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luxury hotels and other experiences than they used to. These include journeys literally to the ends of the earth, Formula 1 drives and epic train rides across continents. For instance, bookings by Indians at the Four Seasons Mauritius rose 50% in 2023 from 2022, said general manager Martin Dell. «The trend continues to be positive in 2024. Our multi-bedroom private retreats are very popular among family travellers looking to have a memorable vacation in the privacy of their pool villas,» he said. Adding to the property's lure is Indian restaurant Chatkar.

In the presence of Professor Rahul Singh, a leading researcher at the India Office of Charitable Affairs, the two parties signed the "Regional Cooperation Memorandum." Ravi Sharma revealed that the World Children’s Fund has forged beneficial partnerships and collaborative projects with various IYDF branches across several countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Indian WCF enthusiastically endorses and supports the array of humanitarian aid initiatives that IYDF has lined up for India this year.

Arbitration has been struggling to take off in India since the first Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. This is worrisome. From PM to vice-president, many have argued for a sound institutional arbitration process. Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal recently even wondered why India can't become the hub for arbitration in the Asia-Pacific region. As efforts are made to ensure its take- off, a recent finance ministry notification has the potential to nix the Act. It prohibits automatic arbitration clauses in any procurement and requires that even if one is incorporated, it be for less than ₹10 cr. The primary reason behind this is GoI's unsatisfactory experience in arbitration. The alternative prescribed is mediation or the courts, whose track record in timely disposal is poor. Most contracts come with an arbitration clause because it is quick, and the awards are final. It is the choice for businesses not only in India but all over the world.

Global Liveability Index 2024. Find out which cities make the cut and why they shine as the best places to call home. For the third year in a row, Vienna, Austria, has been crowned the world's best city to live in. With flawless scores in stability, healthcare, and education, Vienna is lauded for its unparalleled mix of cultural vibrancy and top-notch public services. Meanwhile, according to the report, Pakistan’s Karachi, and Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka are amongst the least liveable cities in the world as they feature in the bottom 10 of the list.

Taipei: Taiwan, on Wednesday, reported that a total of 18 China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and 6 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were detected operating around Taiwan as of 6 am (local time), Taiwan News reported. According to the Ministry of National Defence, of the 18 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, five crossed the Taiwan Strait median line in the northern, southwestern, and eastern sectors of the country's air defence identification zone (ADIZ). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft and naval ships and deployed coastal-based missile systems to monitor PLA activity, as per Taiwan News.

An influential politician in the Philippines who supported expansion of natural gas power is behind a company that planned to make a fortune from it, an Associated Press investigation has found

India has witnessed the fastest jump in alternative payment share for e-commerce payments in the Asia-pacific region from 20.4% in 2018 to 58.1 %in 2023 as per a report by GlobalData, a data and analytics company. Options for payment other than traditional cash include UPI, debit cards and credit cards among others.

Exchange operator ASX Ltd., which handles the bulk of the country’s stock trading, has approved the VanEck Bitcoin ETF which will be listed on Thursday, VanEck said in a press release on Saturday.

TVS Supply Chain Solutions, one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated supply chain solutions providers in India, gained nearly 9% in today's early trade after the company won a new 5-year strategic contract with Daimler Truck Southeast Asia Pte Ltd, a Daimler Truck AG company, for Integrated Supply Chain Solutions (ISCS) service in Singapore. "This contract solidifies TVS SCS as a primary logistics partner for Daimler Truck AG, the world's largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, reinforcing the organisation's commitment to delivering exceptional logistics services between Germany and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Philippines is planning one of the world's biggest buildouts of natural gas infrastructure, with almost two dozen power plants announced and ambitions to become a hub for liquified natural gas for the entire Asia-Pacific region

India ranked among the top five cross-border capital destinations globally for land and development site investments in the March quarter with foreign investors backing about 55% of the inflows, said real estate services firm Colliers. Notably, 73% of the fresh foreign investments were aimed at ready assets, according to Colliers' latest Asia Pacific Global Capital Flows report.

Moody's rating agency has highlighted that India's fiscal consolidation pace post-Covid has underperformed compared to its peers, including emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

SINGAPORE — Customers in Asia-Pacific have picked their favorite banks as lenders scramble to meet consumer expectations in a fast-changing environment.

Singapore: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday the Indo-Pacific region remained a «priority» for Washington, saying the United States was secure «only if Asia is». Lloyd made the remarks at a major security forum in Singapore, a day after he met with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun. «The United States can be secure only if Asia is and that's why the United States has long maintained its presence in this region,» Austin told the Shangri-La Dialogue, which in recent years has become a barometer for US-China relations.

India’s expanding defence role and partnerships in Indo-Pacific region will likely further contribute to the increasingly competitive nature of India–China relations, pointee out International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), leading international think tank in its recent report. The 11th edition of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment (APRSA) released on the occasion on Shangrila Dialogue beginning on Friday in Singapore noted, “For India, being a ‘preferred security partner through defence partnerships, from combined exercises to arms transfer, increases its regional presence, which in turn enhances its influence with Asia-Pacific countries while countering Beijing’s regional influence. India’s defence engagement is and will continue to be focused on the Indian Ocean region, although it is working to increase its presence in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. India’s expanding defence role and partnerships will likely further contribute to the increasingly competitive nature of India–China relations.’’ It may be noted that India has stepped up its maritime security partnership across SE Asia including deputing Navy ships to the region regularly.

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₹176 ($2.1) per day, last updated in 2017, is one of the lowest in the Asia-Pacific region, surpassed by China’s $11.9, Vietnam $6.5 and even Bangladesh’s $3.7. Brazil’s minimum wage of $47 per day is closer to the figure in developed economies like Australia ($14.8 per hour), the UK ($14.1) and the US ($7.2). While India’s minimum wage remains unchanged, the government routinely updates its dearness allowance (DA) for central government employees.

As Bitcoin oscillates around $61,368 following a 2.60% decrease, market watchers are closely monitoring the impact of a new $1 billion liquidity fund for Hong Kong’s crypto ETFs. This fund aims to stabilize and perhaps catalyze a bull market in Asia, influencing Bitcoin price predictions across the region.

BENGALURU : Maiva Pharma, a Bengaluru-based injectables manufacturer, has secured ₹1,000 crore in a mix of primary and secondary funding from a fund managed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia and India Life Sciences Fund-IV, led by InvAscent, to set up a new manufacturing plant near Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The fund has acquired a controlling stake with the capital infusion, making it Maiva Pharma’s first private equity fundraise.

The move would make Hong Kong the first domicile in the Asia-Pacific region to approve a crypto-backed, exchange-based investment fund. It would also put the island in prime position in the race to become the digital assets hib for the region.