Kuala Lumpur, March 24 (IANS) Economists have trimmed ASEAN-6 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 4.5 per cent in 2026 from 4.8 per cent, and to 4.7 per cent in 2027 from 4.8 per cent, due to the fallout of the conflict in West Asia. The ASEAN-6 nations refer to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.Maybank Investment Bank said in a recent note that the downgrades are larger for the Philippines (-0.4 percentage points), Vietnam (-0.4 percentage points…
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New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) Sri Lanka on Sunday sharply increased fuel prices by up to 25 per cent, marking the second hike in just two weeks, as the island nation braces for the widening impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on global energy markets.The price of regular petrol was raised to Rs 398 per litre from Rs 317 earlier, while diesel — widely used in public transport — saw a steep increase of Rs 79, taking it to Rs 382 per litre.The latest revision comes close on the heels o…
Seoul, March 22 (IANS) Two South Korean artificial intelligence services have ranked among the world’s top 50 most-used generative AI tools, a report from Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) showed on Sunday.Domestic telecommunications provider SK Telecom Co.’s AI personal assistant service, Adot, came in 39th in the top 50 most used generative AI web products list, according to the report from the California-based firm Andreessen Horowitz.Two AI-powered mobile apps fr…
Chennai, March 21 (IANS) Several top stars from the south Indian film industries including actors Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan, Allu Arjun, Sivakarthikeyan, Junior NTR and Vijay Sethupathi have wished the masses peace, prosperity and happiness on the occasion of Eid on Saturday. Actor Kamal Haasan, who penned his greeting in Tamil on his timeline on X, was among the first to greet those celebrating the festival. Kamal Haasan, while extending his warm Ramadan greetings to all Islamic brothers and si…
Washington, March 21 (IANS) The United States on Friday night issued a narrow, short-term authorisation allowing the sale of Iranian oil already stranded at sea, a move the Trump administration says will quickly boost global supply while maintaining pressure on Tehran, according to the Treasury Department and media reports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the step is designed to stabilise energy markets amid ongoing conflict and supply disruptions.“Today, the Department of the Treasury i…
Orleans (France), March 19 (IANS) India’s Tanvi Sharma and the men’s doubles duo of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun delivered strong performances to advance to the next stage on the second day of the Orleans Masters 2026 in France.World Junior Championships silver medallist Tanvi, who registered a notable win over second seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand on Day 1, set up an all-India Round of 16 clash at Palais des Sports on Thursday. She defeated fellow emerging youngster Anmol Kharb i…
Guwahati, March 19 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday announced a key development in the investigation and trial process in the Zubeen Garg death case, stating that a dedicated fast-track court will now conduct day-to-day hearings to ensure timely justice. In a post on X, CM Sarma said the move marks a “significant milestone” in the pursuit of justice in the case.He informed that the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Ashutosh Kumar, has nominated Sharm…
Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Actress Vidya Malavade ended up tearing a muscle in her calf after a stage performance in Singapore. In her recent Instagram post, Vidya shared that after finishing up the last dance performance of her musical, she suddenly felt like somebody had stabbed her in her calf with a knife.Soon after that, she found herself wheelchair bound.The ‘Chak De! India’ actress posted a video of herself walking with crutches on social media.Sharing her ordeal in her own words, she wrote …
Manila, March 13 (IANS) The Foreign ministers of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday emphasised the importance of an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Middle East, calling upon all parties concerned to exercise utmost self-restraint, avoid any acts that may further aggravate the situation, and resolve differences through diplomacy and dialogue in the interest of maintaining peace and stability in the wider region. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ unified call came follow…
Washington, March 12 (IANS) The United States has launched a trade investigation into structural excess manufacturing capacity across 16 economies. The list includes major exporters such as China and the European Union, as well as manufacturing hubs in Asia and emerging economies such as India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia.The USTR investigations will examine whether persistent trade surpluses and unused industrial capacity in these economies distort global markets and affect US manufacturing.The ec…