Tokyo / AFP Japan passed a law regulating virtual currency, after the country found itself at the epicentre of a multi-million dollar embezzlement scandal following the spectacular collapse of the Tokyo-based MtGox Bitcoin exchange. Once one of the largest, most established exchanges for the cryptocurrency, MtGox collapsed in 2014 after a suspected theft worth nearly half a billion dollars, which …

  Beijing / AP China accused the United States on Thursday of hampering trade after Washington imposed duties of up to 450 percent on Chinese steel in its latest response to a flood of low-priced imports. The Ministry of Commerce complained US regulators discriminated against Chinese suppliers by using incorrect standards for deciding what production cost and market prices should …

  Sydney / AFP A multi-billion-dollar deal to break up Australian logistics giant Asciano between local and international suitors hit a hurdle on Thursday after a key corporate regulator raised concerns about reduced competition at ports. The Aus$9.05 billion (US$6.5 billion) takeover, announced in March, would see the rail, freight and ports operator’s assets split between a consortium led by …