KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's latest leading index has shown healthier economic prospects in the near future, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said Friday.

The DOSM said in a statement that Malaysia's leading index, a tool utilized for predicting economic trends for an average of four to six months ahead, bounced back to a positive trajectory of 0.3 percent to attain 110.1 points in December 2023 as compared to 109.8 points in the same month of the preceding year. (Malaysia-Economy)

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- An Auckland banquet organized by overseas Chinese celebrated the Chinese New Year on Friday.

The celebration banquet, hosted by the Federation of The Chinese Association of New Zealand, was attended by Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong, Chinese Consul General in Auckland Chen Shijie, New Zealand government officials, parliamentarians, Auckland community leaders, business leaders, charity organizations, student representatives and media. (New Zealand-Chinese New Year)

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VIENTIANE -- Laos' Ministry of Energy and Mines, with technical assistance from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), plans to formulate a white paper on policy involving cross-cutting issues to address the complexities of energy security in Laos and the implications for ASEAN countries.

Representatives from the government, businesses, and the energy and mines sector in Laos, together with delegations from ASEAN countries, met in Lao capital Vientiane from Thursday to Friday, to discuss the content of the white paper, which will set the direction of energy security policy to achieve inclusive and sustainable development in Laos and address the implications for ASEAN, Lao national TV reported on Friday. (Laos-ASEAN-Energy Security)

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VIENTIANE -- A private company in Laos is setting up a large-scale cattle farm in northern Laos' Bokeo province, aiming to supply beef to domestic and foreign markets, especially China.

According to a Socio-Economic News report on Friday, the Duang Chalern Development Construction Company Group has been awarded concessions by the state on five plots of land covering a total area of 3,687 hectares in two districts of Bokeo province, some 340 km northwest of Lao capital Vientiane, to grow grass and raise cattle. (Laos-Cattle-Export)

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TOKYO -- The Japanese economy is currently in a "state of inflation, not deflation," Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda has told a parliamentary committee meeting.

"We expect (prices) to continue to rise, just like last year and before," Ueda said at a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday. "In this regard, we are in a state of inflation, not deflation." (Japan-Economy-BOJ) Enditem

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