TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s government raised its economic growth forecast for the next fiscal year thanks to its latest stimulus package aimed at speeding up the recovery following the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.

Shanghai(Gasgoo)- China's auto production and sales for the year of 2020 is forecasted to recover to the year-ago level, Meng Wei, a spokeswoman for China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said at a press conference held on Dec. 16.

BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- As the year is drawing to a close, China's economic rebound from COVID-19 is gathering pace as mirrored by improvements in key growth figures, which, for many market watchers, are a boon for the world economy still scrambling to shake off the severest recession in nearly a century.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The dollar has sunk through major support levels and looked set for its worst week in a month on Friday, as its accelerating slide sucked in more short sellers keen to make an easy buck.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Friday but stayed within touching distance of nine-month highs hit overnight as soaring COVID-19 cases weigh on fuel demand and U.S. lawmakers continue to battle over a $900 billion economic stimulus package.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares on Friday slipped from the record they hit a day earlier, but the prospect of a major U.S. coronavirus relief package left some investors still in the mood to pick up stocks and other risk-exposed assets.