IV Eurasian Higher Education Leaders Forum, Astana, Kazakhstan

Special guests helped celebrate the opening of Ondori Asian Kitchen, a distinctive new dining concept at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, on March 2, 2016.

Special guests helped celebrate the opening of Ondori Asian Kitchen, a distinctive new dining concept at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, on March 2, 2016.

EAMF 2016 Highlights

Data showed China's exports rose 3.5% from a year ago, versus a 15.7% decline in a Reuters poll.

"This is a tough, tough virus," said disease specialist Dr. Dale Fisher. "All it takes is one infected person and it spreads like wildfire."

The U.S. employment report for April is expected to be out at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday. Economists expect that more than 20 million jobs were lost last month, according to Dow Jones.

Alexander Feldman, President at US-ASEAN Business Council, says U.S. President Barack Obama has been successful in trying to forge closer ties with the Asian region.

Asian stocks were mostly higher Wednesday, boosted by overnight gains on Wall Street and unveiling of China's official 2014 GDP growth target.

The coronavirus has been a massive blow for markets across the globe. But Daniel Gerard of State Street says tech stocks in North Asia still offer plenty of opportunities for investors.

Blasian - black and Asian - couples now exist in South Africa... but they don't always have an easy time.

Asia's top football competitions will go ahead this year despite the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official told AFP, although games may have to be played behind closed doors. Windsor John, general secretary of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), said he was confident that the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup would both be completed. Both tournaments, featuring teams from throughout Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East, are on hold until at least the end of June after COVID-19 shuttered professional sport worldwide.

"Both will be played this year. We still have time," John told AFP, adding that new dates for the competitions may be known by the end of April. However, John did not rule out matches being played without fans "if that's what the health authorities need". The AFC is determined for both tournaments to go ahead "for sporting reasons and to fulfil commercial obligations", he said. His comments came after the AFC on Tuesday announced the indefinite postponement of all matches scheduled for May and June due to the virus.

The Champions League, the region's premier club competition, and the second-tier AFC Cup were both halted in March as the pandemic's spread forced governments to impose strict travel restrictions. Both tournaments are on an increasingly tight schedule, with the 32-team Champions League needing to complete four rounds of group-stage matches in July before the postponed knock-out phase begins in August.

The group phase of the AFC Cup will also have to be completed in a rush once matches resume. The finals for both tournaments -- which traditionally take a break in July, to avoid the worst of the Asian summer heat -- are scheduled to take place in November. Domestic leagues remain on hold around the world, including in China where the virus first emerged, but where football shows no sign of returning despite optimism the outbreak is under control.

Asia's extended shutdown, announced on Tuesday, also affects the two-legged women's Olympic qualifying play-off between China and South Korea, which had already been moved to June 1 and 9. June qualifiers for the men's 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup had been postponed before the AFC's announcement on Tuesday. Asian football was an early sporting casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, before competitions in Europe -- including Euro 2020 -- and the rest of the world were also affected.

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Arijit Datta hobbles into The Fatty Bao with a twisted ankle. Sidd Coutto bustles in 10 minutes later. The former's a music composer who's moved away from bands like Agni and Airport towards film and advertising, while the latter is probably the busiest musician in the city's indie circles. They first dive into starters — Crystal Dumpling, Spicy Mushroom Sushi Roll, Dancing Prawns and California Rolls — and then into conversation about their craft.

Sen: How do you switch seamlessly from making indie music to more commercial projects?
Datta: It's not a switch really. I think that for me and for Sidd also, wherever there is a mode of expression, we just go there and do our thing.
Coutto: Yeah, true. For commercial concerts, you just go up there and rock 'n' roll, dude. It's just a two-hour gig, where you're hanging with your buddies on stage and partying away.
Datta: It would be different when it comes to writing songs, which we both do, because if you have to mould yourself according to the audience, that's what you might call a switch.

Sidd Coutto (left) and Arijit Datta share a laugh at The Fatty Bao in Bandra. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

Sen (to Datta): So when you were composing for the movie Filmistaan, did you have to keep the audience in mind?
Coutto (answering for both): See, performing is one thing and composing is another. When you're writing for films, you have to be clear that it's the director's baby. You are facilitating his vision. Yes, it's your baby at one level, but you're not both the mummy and the daddy.
Datta: The good part about Filmistaan was that the director let me interpret the film my own way. So I never had to break away from my own self, because the music came naturally to me. Plus, the movie had no market pressure as such, so I didn't really have a brief.
Coutto: ...Which by the way isn't the norm, so [singing to the tune of a Daft Punk Song] you got lucky.
Datta: Yeah, and for me, I think very cinematically. Even with my band's songs, if I just change the arrangements a bit, they can be in a film.
Coutto: Also, when most people come to you for work now, they come for what you make. It's not like the old days when it was like, 'Aisa banaa aur waisa banaa.' So you don't have to switch so much, since they want you for you.
Datta: I think there are newer minds. There are newer storytellers with a different language altogether, who go in search of newer sounds, voices and composers.

Sen: So it's not the era of Jatin-Lalit and Anand-Milind anymore?
Datta: No. But they also had their own sound. At that time, Jatin-Lalit were the kings, ya. Of course, they didn't move with the times.
Coutto: Or, the times moved away from them. But they did try. Infact, [Anand-Milind's] Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is my favourite Hindi film album of all time.

Datta: Yeah, it's my favourite too. It was a complete album. Even the least-remembered song [sings a bar from Kaahe Sataye], even that I remember! So yeah, they did their time; they brought in their sound and gave us memorable tunes. But then our tastes started changing. MTV, Channel V and VH1 came in, and the world suddenly became bigger.

The mains, Asparagus Bacon Fried Rice and Exotic Mushroom Ramen, arrive. This is followed by moments of silence interspersed with appreciative sounds such as 'mmmm'.
Sen: What are some of your favourite places to eat at in Mumbai?
Coutto: Over the past couple of years, I've discovered that Social actually has awesome food. They have a vast variety of things, with small dishes included. Did you know that they have something on the menu called Staff Khaana? It's exactly what their staff eats and it's great, dude. But I don't end up ordering it as much because there are so many more things I like. But they have removed bheja from the menu, and I love bheja.
Datta: I can never have bheja, man.
Sen: So if you go to Bangkok you're never going to try cockroaches and locusts?
Datta: Never. I can't go in that direction. I know that people are adventurous with their food and everything. But I can't do that.
Coutto: For me, when it comes to food, I let my nose guide the way. Otherwise, I have no restrictions.
Datta: I love going to this place called National. It's a dhaba that a Sardar owns and it's been running since 1952, near Bandra Talao. It serves pure food, you know, the sort with less oil — makki roti with butter on top, rajma, bhindi — and you can even have their water and nothing will happen to you.
Coutto [Putting his fork down and rubbing his tummy]: Yeah, I'll go there with you sometime. But right now, I think I'll go home and play some slow blues songs.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani has asserted that the PCB will not agree to cancelling the Asia Cup, scheduled in the UAE in September, to make room for the Indian Premier League, which has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IPL was to be held from March 29 to May 24 but has been postponed indefinitely because of a extended lockdown to combat the deadly virus in India. "I have read and heard about these speculations but right now just remember that having or not having the Asia Cup is not a decision between Pakistan and India it involves other countries as well," asserted Mani here on Tuesday.

Pakistan were to host the event but it was shifted to Dubai and Abu Dhabi after India expressed reluctance to come here owing to security concerns and the strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. "...it is important to have the Asia Cup if cricket activities resume by then because development of Asian cricket depends on funding from the tournament. It is important for many countries who are members of the Asian Cricket Council," he added in a podcast released by the PCB.

However, he also conceded that holding the Asia Cup this year is a big challenge because right now "we don't know if it can be held or not." "But if the conditions change and we can have the Asia Cup, it must be held as earnings from it are distributed as development funds to member countries for next two years," he said.
He said reports about the Asia Cup being hosted by Bangladesh or UAE were mere speculation at this stage.

Speaking about another big event, Mani warned that if the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October-November, is postponed, the financial fallout will be big for many countries. "The financial impact will be felt by many countries if the ICC can't distribute their shares from the tournament. Many countries including Pakistan will feel the pinch," he admitted.

Mani confirmed that Pakistan was to receive around USD 7 to 8 million in June and January. "Pakistan is fortunate it has good financial controls in place and in short term, it will be better off than most countries if the lockdowns continue because of the coronavirus pandemic," he claimed. "We are to get 7 to 8 Million dollars from the ICC in June but we know they might not come so we have planned accordingly," he added.

On whether Pakistan's forthcoming tours to Holland, Ireland and England between late June and August will gohead, Mani said the PCB was prepared for disruptions.
But he ruled out resumption of international cricket in empty stadiums. "Empty stadiums also offer their big challenges as teams have to travel by air and stay in hotels so the risks start there. The logistical arrangements have to be manageable," he explained. Mani said Pakistan was prepared to show goodwill and flexibility and support the hosts of these tours.

"We wouldn't mind if two series are held at the same time like one team playing Tests and another white-ball cricket. In these difficult times we need to support each other," he said. Mani also revealed that Pakistan had shown interest in hosting several ICC tournaments to be held between 2023 and 2031, including the ICC Youth Cup and World Cups.

"Unfortunately the last time the cycle of ICC events were bid for the big three, India, Australia and England distributed all the main events among themselves. This time I can say there are more countries interested in hosting the events," he said.

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Shares of Asian Paints closed 1.01 per cent lower at 1,577against previous close of Rs 1593 on BSE

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Saudi officials ordered to arrest a citizen for abusing a non-Muslim expatriate for not embracing Islam. Saudi Arabia is a member of OIC that wrote to PM Modi on Islamophobia in India.

New Zealand's tax-to-GDP ratio was 32.0% in 2017, below the OECD average (34.2%) by 2.2 percentage points, and above the LAC and Africa (21)* averages (22.8% and 18.2%, respectively).

Good corporate governance plays a vital role in underpinning the integrity and efficiency of financial markets. Mr. Rintaro Tamaki, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD, will open the 2016 OECD Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance on Monday 24 October with Mr. Chang Jae Lee, Vice Minister of Justice in Korea, to address corporate governance standards and practices in Asia.

In line with the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan to involve developing countries in the work on BEPS, the OECD has held two regional consultations for the Asia-Pacific and Latin American-Caribbean regions.

Tax revenues are currently rising as a proportion of national incomes in Indonesia and Malaysia but continue to be substantially lower than for Korea, Japan and other OECD countries, according to a new OECD report.

Following the release of the Strategy for Deepening Developing Country Engagement in the BEPS Project in November 2014, the Asia-Pacific Regional Network on BEPS held its meeting on 12 - 13 February 2015 in Seoul.

Following the recent meetings of regional policy networks on BEPS in South East Asia (Korea 12-13 February), francopohone countries (Gabon, 27 February) and Latin America and the Caribbean (Peru, 26-27 February) a regional network meeting in Eastern Europe and Central Asia was held in Ankara, Turkey on 5-6 March.

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