Asia Pacific

Singapore economy grows 4%, beating forecasts | Business and Economy

by

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong says most workers have seen wages outpace inflation. Singapore’s economy grew 4 percent in 2024, comfortably beating forecasts, according to preliminary government figures. Gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 4.3 percent in the October-December period, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Thursday, lifting full-year growth to its strongest performance … Read more

South Korea’s Yoon will be arrested within deadline, anti-graft chief says | Politics News

by

Chief of Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials warns that anyone blocking arrest can be prosecuted. South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol will be arrested before a warrant issued over his short-lived declaration of martial law expires next week, the country’s chief anticorruption investigator has said. Oh Dong-woon, the head of the Corruption Investigation Office … Read more

North Korea’s Kim hails ‘comrade’ Putin in New Year’s greeting | News

by

North Korean leader expresses hope that Moscow will defeat ‘neo-Nazism and achieve a great victory’ in Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has paid homage to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a New Year’s message extolling deepening ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, state media has reported. In a letter to mark the New Year, … Read more

China blamed by US for Treasury Department hack | Cybersecurity News

by

Unclassified documents were stolen after a hack earlier this month, according to a letter sent by Treasury to Congress. Chinese state-sponsored hackers were able to steal unclassified documents from United States Treasury workstations earlier this month, the US Treasury Department has said. The department said on Monday that the hackers were able to compromise a … Read more

South Korea authorities seek arrest of Yoon over martial law declaration | Politics News

by

Joint investigation unit requests arrest warrant for suspended president over brief imposition of martial law. South Korean authorities have requested an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law. South Korea’s Joint Investigation Headquarters said on Monday that it sought Yoon’s arrest on insurrection and abuse of power charges. … Read more

At least 62 killed in S Korea as plane crashes on landing at Muan airport | News

by

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, The crash occurred as the Jeju Air flight from Bangkok, Thailand, landed at Muan International Airport in South Korea. At least 62 people were killed when a passenger plane veered off the runway and crashed at an airport in the South Korean city of Muan, the country’s National Fire Agency said. The … Read more

South Korea’s opposition files motion to impeach acting president | Politics News

by

Opposition seeks to impeach Han Duck-soo for not appointing judges to the constitutional court. South Korea’s main opposition party has filed a motion to impeach the acting president, deepening the political turmoil in the East Asian nation. The Democratic Party said it submitted the motion on Thursday over acting leader Han Duck-soo’s reluctance to fill … Read more

Kohli, Jaiswal sparkle, T20 World Cup, Mandhana and Sana arise: 2024 review | Cricket News

by

Cricket fans will remember 2024 for two thrilling T20 World Cups in the space of four months, the display of youthful exuberant talent from upcoming stars, and the rollback of years by older icons to end long trophy droughts for their nations. From a young pacer offering a throwback to the glory days of West … Read more

From Trump to Bitcoin, inflation and China: the big economic trends of 2024 | Business and Economy

by

The year 2024 saw the global economy stabilise following the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, even as growth in many countries lagged pre-2020 levels. Amid a patchy recovery, more than 2 billion people were eligible to vote this year, and economic issues, particularly rising living costs, were a top concern for voters around the world. … Read more

As Trump 2.0 looms, Taiwan’s chip industry braces for upheaval | Technology

by

Taipei, Taiwan – With just weeks left in office, outgoing United States President Joe Biden and his team are scrambling to lock in billions of dollars in funding to re-shore chip manufacturing to the US. Signed into law by Biden in 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act set aside $280bn in funding to boost domestic … Read more