Investors pushed Asian markets higher Friday on continued optimism over vaccines and on signs of progress on a new United States (US) stimulus, though surging infections and deaths highlighted the painful, immediate reality of the coronavirus crisis.While the consensus is that the world can begin to get back to normal – and the economy recover –from next year as people are inoculated, observers warn lockdowns and other containment measures in place now are crippling businesses and jobs.The US

The global economy may get back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year as vaccines help propel recovery, but growth is likely to be uneven, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said Tuesday.Signs that vaccines could now be weeks away from distribution have injected cautious optimism as the year limps to a close with COVID-19 having claimed some 1.4 million lives."For the first time since the pandemic began, there is now hope for a brighter future,&quo

A planned travel bubble between Hong Kong and Singapore was scrapped a day before its launch on Saturday after the southern Chinese city announced a sudden spike in coronavirus cases.The decision is both a blow to the two cities' battered tourist industries but also for other countries who had been hoping the scheme might be a model to replicate during the pandemic.The two financial hubs have both suffered comparatively mild outbreaks with strict social distancing and border measures imp

Electric Vehicles (EVs), including hybrid electric cars, can drastically reduce carbon emissions released into the environment.

Online shopping is not entirely a new phenomenon in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, more people are buying daily necessities, gadgets and luxury purchases online now, especially amid the pandemic.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a train that you either get on or you’ll find yourself being left far, far behind. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is aware of this. We’ve seen countries like Indonesia and Thailand take lessons from Germany’s model of a 4.0 economy.

Two years ago, global research and development (R&D) spending grew by 5.2 percent, significantly faster than global gross domestic product (GDP) growth, after rebounding strongly from the 2008-2009 financial crisis. Venture capital (VC) and the use of intellectual property (IP) were also at an all-time high. However, the coronavirus pandemic has hit the innovation landscape at a time when innovation was flourishing.

Among the first sectors sent reeling by COVID-19 were tourism and hospitality. According to the United Nations’ (UN) agency, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), international tourist numbers could plunge by as much as 80 percent in 2020.

Yesterday, The ASEAN Post published an article titled, “The Future Of Consumption In ASEAN” that discussed the four “mega-forces” identified by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that will determine the pace and scale of the region’s growth.As ASEAN as a bloc is expected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, the region’s consumer habits are also expected to change in that period.

ASEAN is the world’s third most populous economy and is projected to become the fourth largest economy by 2030. By then, domestic consumption, which powers roughly around 60 percent of ASEAN’s gross domestic product (GDP) today, is expected to double to US$4 trillion. The population too will reach 723 million from the current 648 million people.As a bloc, ASEAN is facing uncertainty from disruptions caused by the current COVID-19 pandemic.