SYDNEY -- Asia continues to present a solid outlook for Australian companies with China remaining the number one individual market in which to do business, while collectively the ASEAN region is showing great promise, a report by leading Australian bank ANZ revealed on Thursday.

ANZ's fifth annual Opportunity Asia Report surveyed over 1,000 Australian business decision makers across a range of industries and showed that of the companies active in Asia, 70 percent are engaged in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region, compared with 69 percent in China alone. (Australia-China-Market)

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TOKYO -- Japan will soon issue its first permit for exporting to South Korea some of the chemicals needed in producing semiconductors and display panels since imposing tighter controls last month, local media quoted sources with knowledge of the matter as saying Thursday.

On July 4, Japan made it a requirement to file applications for each transaction for exporting fluorinated polyimide, hydrogen fluoride and photoresist to South Korea. (Japan-S. Korea-Trade)

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SEOUL -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating slightly fell this week after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s short-range projectile launches in less than two weeks, a weekly poll showed Thursday.

According to the Realmeter survey, support for Moon inched down 0.4 percentage points over the week to 49.5 percent this week. (S. Korea-Moon-Rating)

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KATHMANDU -- Four Chinese tourists were among seven passengers injured as a tourist bus carrying Chinese tourists and a truck collided in Kamalbari, an area of Byas Municipality in western Nepal's Tanahun district on Wednesday afternoon, said local police and a tourist guide.

Binod Silwal, Superintendent of Police at District Police Office Tanahun, told Xinhua that they have taken control of both bus and truck for investigation. (Nepal-Tourists-Accident)

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MANILA -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared that his country would never allow the United States to deploy missile systems on its soil.

Although there exists the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States, Duterte said late on Tuesday that he would bar the entry of foreign weapons, including nuclear arsenal in the country since this is considered a violation of the Philippine Constitution. (Philippines-U.S.-Missiles) Enditem

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