Thailand, UK announce upgrading of relations to strategic partnership
According to the Foreign Ministry, the two sides discussed the launch of the Thailand-UK Free Trade Agreement initiative, which will build upon the progress of the Enhanced Trade…
Policy Matters
IMF, Pakistan reach staff-level agreement on final bailout review
Nathan Porter, IMF mission chief in Pakistan, said ongoing policy and reform efforts are required to address economic vulnerabilities but the new government “is committed to…
South Korea’s drugmakers feeling pinch from doctors’ walkout
According to several sources, drug companies are noticing decreases in use of antibiotics, intravenous fluids and injections used in medical operations, mainly as large hospitals…
China to grant foreign investors greater access to its markets
To broaden market access, the country will remove restrictions on foreign participation in the manufacturing sector and increase openness in sectors such as telecommunications and…
S’pore workplaces set for ‘world’s first’ mental health benchmark
A local charity, Workwell Leaders, wants to track the impact on workers of changes made to workplace behaviours, workload and work design, team collaboration and a sense of…
Finance ministry, IMF begin second review of Pakistan’s standby arrangement
The last review, if successful, will release a tranche of around $1.1 billion, the ministry had said. Islamabad had secured the last-gasped rescue package last summer to avert a…
Meta’s refusal to pay for news in Australia prompts calls for government to fund media
On March 14, Meta defended its decision to end the payments, saying in a blog post that “global tech companies cannot solve the longstanding issues facing the news industry”.
China to roll out more policies to back property sector
Experts believe China will continue to defuse property sector risks in a steady and orderly manner with market-oriented measures, after the authorities recently issued a series of…
Indonesia warns 6 foreign overseas travel agencies to register or risk being blocked
The ministry’s move came after the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association called on the government to regulate foreign overseas travel agencies over losses incurred to…
Proper wage-setting method needed to protect Bangladeshi workers’ interests
"Discussions and establishment of a proper national wage-setting system based on predicting and understanding inflation and on being able to have competitive price point and wage…