Fed holds rates steady, sets stage for December hike

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday in its last policy decision before the US election, but signaled it could hike in December as the economy gathers momentum and inflation picks up.

Ukraine officials declare jaw-dropping riches

A luxury watch collection, millions of dollars in cash and a Picasso painting are just several items listed on Ukraine officials’ income and asset declarations, shocking a country vowing to curb corruption.

Scandal-rocked S. Korean president replaces PM

South Korea’s embattled president Park Geun-Hye replaced her prime minister and two other top cabinet members on Wednesday, in her latest bid to contain a damaging political scandal. 

Clinton on the attack as US race narrows

Hillary Clinton launched a final week election offensive Tuesday to lock down the state of Florida, key to Donald Trump’s White House dream, as polls showed their race narrowing.

Colombia’s Santos begins state visit to Britain

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to implement a peace deal with FARC rebels, begins a state visit to Britain on Tuesday that includes a trip to once conflict-ridden Northern Ireland.

New Italy quake sows terror, flattens historic church

Italy’s most powerful earthquake in 36 years struck the country’s mountainous centre Sunday, panicking shell-shocked residents for the third time in two months and flattening a world famous 600-year-old basilica.

Myanmar detects first Zika infection

Myanmar has detected its first Zika infection with state media reporting Friday that a pregnant foreign woman had been diagnosed with the mosquito-borne virus.

Duterte’s American fixation

Cabinet secretaries and campaign volunteers alike have told me that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is open to new ideas and serene about ceding full control to his appointees within their scope of work. In my own, limited interaction with him during the presidential campaign, he struck me as someone entirely at ease in his own skin. All of which makes one ask: Why is his foreign policy driven by long-standing resentment, and why does his signature governance initiative depend on an old, unsound idea?

Domestic resources dominate development finance in Asia

More than 100 government delegates and development experts are exploring ways to design integrated national financing frameworks for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Asia-Pacific during a meeting.

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