East Asia's developing economies led by China will grow slightly slower this year, with higher US interest rates and an appreciating dollar posing further risks to the region, the World Bank said Monday.
In its latest forecasts for the region, the bank said China's economy should expand by 7.1 percent in 2015, slower than the 7.2 percent rate projected in October and down from last year's 7.4 percent growth.

Taiwan's bid to become a founding member of China's new regional development bank has been rejected, Beijing said Monday, dashing the island's hopes of having a platform in the institution from the start.
Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Beijing-based State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement that a Hong Kong report the island had failed to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) was correct.

China suffered an across-the-board decline in trade in March, the government said Monday, days ahead of GDP data expected to show another slowdown in the world's second-largest economy.
Exports fell an unexpected 15.0 percent on-year in March to $144.57 billion, the General Administration of Customs said, while imports tumbled 12.7 percent to $141.49 billion.

Oil prices rose in Asia Monday, extending last week's gains but the persistent global supply glut will likely cap advances, analysts said.
US benchmark West Texas Intermediate added 31 cents to $51.95 while Brent was up 24 cents at $58.11 in late-morning trade.

Toyota is planning to build a new plant in northern China as the world's top automaker ramps up investment after a two-year freeze, reports said Saturday.
Proposals for the plant in Tianjin -- due to open in 2018 at the earliest with a capacity of 100,000 cars a year -- should be finalised by the summer, Jiji Press and Kyodo News agency reported.

Argentina's government is extending its price control program aimed at curbing high inflation.
Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said Friday that the program will continue for three more months, until July 7.

A surge in corporate dealmaking helped lift U.S. stocks this week, with General Electric, Royal Dutch Shell and FedEx all unveiling major transactions.
The wave of mergers and acquisitions offset investor wariness as earnings season got underway to low expectations.

Global sales of personal computers resumed their downward trajectory in early 2015 after a modest uptick late last year, surveys showed Thursday.
A survey by Gartner showed worldwide PC shipments totaled 71.7 million units in the first quarter, a 5.2 percent decline from the same period a year ago.

The dollar surged against the euro Thursday after an encouraging U.S. unemployment claims report stoked speculation about the Federal Reserve's plan to raise ultra-low interest rates.
The Labor Department reported that the number of first-time unemployment claims rose last week, but claims filed in the past four weeks fell to a nearly 15-year low, suggesting a stronger labor market.

Aid agencies warned Friday that Kenya's shutting down of money transfer services to Somalia over suspected links to the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab will hit the poorest hardest and jeopordize their operations.
Kenya on Wednesday froze key transfer companies vital for impoverished Somalia, as part of a crackdown on alleged Shebab supporters following the university massacre of almost 150 people by the Islamists last week.
