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Sydney / Bloomberg Australia is prioritizing growth over deficit reduction in its economic programme, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said, signaling he expects to close the gap through rising tax receipts from faster expansion. The prime minister, a month out from the budget’s release, signaled no plans to try to accelerate a return to the black — despite eight years of ...

Tokyo / Reuters Influential members of Japan’s top economic advisory panel recommended the government take additional measures to boost consumer spending as a looming recession forces Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to roll out more pro-growth policies. The four private-sector members of the Council for Economic and Fiscal Policy (CEFP) also urged the government to accelerate its plans to raise the ...

Mumbai / Bloomberg Xiaomi Corp. is leading a $25-million investment in India’s Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, an online provider of music and videos, as it seeks to lure more customers in the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market. “India is a fast-growing, strategic geography for us and it’s about time we established our services offerings here,” said Hugo Barra, Xiaomi’s vice president ...

New Delhi / Bloomberg Apple Inc.’s latest attempt to crack the Indian smartphone market — by selling used phones — is meeting a wall of resistance. The iPhone maker is seeking permission to become the first company allowed to import and sell used phones into the country, its second attempt in as many years. This time, the stakes are higher ...

Tokyo / Bloomberg Sharp Corp.’s shares rose after President Kozo Takahashi and Foxconn Technology Group’s Chairman Terry Gou formally signed a rescue deal over the weekend that gives the electronics maker a chance to recover from a long slump. The stock climbed 4 percent to close at 130 yen in Tokyo on Monday, while the Nikkei 225 Index was mostly ...

Sydney / Bloomberg Optus, Australia’s second-biggest mobile-phone carrier, plans to cut as many as 480 jobs as it revamps its consumer and enterprise divisions and seeks sustainable growth. The unit of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. notified affected employees today, with some likely to be offered alternative positions within the company, said a Singtel official who asked not to be identified per ...

Baku / Bloomberg Deadly clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces over the NagornyKarabakh region continued for a third day on Monday despite international pressure to halt the worst fighting in decades over the disputed territory. Azerbaijan said three of its troops were killed overnight when Armenian forces shelled its positions using mortars and grenade launchers, taking the overall death toll ...

Myanmar / AFP Myanmar’s Aung San SuuKyidropped plans to run two major ministries but will act as spokeswoman for the country’s new president, a ruling party official said on Monday. Banned from becoming president by a junta-era constitution, SuuKyi has cemented control over the country’s first civilian-led government in decades by taking on a string of senior roles in the ...

Maldives / AFP Maldives police have released 16 journalists arrested during a protest against a perceived government crackdown on press freedom on the politically troubled holiday islands, officials said on Monday. The journalists, which the government said were released late Sunday, have been ordered to report to police for questioning over the demonstration held outside President Abdulla Yameen’s office in ...

Brussels / AFP Brussels airport scheduled nearly 40 flights on Monday, officials said, as Belgium struggles to get back to normal after two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the departure hall nearly two weeks ago. The number was a sharp rise over the three flights at Belgium’s main air hub on Sunday, but a far cry from the 600 ...