TOKYO (BLOOMBERG) – Japan’s two largest opposition parties are set to merge, as they look to present a more credible alternative to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party ahead of elections that must be held by next year. Lawmakers with the Democratic Party for the People voted Wednesday (Aug 19) to form a […]
SINGAPORE – The Covid-19 pandemic has not blunted the wealth of Singapore’s richest, even as it propelled some ahead of others. Haidilao founder Zhang Yong tops the list again this year, adding US$5.2 billion (S$7.1 billion) to his net worth. His wife Shu Ping, who is co-founder and director of Haidilao International Holding, is listed […]
SINGAPORE – A 72-year-old man, who fatally stabbed his son-in-law in front of a lunchtime crowd in the Central Business District three years ago, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide in the High Court on Thursday (Aug 20). Tan Nam Seng admitted that he repeatedly stabbed 39-year-old Spencer Tuppani in the chest outside […]
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s economy is recovering in the shape of a Nike “swoosh,” Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said on Wednesday, adding that a program to help finance company payrolls will more than double its reach in the coming months to over 200,000 companies. Speaking in Brasilia alongside President Jair Bolsonaro, Guedes also said 200 […]
(Reuters) – European stocks closed higher on Wednesday following new record highs for Wall Street’s main indexes, while UK airlines rallied on hopes of a shorter quarantine period for travelers. After a feeble start, the pan-European STOXX 600 climbed 0.7%, with stock markets in Germany, London and France .GDAXI .FTSE .FCHI all gaining ground. British […]
SYDNEY – Australia plans to start allowing foreign students to return from next month as part of a trial that will aim to reboot the country’s lucrative international education sector. The first batch of students will be brought to the state of South Australia, which has effectively curbed its Covid-19 outbreak. As of Wednesday, the […]
Abdul Baqi Amin, who previously participated in talks with Taliban in Doha, was killed by a bomb placed in his car. A high-ranking Education Ministry employee was killed in a bomb blast in the Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday, a second attack in less than a week on peace and rights activists in the country. Abdul […]
KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s party is holding its first internal election this month at a time of major external and internal challenges that have shaken the four-year-old party and could decide its future. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) is reeling from a wave of defections by some members, who left it for […]
Fourteen rockets were fired into central Kabul as the country marked the 101st anniversary of its independence. Afghan officials say a rocket attack that struck Kabul as the city marked Afghanistan’s independence day killed at least three people, including two members of President Ashraf Ghani’s honour guard. Fourteen rockets were fired into central Kabul on Tuesday as […]
NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – India’s antitrust watchdog has dismissed a case against Facebook’s WhatsApp, saying the company has not abused its dominant position to expand in the country’s digital payments market, according to an official order. A case in March alleged that WhatsApp was bundling its digital payment facility – WhatsApp Pay – within its […]