but its stamina is in doubt as households struggle with paltry wage rises and punishing debt.

A bust-up between Arab powers has dealt a blow to supercarriers already hurt by low oil prices and laptop bans, exposing the sensitivity of Gulf hubs to regional uncertainty and creating openings for rival airlines - at least in the short term.

Investors are increasingly excited about the prospects for much faster growth in the solar power industry in Southeast Asia, which has until now been a backwater for renewable energy.

Towering cranes dot the Havana skyline as communist-run Cuba races to build luxury hotels, amid indignation among some residents and concern that US President Donald Trump might reverse a detente that fueled the tourist boom.

The chief architect of China's latest special economic zone said he expects to submit to the government by the end of this month a detailed proposal including plans for a high-tech garden city in one of the country's most polluted provinces.

Apple Inc's long-awaited move into original television series starts Tuesday, with a reality show about a universe that is key to the technology giant's business: the world of app developers trying to bring their ideas to the masses.

The telecom regulator is formulating a pricing guideline for internet services as data is not becoming cheaper at the user level despite significant cuts in bandwidth prices.

China's foreign exchange reserves rose in May for a fourth consecutive month and by more than markets had expected, as stringent capital control measures and a weakening in the dollar helped staunch outflows.

Sony Corp has sold more than one million units of its virtual reality (VR) headset globally, the Asia chief of the Japanese firm's gaming unit said on Wednesday, as a relatively low price helps push the product into an early lead.

Mexico agreed to significant concessions on Tuesday to maintain its access to the lucrative US sugar market, but US sugar producers refused to endorse the deal between the governments, raising the risk that it could collapse.

The Philippines on Tuesday halted the deployment of workers to Qatar as the gas-rich Gulf state grappled with a diplomatic crisis after its neighbours cut ties with Doha.

Qatar's currency came under pressure on Tuesday as Gulf Arab commercial banks started holding off on business with Qatari banks because of a diplomatic rift in the region.

Aamra Technologies Ltd has won Microsoft Country Partner of the Year Award 2017 for Bangladesh, the company said in a statement.

This will be a "very, very slow year" for orders for Airbus, a top executive said Monday.

South Korea launched on Monday a $10 billion stimulus package to create jobs and bolster welfare programmes in the country faced with slow growth and ageing population. The 11.2-trillion won plan is the first since Moon Jae-In was elected president of Asia's

France's private sector growth accelerated in May to its fastest level in six years, a key survey showed Monday.