Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan may introduce measures to provide tax breaks for companies converting foreign profits into the yen and include it in the government's annual mid-year policy blueprint compiled in the summer, the Sankei newspaper reported.

The tax holiday may be deployed as a policy tool to stem the yen's sharp declines, incentivising firms to return overseas assets to Japan, the newspaper reported on Tuesday.

A finance ministry... (continue reading...)

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's exports rose for a seventh straight month in April, trade data showed on Wednesday, as strong demand for chips continued to lead growth while automobile sales and U.S. shipments climbed to record highs.

Overseas sales by Asia's fourth-largest economy rose 13.8% from the same month a year earlier to $56.26 billion, a bit higher than a rise of 13.7% tipped in a Reuters survey of economists.

It came after a... (continue reading...)

By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell for a third day on Wednesday on rising crude inventories and production in the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer, along with increasing hopes of a ceasefire agreement in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures for July fell 47 cents, or 0.5%, at $85.86 a barrel by 0005 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for June declined 53 cents, or 0.6%, to $81.40 per barrel.

(Reuters) -Australia's Qantas Airways said on Wednesday it was investigating issues impacting its frequent flyer application, after media reports suggested there was a data breach allowing users access to other passengers' travel information.

Multiple local media outlets, citing Qantas customers, are reporting that some users can see strangers' full travel information, with at least one user being able to cancel someone else's tickets.

"We're... (continue reading...)

By Sameer Manekar

(Reuters) - Australia's biggest banks are likely to report weaker first-half profit as high operating costs and competition to sell mortgages and deposits squeeze margins, setting up a possible reversal of a stock rally that analysts said has left the sector overheated.

Traditionally beneficiaries of rising interest rates, the country's so-called Big Four lenders have instead spent the past year sacrificing margins to... (continue reading...)