Brazil recorded a historic tourism milestone in 2025, welcoming over eight million international visitors—a 40% increase from last year. The surge boosted the economy, generating $6.617 billion in visitor spending and creating more than 114,000 jobs. With strong marketing and a focus on sustainable tourism, Brazil is expected to exceed nine million visitors by year-end.

The Q4 2025 global economic outlook has been upgraded to 2.62% growth, supported by policy-driven demand, easing inflation, and partial tariff rollbacks. Inflation is expected to decline in most regions except the Americas, while major central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve and ECB, have cut interest rates to support demand. Global merchandise trade is forecast to grow 2.4% in 2025, though risks remain due to tariffs, supply chain pressures, and weakening demand in

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar warned that global politics increasingly outweighs economics, urging India to diversify its supply chains to ensure resilience and national security. He highlighted shifts in the global order, with the US pursuing individualized engagement and China operating independently, increasing uncertainties for countries worldwide.

Sri Lanka and several Southeast Asian nations are facing one of the most severe flood seasons in decades, with millions affected and widespread destruction reported. Sri Lanka has been hit hardest, with over 330 deaths, thousands displaced, and major infrastructure crippled following Cyclone Ditwah. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are also experiencing heavy flooding, highlighting an unusually extreme monsoon season across Asia.

Healing Arts Singapore, held from 8–12 December 2025, launches Asia’s first national arts and health initiative in collaboration with NUS, NAFA, UAS, the Jameel Arts & Health Lab and WHO. The programme introduces major regional platforms including the first Healing Arts Centre of Excellence in Asia and the new THRivE evaluation toolkit for arts and heritage practitioners.

Cyclone Ditwah is expected to push Sri Lanka’s inflation higher due to damage to agriculture and disruptions in supply chains. Analysts warn the rupee may weaken further as the country increases imports of essential goods. The LKR has already depreciated 1.3% in the past month amid low forex liquidity and higher import demand.

Sri Lanka’s interest rates have risen in October as banks increased deposit collection amid strong loan demand, despite earlier rate cuts and controversial liquidity injections by the central bank. Analysts warn that recent monetary practices risk repeating past currency crises, especially as the rupee weakened again in 2025. The post-Cyclone Ditwah recovery adds uncertainty, with the government planning major spending and expecting IMF and World Bank support.

Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been named Sri Lanka’s Best Trade Finance Bank at the Euromoney Transaction Banking Awards 2025 for its strong leadership in supporting national trade. The Bank commands significant market share—21% in exports and 14.26% in imports—and handled over US$ 5 billion in trade transactions in 2024. Its digital platform, ComBank TradeLink, along with regional recognition from ADB, further strengthens its position as the country’s leading private sector

Asia’s natural gas demand has grown significantly since 2015—driven mainly by China—while many other Asian countries are seeing declining consumption. Falling domestic gas production is pushing the region toward higher LNG imports, despite LNG being far more expensive than locally produced gas. IEEFA warns that this shift creates economic and competitiveness risks for key sectors across Asia, even if

An overnight exchange of fire along the Afghan-Pakistan border killed five Afghan civilians and injured eight people on both sides, with each country blaming the other for starting the clash. The incident occurred despite a fragile two-month ceasefire and comes amid heightened tensions linked to recent militant attacks and cross-border accusations. The renewed violence follows Pakistan’s decision to allow UN aid supplies into Afghanistan and coincides with Pakistan’s security

Greece's finance minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, has been appointed president of the Eurogroup, reflecting the country’s strong economic recovery since its debt crisis. Greece now enjoys steady growth, high investment rates, budget surpluses, and declining public debt despite remaining the highest in Europe. As Eurogroup President, Pierrakakis will represent the euro area at G7 meetings, shape agendas, and foster consensus among member states.

Japan has announced a US$19 billion business investment target in Central Asia over the next five years, aiming to deepen economic and strategic ties with the region. The plan focuses on key areas such as natural resources, energy, supply chains, and connectivity, agreed during the inaugural “Central Asia plus Japan” summit in Tokyo. Officials say the initiative reflects Central Asia’s growing geopolitical importance and Japan’s effort to diversify partnerships and critical m

The IMF projects that inflation in Pakistan will rise in the coming years, potentially reaching nearly 9% by mid-2026, increasing pressure on households and businesses. While GDP growth is expected to remain moderate at just over 3%, high public debt and fiscal constraints continue to limit economic stability. The IMF warns that careful monetary and fiscal management will be necessary to control prices while sustaining growth.

Pro-Russian hackers have claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on France’s postal service, La Poste, disrupting online tracking, payments, and internal systems during the busy holiday period. French authorities and counter-espionage agencies have launched an investigation, treating the incident as part of a broader pattern of politically motivated cyber operations targeting Western infrastructure.

Apple’s upcoming AirTag 2, revealed through iOS 26 code, is expected to feature improved pairing, precise battery reporting, enhanced tracking for moving items, and better performance in crowded areas. The device will likely include a new Ultra Wideband chip but maintain its original design with a replaceable battery. Although labeled as “2025AirTag” internally, its launch is now expected around early 2026, alongside products like a new HomePod mini and a smarter Siri.

SBI Ripple Asia has partnered with XRPL-native Doppler Finance to develop yield-bearing products for XRP, expanding its use beyond cross-border payments. The collaboration will focus on compliant yield infrastructure and real-world asset tokenization on the XRP Ledger, with institutional clients as the main target. This move strengthens Ripple’s strategy in Asia and positions XRP as a more productive, investment-ready digital asset.

Sri Lanka’s economy grew 5.4% year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, marking a continued recovery from its recent financial crisis, led mainly by strong industrial expansion. Growth was broad-based, with industry, agriculture, and services all contributing, despite disruptions caused by severe flooding and cyclone damage in late November. Authorities remain cautiously optimistic, supported by an IMF bailout programme and emergency funding, though risks to growth persist i

Google Labs has introduced CC, an experimental AI assistant that delivers a personalized daily productivity briefing via email using data from Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and the web. Powered by Gemini AI, CC summarizes key tasks, schedules, and reminders and allows users to interact by replying to emails to manage to-dos and generate actions. The service is currently available in early access for users in the US and Canada, mainly for paid Google AI subscribers.

Hong Kong reclaimed its position as Asia’s top fundraising hub in 2025, with share sales surging to over $73 billion, driven largely by major Chinese listings and placements. India also posted a record year for IPOs, raising more than $20 billion as strong domestic investor participation fueled blockbuster deals. While Asia now dominates global share-sale markets, investors are becoming more valuation-conscious amid market volatility and geopolitical risks.

New Zealand’s exports surged to NZ$25.0 billion in the September 2025 quarter, driven by strong global demand for key agricultural products. At the same time, the Māori economy recorded rapid growth, with GDP contributions nearly doubling between 2018 and 2023 and Māori-owned businesses expanding into diverse sectors. Rising business confidence and resilient export performance make 2025 a milestone year for both New Zealand’s trade sector and Māori enterprise.