Indonesia eyes Singapore’s Taylor Swift gigs, says it needs ‘Swiftonomics’ to boost tourism
The Indonesian government has formed a 1 trillion rupiah (US$64 million) tourism fund to help it bid for such events.
Country asian news
Deep-sea mining 'seems to be inevitable,' UN regulator says, as fight for critical minerals heats up
It's likely only a matter of time before scraping the ocean floor for valuable metals becomes a reality, according to the head of the International Seabed Authority, the U.N. regulator that oversees deep-sea mining.
Singapore's AI ambitions get a boost with $740 million investment plan
SINGAPORE — Singapore's plan to invest more than $743 million into artificial intelligence over the next five years could strengthen its position as a global business and innovation hub, tech executives said.
China Lunar New Year travel spending surpasses pre-Covid levels — is consumption revival in sight?
China's travel activity and spending jumped above pre-pandemic levels during the Lunar New year holiday, in a sign that consumption was improving in the world's second-largest economy.
Why is Japan hosting a conference for Ukraine reconstruction when it’s still at war? AP explains.
TOKYO (AP) — Japan is hosting a conference for Japanese and Ukrainian officials to discuss reconstruction of Ukraine just ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion, while the U.S. and other Western countries are still focusing on military aid for the battlefield. Hundreds of senior officials and executives are attending the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction in Tokyo. AP explains the event, its purpose, who’s attending and the projects being discussed.
US rivalry with China expands to biotech. Lawmakers see a failure to compete and want to act
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms about what they see as America’s failure to compete with China in biotechnology, warning of the risks to U.S. national security and commercial interests. But as the two countries’ rivalry expands into the biotech industry, some say that shutting out Chinese companies would only hurt the U.S.
Japan hosts Ukraine reconstruction conference to showcase its support for the war-torn country
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday pledged his country’s long-term engagement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, calling it a future investment, as Japan stressed its commitment to supporting the war-torn country ahead of the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
Malaysians seeking lucrative Singapore jobs warned to be wary of scams
“Some of them [Malaysians] may be afraid to lodge reports as they could have entered the country through unofficial channels,” he said on Saturday during a special Lunar New Year open house gathering for foreign dignitaries and guests at his official residence. “It is better for them to apply directly to the companies or via official channels.”