Taiwan Sets Record Defence Budget Above NT$1 Trillion for 2027
Taipei, Taiwan, 17 August 2026 – Taiwan plans to raise defence spending above NT$1 trillion for the first time in 2027, with President Lai Ching-te framing the record…
National Affairs
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China’s July Factory Growth Slows as Retail and Investment Weaken
Beijing, China, 17 August 2026 – China’s industrial production expanded 4.5% year on year in July, slowing from 5.3% in June and falling short of the 4.8% market…
Vietnam Sets 2035 Target to Restore Natural Sex Ratio at Birth
Hanoi, Vietnam, 17 August 2026 – Vietnam is targeting a return to the natural sex ratio at birth of about 106 boys for every 100 girls by 2035,…
Hong Kong Court Orders SDIC Commodities Unit Liquidated Over Billion-Yuan Debt
Hong Kong, 17 August 2026 – A Hong Kong court has ordered SDIC Commodities Hongkong Co Ltd to be wound up after a lender sought repayment of more…
Japan’s 10-Year Bond Yield Reaches Three-Decade High as Fiscal Risks Reprice
Tokyo, Japan, 17 August 2026 – Japan’s benchmark 10-year government bond yield climbed 5.5 basis points to 2.93 per cent, its highest level since 1996, as investors demanded…
China’s Burger Boom Draws Coffee, Hotpot and Global Fast-Food Rivals
Beijing, China, 17 August 2026 – China’s burger market is becoming one of the country’s most contested restaurant segments as global fast-food groups, coffee brands and hotpot operators…
Japan’s Economy Expands 1.1% Annualised but Misses Market Forecast
Tokyo, Japan, 17 August 2026 – Japan’s economy expanded at an annualised rate of 1.1 per cent in the April-to-June quarter, maintaining growth but falling short of the…
Thai Equities Enter Data-Heavy Week as GDP and Fed Signals Shape Risk Appetite
Bangkok, Thailand, 17 August 2026 – Thai equities are entering a data-heavy week with domestic growth figures, United States monetary signals and geopolitical risk likely to determine whether…
Yasukuni Visit by Japan Ruling-Party Executive Revives Regional Tensions
Tokyo, 16 August 2026 – A visit to Tokyo’s Yasukuni shrine by ruling-party executive Takayuki Kobayashi has revived a longstanding source of diplomatic tension with Japan’s neighbours. The…
Hong Kong’s Bead Street Closures Put a Heritage Retail Cluster at Risk
Hong Kong, 16 August 2026 – Shop closures on Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po are raising questions about the future of Hong Kong’s specialised Bead Street…