Australians are racking up extreme levels of debt to buy homes that are among the world's most expensive, a ticking time bomb that could wreck the economy if it is hit by a sudden shock, experts warn.

Electronics payments provider Paytm is in talks with Japan's SoftBank Group to raise $1.2 to $1.5 billion in cash, making the latter one of

Euro zone core inflation was higher than initially forecast, the European Union's statistics office said on Wednesday, while confirming its estimate for the headline figure.

Workaholic Japan has unveiled its first-ever plan to limit overtime, but critics want to give it the boot, saying an "outrageous" 100-hour-a-month cap will do nothing to tackle karoshi, or death from overwork.

Facebook launched a mission to make smartphone cameras windows to augmented reality, focusing on what people have in hand instead of waiting for high-tech eyewear.

Already bike-sharing businesses have exploded across China, flooding major cities with bicycles that are unlocked by GPS using an app, can be left anywhere and have become critical to countless commutes.

Gold edged lower on Wednesday as the dollar gained, but tensions over North Korea and upcoming French and UK elections underpinned investor demand in the safe-haven asset.

India risks straining public finances and undermining already ailing state banks, economists said, after a $5.6 billion loan write-off for farmers in Uttar Pradesh and moves to do something similar in at least four other states.

Australia's controversial decision to scrap a visa programme for temporary foreign workers got a mixed response Wednesday, with critics slamming it as spin over substance and pandering to anti-immigration rhetoric.

Most Asian currencies rose on Wednesday as investor concerns eased about simmering geopolitical tensions though caution towards risky assets prevailed in the market.

World trade is on track to expand by 2.4 percent this year, though there is "deep uncertainty" about economic and policy developments, particularly in the United States, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday.

Cyber security breaches erode companies' share prices permanently, with financials the worst hit, a study issued by IT consultant CGI and Oxford Economics has found.

The “One Belt, One Road" initiative (BRI) of China will foster development in Asia by way of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and connectivity, according to a Chinese academic.

JING Qi, a part-time presenter on the live streaming platform Huajiao, underwent cosmetic surgery in March to improve her chances of becoming an internet celebrity.

Interbank messaging service SWIFT, which is used to transfer trillions of dollars between banks every day, will launch a new tool to spot fraudulent messages, seeking to restore trust in the system after millions of dollars were stolen in cyber raids.

Opec countries cut oil output in March by more than they pledged, according to figures the group published in a monthly report on Wednesday, as it sticks to an effort to clear a supply glut that has weighed on prices.

Toyota Motor Corp said it will commercialise rehabilitation robots later this year when it makes its robotic walk assist system available for rent, joining Honda Motor Co in marketing mobility devices for Japan's ageing population.

АSE Group of Companies, a subsidiary of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, and Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission will

Inflation almost completely gnawed away the growth in pay of British workers during the three months to February, the clearest evidence yet that households are feeling the strain of rising prices as Brexit negotiations begin.

India's state-owned fuel retailers plan to implement daily revision of fuel price in five cities from May 1 ahead of a nationwide rollout of the scheme, industry sources said.