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If Asia stays right in 2006, so will the world economy

If Asia stays right in 2006, so will the world economy With a couple of notable exceptions 2005 was a good year for the world economy. Despite rising US interest rates and soaring oil prices there was rapid growth in the US and even more rapid growth in China and India. Emerging Asia did well too and Japan managed faster growth than either the UK or the eurozone. The exceptions were the European big three and the UK. In Europe Germany barely reached 1 per cent growth, Italy barely grew at all and France seems to have grown by little more

Asia faces jobs crisis that could hit growth

Asia faces jobs crisis that could hit growth Asia is heading towards an employment crisis that could lead to social breakdown and a rapid collapse in growth rates, the Asian Development Bank has warned. The outlines of an Asian employment crisis are already taking shape, Ifzal Ali, the ADBs chief economist, said in New Delhi. Strong economic growth alone will not solve the [regions] problem. The slow pace of job creation even in countries with relatively high growth rates has left 500m unemployed or underemployed in a region with a total labour force of 1.7bn. Another 245m are set to join the

Japanese banks among best bets in Asia

Japanese banks among best bets in Asia Japan is the best bet for equity investors looking to make money in Asia this year, with the country's rebounding banks among the region's top picks, an Alliance Trust strategist said on Thursday. Anthony Muh, head of the Asia Pacific region for the London-listed trust, said while he expects China's economy to grow faster, investors can better capitalize on Japan's economic revival. "Japan is the clear favourite within the greater Asia-Pacific region. Thereafter, there are no countries that stand out, so it's very much down to individual stocks," he told Reuters after a media briefing in

Around Asias Markets: Real estate makes a charge in Indonesia

Around Asias Markets: Real estate makes a charge in Indonesia Indonesian property stocks were the nations worst performers in 2005. This year, theyre leading gains in Southeast Asias fastest-rising market. The Jakarta Stock Exchange Construction, Property and Real Estate Index has surged 51 percent in 2006, outperforming the 32 percent advance of the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index. Developers such as Ciputra Surya and Summarecon Agung are rebounding on investor expectation the central bank will keep cutting interest rates following a reduction this week. Investors are jumping into an industry that is playing catch-up as real estate stocks

Zurich Financial CEO sees growth potential in Asia but faces environmental risks

Zurich Financial CEO sees growth potential in Asia but faces environmental risks Zurich Financial Group CEO James Schiro said there is substantial growth potential in Asia in life, motor and property insurances, with only 1 pct of natural disasters insured. This compares to a rate of around 40 pct in developed countries, he said. On the downside, growing environmental damage -- caused by the region's enormous growth -- is causing more natural disasters, he cautioned in an interview with Swiss SonntagsZeitung. Zurich's growth rate in past years has been smaller than previously as the group closed down a number of