Thai election
Prayuth's new party courts Thai voters with pledge of stability
Prime minister's economic czar takes stock of nine-year legacy
Economy
Economy
China manufacturing PMI unexpectedly cools in April
Index marks 49.2, the first contraction since December amid weak global demand
Afghanistan turmoil
Pakistan cracks down on food smuggling to Afghanistan
Islamabad targets black market between crisis-hit neighbors to ease inflation
Caixin
Scandal-ridden Chinese soccer gets in foul trouble again
Anti-corruption efforts again being felt throughout soccer ecosystem
Datawatch
Rural Japan leads growth in inbound tourism spending
Asia's rich lured to hot springs and golf resorts
Society
Japan proposes tightening rules against abandoned houses
Owners risk paying six times more in property taxes if they let homes rot
Currencies
Yen plunges to lowest in over 14 years against euro after BOJ decision
Bank of Japan stands pat ahead of another expected ECB rate hike
Finance
Fed plans broad revamp of bank oversight after SVB failure
Regulatory weaknesses 'must be addressed,' central bank's vice chair says of review
Bank of Japan
BOJ's Ueda underlines easing side effects, but preaches patience
Central bank keeps easy monetary policy unchanged in Ueda's debut; will conduct review
Economy
Taiwan GDP down 3.02% in Q1 as economy sinks into recession
Preliminary data disappoints amid sluggish demand for tech exports
International relations
Japan to resume preferential trade status on exports to South Korea
Tokyo to put Seoul back on its 'Group A' list after 2019 downgrade
Travel & Leisure
China's May Day travel on track to top pre-COVID levels
Domestic bookings and rail travel soar with service sector set to boom
Opinion
Role of prolonged low rates in financial turmoil can't be ignored
Macrofinancial conditions prompted Silicon Valley Bank's strategy
Climate Change
Net-zero transition benefits outweigh costs fivefold in Asia: ADB
Fast action, global coordination will help ease change to renewable energy
Property
Singapore doubles tax for foreigners' home purchases
City-state raises duty to 60% from 30% to cool hot real estate market
International relations
Pakistan eyes economic relief from Russian oil imports due in May
Delicate diplomacy, refining capacity and forex payments pose challenges
Society
Japan's shrinking population defies efforts to stave off decline
Better pay needed to attract foreign workers, economists say
Economy
Vietnam readies another sales tax cut to prop up flagging economy
Value-added tax to decrease to 8% as weak exports bite
Opinion
Malaysia needs to get smarter about foreign investment
Government should pursue high-end projects to boost upgrading of economy
Society
Japan population to fall below 100m by 2056: new estimate
Shrinking working-age population to weigh on country's economic growth
