Highlights
The Asia-Pacific region is home to the world's freest economies, according to an index published on Thursday as Western economies grapple with too much government involvement. |
Investors sifting through analysts' new year predictions for stock market movements may want to press "delete" and look instead for sound companies, as history shows equity index forecasts are usually wrong. |
As gaming revenue in Singapore's once super-hot casino industry, which is the second biggest in Asia, slows, what does this mean for island-nation's slowing economy? |
China's one-child policy has produced less trusting, less trustworthy and less competitive children compared to the generation born before the policy was introduced, a study has found. |
Is India's economy bottoming out, or getting worse? On Tuesday, Fitch Ratings restated a "negative" outlook on India's sovereign credit rating, warning that a possible downgrade could come in the next 12 to 24 months. The NYT reports. |
Shares of the world’s largest smartphone maker Samsung Electronics are expected to surge 50 percent in 2013, on the back of a stellar performance last year. |
As if China and Japan didn't have enough to fight about, the two nations are now squabbling about which nation holds the record for the world's oldest person. The Global Post reports. |
Sony has put a one of its main buildings in central Tokyo up for sale in a deal that could raise as much as 100 billion yen ($1.14 billion) as the company seeks to sell non-core assets to generate cash to improve its balance sheet, people with direct knowledge of the deal said. |
The brutal rape and ensuing death of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi — now known as Damini ("lightning" in Hindi) — along with concurrent massive civil society mobilization in India around these events, has ignited a flurry of speculation and analysis within Western media about why India is such a dangerous place for women. The Global Post reports. |
Marc Faber told CNBC on Tuesday that he owns gold as an "insurance policy" despite a possible correction. |
South Korean men spent a whopping $495.4 million on skincare products in 2011, as makeup and cosmetics become more culturally acceptable. The Global Post reports. |
Read this if you're traveling to Taiwan. But if you just got back, it's too late. Baishawan restaurant, a famous destination in Taitung County, Taiwan, intentionally fed leftovers to more than 10,000 tourists, according to the China Daily. |
Members of a new class of affluent Asian-Americans, many of whom have benefited from booms in finance and technology, are making their mark on philanthropy in the United States. The New York Times reports. |
Forget that millions of North Korean children are starving — it's Kim Jong Un's birthday. Candy for everyone! The Global Post reports. |
Looking for a McDonald's in Australia this month? You may bump into a "Macca's" instead. The international fast food giant will temporarily change signs to "Macca's," the affectionate Australian nickname for the chain, in celebration of Australia Day. |
A government-backed investment fund is one of several waiting in the wings for a chance to support – and profit from – China's fast-growing performing arts and film companies. Caixin Online reports. |
Even though Brad Pitt has been supposedly banned from entering China, his first post to Weibo, the Twitter-like microblogging platform popular in the People's Republic, suggests otherwise. The Global Post reports. |
The decontamination crews at a deserted elementary school here are at the forefront of what Japan says is the most ambitious radiological cleanup the world has seen, one that promised to draw on cutting-edge technology from across the globe. The NYT reports. |
Call it phablet, phonelet, tweener or super smartphone, but the clunky mobile phone - closer in size to a tablet than the smartphone of a couple of years back - is here to stay. |
China's lowest temperatures in nearly three decades are wreaking havoc on shipping, air, and road transportation. |
In America, teenagers think that braces are awkward, dorky and annoying. But in Asia, braces are cool. They're so cool in fact, that teens in Thailand, Indonesia and China are even wearing fake braces to make a fashion statement. |
South Korean singer-actor Rain has been given a dressing down for going out with South Korea's sweetheart, Kim Tae-hee, while on compulsory military service - but without his army hat. |
Speculation is swirling in South Korea that the wife of Kim Jong Un has given birth to the newest member of the ruling Kim dynasty. The Global Post reports. |
Following a year tainted by heightened economic uncertainty, the world's second largest economy is setting itself up for a positive 2013, say analysts, pointing to China's latest economic data and stellar equity market performance. |
The gang rape of a 23-year old student has invoked a new political voice from middle class Indians who consider gender rights as important as poverty alleviation. |
China's 2012 box office was dominated by foreign films for the first time in four years as a deal cemented earlier this year saw more Hollywood film screened on the mainland, squeezing out domestic competition. |
The Chinese government passed a law that requires adult children to visit their aging parents more often. The Global Post reports. |
Americans think of Bangkok as embodying the rich-poor divide of the developing world, but some US areas are beginning to rival it. The GlobalPost reports. |
Forget Australia's mining boom. The nation's strong economy, high currency and wages have made it a magnet for sex, drugs and rock and roll. |
The Year of the Dragon was supposed to be particularly lucky and momentous, charged with auspicious signs of change. While the Chinese government may dispute that this year has been full of good luck, for China watchers, 2012 has certainly delivered. The GlobalPost reports. |