Thursday, 23 Oct 2025

Asia

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Trump's China tariff drives European stocks to worst day in seven months

(Reuters) – A slump in shares of automakers, miners and chipmakers led European stocks to their biggest losses in more than seven months on Friday after Washington’s announcement of new tariffs on Chinese goods raised fears of a further hit to global growth. The pan-European STOXX 600 index sank 2.5% to hit a six-week low. […]

Pound plunge prompts bargain hunters to look beyond Brexit fog

LONDON (Reuters) – For those with the stomach to digest more months of Brexit-induced political wrangling, sterling’s plunge to two-year lows is raising the question: is it time to dip back into hard-hit British markets for potential bargains? The pound has shed more than 8% since May, a drop that accelerated since Prime Minister Boris […]

Dollar weakens after U.S. jobs data reported as forecast

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The dollar weakened against the Japanese yen on Friday morning to a seven-month low after U.S. employment growth in July slowed as expected, which along with re-escalated U.S.-Chinese trade tensions, may make a case for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates again in September. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 164,000 jobs […]

Europe needs 'pro-growth agenda,' not monetary easing: Trump adviser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The European Union needs a “pro-growth agenda,” and not more easing of monetary policy, to pull its economy out of the doldrums, a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday. “I do not believe, this is just me talking, that more liquidity and more quantitative easing is going to […]

Why a special law on Kashmir is controversial

A law that gives residents of Indian-administered Kashmir unique privileges has long been a source of contention between the Muslim-majority valley and the right-wing Hindu BJP party that now governs India. What does the law say? Article 35A of the constitution allows the legislature of Indian-administered Kashmir to define the state’s “permanent residents” and what […]

Model reveals pain of ‘racist’ D&G ad

The Chinese model featured in a Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign accused of racism has said the controversy almost ruined her career. Three videos, released in November, showed Zuo Ye struggling to eat Italian food including cannoli and pizza with chopsticks. Widely seen as offensive it led to a severe backlash in China with several […]

Satirical rap video in Singapore racism row

YouTube, Facebook and Twitter have blocked a satirical rap video from being viewed in Singapore after the government requested its removal. The video was created by Preeti Nair – known as Preetipls on YouTube – and her brother Subhas Nair, a local rapper. It was a response to a much criticised ad featuring an ethnically […]

New customs and immigration facility officially opens at marina at Sentosa Cove

SINGAPORE – Vessels docking at the One°15 Marina Sentosa Cove can now clear immigration directly at the marina, instead of having to do so at the nearby Sisters’ Island. A customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) facility has been set up at the marina, as part of an initiative supported by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, […]

French drug smuggler’s ‘death sentence commuted’

A Frenchman sentenced to death for drug trafficking in Indonesia has had his sentence commuted to 19 years in jail, his lawyer and media have said. Félix Dorfin, 35, had been convicted of trafficking about 3kg (6.6lb) of various drugs into the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok. The Mataram high court ruling overturns the death […]