Asia Pacific

Japan’s national debt burst through a zeros boundary last week to reach 1.02 quadrillion yen.

The looming deadline next year for the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to become an integrated economy is beginning to have real effects.

As one of his last acts as prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh has ignored a call from the opposition not to make significant decisions while the election is underway.

A study of the salaries of civil servants for the Chinese government has found they are well below those of people with similar qualifications in other jobs.

Indonesia has become the world’s 10th-largest economy, climbing five places in six years, according to the World Bank. But analysts in Indonesia warned against too much rejoicing, pointing out that the country’s economy is driven primarily by consumption by its 250 million people.

Children’s Day, marked last week in South Korea, was a day of grief and sadness across the country in reaction to the death of scores of high school students in the sinking of a ferry last month.

Police in Pakistan have noticed a large increase in arms and ammunition being smuggled into the country.

The Taiwanese government has decided to hold a referendum on whether or not to turn on the country’s controversial fourth nuclear power plant.

A report in the April 22–28 edition of this newspaper left the impression that a third of Japan’s nuclear reactors are operating again, after all 48 were shut down in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think-tank, has warned India and Pakistan that their military spending, fuelled by regional rivalries, is impeding economic development in both countries.