Tokyo Consumer Inflation Eases But Stays Well Above BOJ’s Target

Consumer inflation in the Tokyo metropolitan area eased in June but remained firmly above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target, leaving the central bank balancing on a policy tightrope, the Wall Street Journal reported. Core consumer prices in Tokyo—excluding fresh food—climbed 3.1% in June from a year earlier, compared with May’s 3.6% increase, government data showed Friday. That was lower than the 3.3% rise expected in a poll of economists by data provider Quick. Tokyo figures are considered an early indicator of nationwide trends.
Japan
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Essel Group Slams Dishonest Debtor Kotak AMC, Drags It to NCLT for Dishonouring Contractual Obligations

An Essel Group company, Konti Infrapower and Multiventures, has moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against Kotak Asset Management Company (AMC) over the asset management company's failure to honour certain contractual obligations, Zee Business reported. Claiming dues to the tune of Rs 12.99 crore, the Essel Group entity has stated that Kotak AMC, as a corporate debtor, is yet to meet its financial obligations under an agreement dated April 6, 2019.
India
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Japan Hits M&A Record of $232 Billion, Driving Asia Deals Rebound

Japan is driving Asia's M&A rebound in 2025 with a record $232 billion worth of deals in the first half, and bankers expect the trend to sustain fuelled by multi-billion dollar take-private arrangements, outbound investments and private equity activity, Reuters reported. Management reforms to tackle chronic low valuations among Japanese firms are spurring a flurry of foreign and activist investor interest, while Japan's low interest rates - which support deals - mean the appetite for more deals remains strong, bankers say.
Japan
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Japan Can’t Accept 25% Car Tariffs, Akazawa Reiterates

Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said the country can’t accept the U.S.’ 25% tariffs on cars, adding that the Asian nation’s automakers produce far more cars in the U.S. than they export to America, the Japan Times reported. Japanese automakers make roughly 3.3 million cars in the U.S. a year, a number that’s far larger than the 1.37 million that they ship there, Akazawa told reporters on Thursday before he left for Washington, D.C. to hold his seventh round of trade negotiations with U.S. counterparts. The companies have invested more than $60 billion in the U.S.
Japan
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Australia Job Vacancies Increase 2.9% in May Quarter, ABS Data Shows

Job vacancies in Australia rebounded in the May quarter, led by openings in the construction and professional sectors, data showed on Thursday, in a sign demand for labour remained resilient despite a soft economy, Reuters reported. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed vacancies bounced 2.9% in the three months to May, partly reversing a 4.3% drop in the previous quarter ended February. Job openings were still down 2.8% from May last year at 339,400, but that was the smallest annual decline in the past two years.
Australia
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Thai Central Bank Holds Rate Amid Political Turmoil, Global Uncertainty

Thailand’s central bank held interest rates steady amid renewed political tensions at home and growing uncertainty abroad, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Bank of Thailand’s monetary policy committee voted six to one to maintain its policy rate at 1.75%, following two consecutive cuts. One member voted in favor of easing. Noting that its previous cuts have “already provided some cushion against the prevailing risks,” the central bank highlighted risks related to U.S.
Thailand
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