Human rights organisations say a worrying pattern is emerging of dissidents being abducted in Southeast Asia. The disappearance of three well-known critics of Thailand’s monarchy and military government is raising concern. All three men were in exile in neighbouring Laos before moving to Vietnam. It is thought they were arrested there and forcibly returned to […]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The inflation outlook among U.S. consumers dipped sharply in April, potentially complicating the job of Federal Reserve policymakers who hope the pace of price increases will soon rise toward their target level. Survey data released by the New York Federal Reserve on Monday showed consumer expectations of the inflation rate over the […]

THE US-CHINA TRADE IMPASSE The deadlock is not about to be resolved any time soon. We have not heard all that much from the Chinese government directly but editorials from Chinese media are now giving us a sense of the way Beijing is viewing the current impasse. The People’s Daily wrote that “at no time […]

SINGAPORE – At least 50 social service and community organisations have been invited to apply for a new $1 million grant set up specially to help communities which are often overlooked. Bless Our City, a joint two-year initiative by the Far East Organisation (FEO) and Central Singapore Community Development Council, aims to strengthen groups that […]

KUALA LUMPUR (BLOOMBERG) – A year after Malaysia’s historic election, public euphoria surrounding the new government has evaporated. And investors are losing patience too. Global funds are bypassing the country in favor of other markets. Stocks recorded outflows in all but two of the past 12 months, the ringgit is trailing most of its peers […]

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling coalition is confident of a second term in office, but opposition parties are talking to one another to seal an alliance, hoping to topple him after general election results are announced on May 23. The seven-phase election started on April 11 and ends on Sunday […]

KABUL, Afghanistan — A Taliban attack on two aid organizations last week, the deadliest episode in a recent surge of violence against humanitarian workers in Afghanistan, is a signal to many that as peace talks falter, the insurgents are lashing out against so-called soft targets. Wednesday’s attack killed three workers for CARE, the American aid […]

(Reuters) – Financing group Greensill Capital on Monday confirmed SoftBank Group Corp’s Vision Fund has invested $800 million in the UK-based company. Greensill, which provides supply chain funding to companies, said it plans to use the funding in part to accelerate its expansion into Brazil and enter other markets like China and India. Bloomberg on […]

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s coincident indicator index worsened in March and the government cut its view, signaling the economy may be in recession as the U.S.-China trade war and weak external demand hurt the export-reliant economy. The assessment on the index by the government says the economy is worsening, which suggests there is a high […]

COLOMBO (REUTERS) – The Sri Lankan government said on Monday (May 13) that it was temporarily blocking some social media networks and messaging apps, including Facebook and WhatsApp, after violent incidents in the wake of Easter bombings by Islamist militants. Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores and a man was beaten […]