Nearly 3 million Indonesians joined the agricultural workforce last year as millions, mostly in towns and cities, lost their jobs and businesses during the economic downturn.

Doubts have emerged over Indonesia’s plan to roll out the use of B40-type biodiesel by July this year as the high price of crude palm oil (CPO) renders such fuel uneconomical.

The US National Transportation and Safety Board is also investigating the incident, in which no one was hurt. 

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 232.91 points, or 0.78 percent, from Friday to 30,250.83. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 14.77 points, or 0.77 percent, at 1,943.72.

The airlines had already taken the planes out of service -- 13 operated by JAL and 19 by ANA -- before the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued the order Sunday.

The latest move by Bank Indonesia (BI) to relax down-payment regulations to boost property and automotive sales will hinge on the appetites of consumers and banks, with the former facing much-reduced purchasing power as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, most businesses in the real estate sector started operating again.

The country has made a long stride in green energy, but at the same time is not willing to give up coal consumption. 

More than half of online purchases start with a phenomenon known as “discovery commerce”, where idle browsers happen upon and decide to purchase goods.

The rollout of vaccines, falling infection rates and the prospect of another mammoth US stimulus have sent equity markets to all-time or multi-year highs in recent weeks, with focus firmly on the long-term outlook.

Investors and mega-corporations alike have been wooed by dizzying growth and the opportunity for profit and asset diversification.

The social networking giant has been facing a class action lawsuit since 2018. The plaintiffs claim that the platform's managers knew that its so-called "Potential Reach" measure was inflated, but did not seek to rectify the situation so as not to lose revenue. 

The greenback continued to buck its traditional role as a safe-harbour currency, falling in sympathy with US stocks overnight after an unexpected increase in weekly jobless claims soured the economic outlook.

The move was in response to a planned Australian law that would require internet companies like Facebook and Google to reach commercial deals with news outlets whose links drive traffic to their platforms, or be subjected to forced arbitration to agree a price.

Bank Indonesia (BI) has cut its benchmark interest rate for the sixth time since COVID-19 struck Indonesia, bringing it to a record low.

The corporate action also marks the end of a 30-year partnership between ICBP and PepsiCo in Indonesia.

The pound rose 0.2 percent to 86.65 pence against the euro at 1015 GMT, its highest since March 9, 2020.

An Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) economist said sharia banks needed to attract more users by diversifying products.

Airbus said in a statement that it booked a net loss of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in 2020.

Bitcoin traded just shy of the new record high of $52,640 reached overnight, with its roughly 58 percent surge this month prompting some analysts to warn that the rally might be unsustainable.

OJK said Sea Group's e-commerce arm Shopee had acquired local lender Bank BKE and would transform it into a digital bank.

Apple and Epic have been locked in a fierce battle over whether Apple's tight control of the App Store, and its 30-percent cut of revenue, is abusive.

The pandemic has pushed 2.76 million more Indonesians into poverty, bringing the country’s poverty rate to the highest level since March 2017.

While there have been more expensive properties sold in Hong Kong, the 3,378-square-foot penthouse in the affluent Mid-Levels neighbourhood set a new benchmark for price per square foot at $17,500.

Analysts are skeptical that the latest luxury tax scheme will help boost new car sales when it is enacted on March 1, saying that it won't improve consumer buying power, although Gaikindo seems optimistic.

However, analysts said that while equities have room for a drop, the general view is that they will resume their strong upward march as vaccine rollouts, slowing infection rates and the easing of lockdowns allow economies to return to normal.

The firm posted underlying profits of US$12.4 billion for the year to December 31, with net profits also up more than 20 percent on-year at US$9.8 billion.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has introduced the board of directors tasked with managing Indonesia’s recently created multibillion-sovereign wealth fund to lure global investors to Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

The sale includes five of the giant's spring water brands, including Poland Spring, three of its mountain water brands, its purified water business and its United States and Canada water delivery service, ReadyRefresh, according to a statement.

The first and most famous cryptocurrency, bitcoin hit $49,938 and has gained roughly 70 percent this year, most of that after electric carmaker Tesla said it bought $1.5 billion in bitcoin and would accept the currency as payment.