Asia

WazirX Hack Update: Exchange Freezes Open Orders; Users Concerned
Asia, World

WazirX Hack Update: Exchange Freezes Open Orders; Users Concerned

WazirX, one of the biggest cryptocurrency exchanges in India has made some serious moves after the $230 million hack that transpired on the platform recently. As part of its continual operational recovery, the exchange declared that all open orders on the platform had been deactivated. The decision made will be applicable to address the problems that relate to INR and crypto balances that were impacted by the breach.WazirX has informed users that any INR or crypto assets tied up in these deactivated orders will be returned to their accounts. This action is crucial for rebuilding trust and stabilizing the platform. Investor Sentiment Shifts Reactions from investors have been mixed. Some are hopeful that these steps will lead to a quick fix, while others are frustrated and worried abo...
Autocrat Hasina ruined Bangladesh’s economy.
Asia, World

Autocrat Hasina ruined Bangladesh’s economy.

In the last 15 and a half years, the deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina government has blown the lantern of development with false economic data and statistics. The country has become Singapore, an emerging tiger of South Asia, role model of development in the world etc. Under the cover of these, millions of monies have been smuggled out of the country through looting and corruption. The entire economy has been pushed to the brink. Now the real facts are coming out and it has exposed the skeleton of the economy that silenced the development lanterns of the autocracy. Dictator Sheikh Hasina herself and her family members have stolen Tk 60 thousand crores Taka ($5 billion) from a Rooppur nuclear power plant, according to newspaper reports. More such corruption information may gradually come to ...
Asia, China, Market

The “Sovietization Trap”: The Reason for China’s Economic Troubles

As China’s economic growth slows, many are noting similarities between China and Japan before and after the collapse of the latter’s bubble economy. Will China really follow in Japan’s footsteps? Wu Junhua of the Japan Research Institute disagrees, suggesting that the biggest risk facing China’s economy is “Sovietization,” not “Japanization.” “Sovietization” Has Hindered China’s Development At a time of growing concerns about China’s economic prospects, voices are escalating about the possible “Japanization” of China’s economy. Although many of the problems facing China today, such as an aging population, deteriorating housing market, and accumulated debt, are quite like those faced by Japan before and after the collapse of the bubble economy, the two countries have very different p...
The labour ministry has launched a unified platform for construction workers.
Asia, World

The labour ministry has launched a unified platform for construction workers.

The government on Wednesday launched a portal where construction workers can register themselves to avail benefits of various schemes. The portal, named Building and other Construction Workers (BoCW) Management Information System (MIS), was launched during a review meeting chaired by labour secretary Sumita Dawra. The portal will function as the centralised data management system for compilation and analysis of the data obtained from BoCW welfare boards of the states.  The Labour secretary asked the states/UTs to register on the portal and update their details, including fund utilisation, on boarding of data on registration of the workers under various central and state schemes, pertaining to social security benefits, insurance, health benefits and housing schemes among othe...
Piyush Goyal warns local businesses of ‘predatory price’ threats from Amazon’s involvement in the Indian economy.
Asia, World

Piyush Goyal warns local businesses of ‘predatory price’ threats from Amazon’s involvement in the Indian economy.

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday launched a broadside on multinational e-commerce companies—naming Amazon—saying they indulged in predatory pricing to beat down domestic ‘mom and pop’ stores. He was speaking at the launch of a report, titled ‘Assessing the Net Impact of e-Commerce on Employment and Consumer Welfare in India’, published by the Pahle India Foundation, a Delhi-based policy research institute founded by former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar. Goyal said e-commerce platforms should not be allowed to disrupt the 100 million of brick-and-mortars stores and small retailers in India.  "When Amazon says ‘we are going to invest a billion dollars in India’ and we all celebrate, we forget the underlying story that these billion dollars are not comin...
Why Recognizing Care Workers Is Critical for the US Economy.
Asia, World

Why Recognizing Care Workers Is Critical for the US Economy.

No matter who you are, you’ve received help from a nurse, teacher, social worker, caregiver, parent, family member or another paid or unpaid care worker at some point in your life. That’s why it might not come as a surprise that the U.S. care economy is estimated to be a $648 billion market. Despite this, the U.S. chronically devalues this work and is doing so to the detriment of its economy and future. In a recent white paper, the World Economic Forum (WEF) outlines the care economy’s critical role in the health of a society and calls for immediate prioritization and strategic investment in the sector. The care economy covers a wide breadth of necessary social functions, both paid and unpaid, that go on to directly impact every industry. The WEF defines the scope of the...
Asia, China, Market

China July 2024 Economy: Consumption and Trade Surge Amid Sluggish Industrial Growth

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has released the economic data for July 2024, providing a detailed view of the country’s industrial, retail, and investment performance. The figures reveal a mixed economic landscape, with retail sales exceeding expectations, yet industrial production falling short of forecasts. The continued expansion of consumer spending indicates growing domestic demand, despite persistent challenges in the real estate sector and fixed asset investments. As the Chinese government focuses on boosting domestic demand, the challenge of maintaining economic momentum amidst structural adjustments and external uncertainties remains a significant concern moving forward. Industrial growth slows but maintains a steady pace In July, China’s industrial sector e...
Decoding the Bangladesh Crisis via the Lens of Kautilya
Asia, World

Decoding the Bangladesh Crisis via the Lens of Kautilya

The recent ousting of the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, by a mass movement which started as a student protest has caught the world’s attention for both the suddenness of the event and the vandalism on display. The resignation and escape of Hasina may have been swift but the angst and disgruntlement portrayed by the mass protesters point to a deeper rot in the political establishment of which the reinstated job quota is perhaps, only a tipping point. For Kautilya, Hasina has broken the social contract and has failed to achieve yogakshema (security and prosperity) for the citizens of Bangladesh. Power is not success Hailed by the World Bank as the ‘country on a mission’ Bangladesh has seen rapid economic growth in the past two decades. The gros...
Plummeting iron ore prices on the basis of China’s property crisis might wipe out $3 billion from the government budget.
Asia, China, World

Plummeting iron ore prices on the basis of China’s property crisis might wipe out $3 billion from the government budget.

Plummeting iron ore prices could cost the federal government $3 billion in revenue, which is likely to push the budget further into deficit this financial year. China's property market is in a precarious state, which has seen demand for iron ore — the key component for making steel – drop significantly. Australia has done exceptionally well riding the boom in the Chinese economy. But the political and economic uncertainty surrounding the world's two biggest economies — the US and China — points to tougher times ahead. But that decline has accelerated in recent weeks, with prices now sitting around $82 per tonne, which is below the price the Treasury had anticipated at this point. It had forecast the iron ore price gradually declining to settle at $60 per tonne by the first qua...
Sri Lanka strengthens ties with India: Wickremesinghe
Asia

Sri Lanka strengthens ties with India: Wickremesinghe

Colombo, Aug 18 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation and regional integration with Japan to India, with a special focus on deepening ties with New Delhi, as his country seeks to emerge from bankruptcy. Wickremesinghe's comments came as he was virtually addressing the Head of State Session of the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit, held under the theme "An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future." From the north-central town of Anuradhapura yesterday. The conference, chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, brought togetherheads of state from various countries. Reflecting on Indo-Sri Lankan relations, the President emphasised the "vision"statement shared between the two nations, which celeb...