Indian bonds are to be included in global indexes. Is this a gamechanger?

An undated editorial illustration of the Indian rupee and the Indian flag. Anand Purohit | Moment | Getty Images The decision to include Indian government bonds in two prominent global indexes recently is being viewed as a shot in the arm for the rapidly growing country and is expected to bring in billions of inflows. … Read more

Singapore is the happiest country in Asia: World Happiness Report 2024

Singapore is the happiest country in Asia according to the 2024 World Happiness Report. Matthew Ng | E+ | Getty Images Singapore is the happiest country in Asia for the second year in a row, according to the 2024 World Happiness Report released Wednesday. The city-state ranked 30 out of the 143 places surveyed for … Read more

China tightens regulations on consumer finance companies

BEIJING, CHINA – MARCH 04: Chinese national flags flutter at the Great Hall of the People as the second session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) opens on March 4, 2024 in Beijing, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images … Read more

South Korea plans to speed up reforms to boost shareholder returns

A currency dealer monitors exchange rates in a trading room at KEB Hana Bank in Seoul, South Korea. Jung Yeon-Je | AFP | Getty Images South Korea’s financial regulator will look at speeding up the corporate reforms proposed last month and could reportedly add newer measures, after market players voiced concerns the announced steps might … Read more

This 31-year-old spent $20,000 to travel after he was laid off

Peter Lancaster in Argentina. Courtesy of Peter Lancaster Forget the “quarter-life crisis.” These days, millennials are turning to the “quarter-life sabbatical.” Amid the waves of mass layoffs, people are choosing to repurpose their unemployment into soul-searching, and many are extending their time away from the cubicle to travel the world. Peter Lancaster, 31, was laid … Read more

Deepfakes in an election year — is Asia ready to handle fake news?

2024 is set up to be the biggest global election year in history. It coincides with the rapid rise in deepfakes. In APAC alone, there was a surge in deepfakes by 1530% from 2022 to 2023, according to a Sumsub report. Fotografielink | Istock | Getty Images Ahead of the Indonesian elections on Feb. 14, … Read more

China EV shares are feeling the heat as price war concerns grow

New cars of the “Dolphin” model from Chinese car manufacturer BYD are in the harbor.  Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Chinese electric vehicle makers shares listed in Hong Kong fell on Tuesday as worries of price wars in the sector grew. China’s EV market, the world’s largest and most crowded, is seeing … Read more

Disney’s Reliance merger is a streaming wars win

Disney+ Hotstar logo is seen on a smartphone and flag of India on a pc screen. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Walt Disney and Indian conglomerate Reliance’s media merger will give back highly valuable cricket streaming rights to the U.S. firm in a country absolutely … Read more

India ‘easily’ fastest growing economy, IMF director says, as GDP growth soars

IMF Executive Director and former Chief Economic Advisor of India, Dr Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian addresses a press conference. Hindustan Times | Hindustan Times | Getty Images India is ‘easily’ the fastest growing economy in the world, IMF executive director Krishnamurthy Subramanian said, as the country’s third-quarter GDP growth blew past analysts’ estimates. At 8.4%, India’s … Read more

China’s Country Garden gets liquidation petition from creditor

Aerial photo shows a Country Garden residential area in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province, Feb 5, 2024. Future Publishing via Getty Images Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty Images China’s Country Garden Holdings said Wednesday it received a liquidation petition filed by one of its creditors, deepening worries about the country’s beleaguered property sector. … Read more