Asia must now cope with worldwide landscape transition

Updated: Saturday May 31, 2014 MYT 7:57:16 AM

Asia must now cope with worldwide landscape transition

BY TAN SRI DR ZETI AKHTAR AZIZ

ASIA weathered the global financial crisis and its aftermath with a resilience it built steadily over the past decade. Today, that resilience is again being tested as a significant transition takes place in the global economic and financial landscape.

As the recovery in the major advanced economies strengthens, the end of unconventional monetary easing in these economies is an inevitability. While the prospect of a return to more conventional monetary policy reflects improved economic conditions, it has been accompanied by heightened volatility, with spillovers to the emerging market economies. Asia, with highly open economies and increasingly globally-connected financial systems, is not insulated from these external developments. The region will benefit from the global recovery, and its strength and resilience will help it navigate this more volatile international financial environment. Read more of this post

No Free Lunch in Dividend Funds

May 30, 2014

No Free Lunch in Dividend Funds

JASON ZWEIG

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there is an inexhaustible supply of investors who will trip all over themselves in pursuit of it. Read more of this post

Thai General Maps Return to Democracy

May 30, 2014, 1:29 p.m. ET

Thai General Maps Return to Democracy

By Jake Maxwell Watts and Warangkana Chomchuen

BANGKOK–Thailand’s army chief Friday asked the international community for time to repair what he described as a flawed democratic system and laid out a tentative road-map for returning an elected government to power after last week’s coup.

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has come under growing pressure to outline a return to democracy in this country of 66 million people following May 22’s putsch, which saw Thailand’s army briefly detain key leaders of rival protest groups, censor media and tear up its constitution. Read more of this post

How China Hides Its Tumbling Housing Market: It Simply Ignores It

How China Hides Its Tumbling Housing Market: It Simply Ignores It

Tyler Durden on 05/30/2014 17:12 -0400

Recently we showed that in order to goose its fading all-important housing market (to China housing is like the stock market to the US: both mission-critical bubbles designed to give a sense of comfort and boost the “wealth effect”), China has first resorted to zero money down mortgages across various markets, and secondly to such gimmicks as “buy one floor, get one free.” However, that’s only part of the story. Even worse is what is not being disclosed to the general public: such as the true state of the housing market in China. Because according to a recent report on Sina, quoted on Investing In Chinese Stocks, when it comes to revealing just how bad things are domestically, Chinese developers are simply pulling a page out of biotech ETF playbooks, and simply not reporting price drops greater than 15%! Read more of this post

FBI, SEC Probe Trading of Carl Icahn, Billy Walters, Phil Mickelson; Insider-Trading Investigation Began in 2011 With Unusual Trades in Clorox

FBI, SEC Probe Trading of Carl Icahn, Billy Walters, Phil Mickelson

Insider-Trading Investigation Began in 2011 With Unusual Trades in Clorox

SUSAN PULLIAM and MICHAEL ROTHFELD

Updated May 30, 2014 7:58 p.m. ET

Federal investigators are pursuing a major insider-trading probe involving finance, gambling and sports, examining the trading of investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas bettor William “Billy” Walters. Read more of this post

Integrated resorts could be key to Japan’s economic strategy: Abe

Integrated resorts could be key to Japan’s economic strategy: Abe

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said casino resorts could become a pillar of his country’s future economic growth as he toured Singapore’s two integrated resorts yesterday.

MAY 31

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said casino resorts could become a pillar of his country’s future economic growth as he toured Singapore’s two integrated resorts yesterday.

Mr Abe, who until now has remained silent on the issue of casinos, gave a strong endorsement to legislation that would legalise casino gambling in Japan. Read more of this post

Chengguan are the most hated govt officials in China

Chengguan are the most hated govt officials in China

BEIJING — China’s urban management officers, or chengguan, regularly make the news, at home and abroad, usually for unpleasant encounters with members of the public. It is not especially surprising, then, that a new report ranks them as the country’s least popular officials.

MAY 31

BEIJING — China’s urban management officers, or chengguan, regularly make the news, at home and abroad, usually for unpleasant encounters with members of the public. It is not especially surprising, then, that a new report ranks them as the country’s least popular officials. Read more of this post