Asia/Pacific
Citigroup sells stake in Turkey's Akbank for $1.2 billion
Citigroup (C.N) has sold its nearly 10 percent stake in Turkey's Akbank (AKBNK.IS) for $1.2 billion, the U.S. lender said on Thursday, its latest disposal of overseas assets to cut costs and boost profits.
Malaysia's 1MDB to be dismantled under debt plan - sources
Malaysia's indebted and controversy-ridden state investor 1MDB will be left as a skeletal structure and possibly dissolved under a debt repayment plan in which most of its assets will be sold, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
Asia stocks slip, euro hits 11-year low before ECB
Asian stocks slipped on Thursday after Wall Street continued to pull back from record highs ahead of Friday's closely-watched U.S. jobs data, while the nervous euro languished at an 11-year low prior to the European Central Bank's policy meeting.
China defense budget rise to defy slowing economy
China's defense budget this year will rise about 10 percent compared with 2014, a top government official said on Wednesday, outpacing the slowing economy as the country ramps up investment in high-tech equipment such as submarines and stealth jets.