Japanese household spending dropped again in April, official figures showed Tuesday, as consumers kept a tight hold on their purse strings despite years of government efforts to boost spending. The fresh data attests to what analysts believe is a broader picture of the world's third largest economy -- it is picking up steam overall but tepid consumption continues to act as a drag. Japan's prospects have been improving on the back of strong exports, with investments linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics also giving the economy a shot in the arm.
North Korea confirmed its test-firing of a precision-guided ballistic missile was "successful", the state-run news agency KCNA reported Tuesday, a day after the projectile landed in waters provocatively close to Japan. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un supervised the launch of the "new-type precision guided ballistic rocket" -- the third missile test by the nuclear-armed regime in less than three weeks and carried out in defiance of UN sanctions warnings and US threats of possible military action. South Korea's military earlier said the Scud-type missile travelled eastward for 450 km (280 miles).
No comments:
Post a Comment