Businesses shift their focus from scale to survival as a coronavirus-led downturn takes hold — but the region’s underlying growth prospects bode well for the recovery

Sector across region hit by fears of panicked mass withdrawals due to pandemic

Keeping cinemas open will not stop operators from falling into a sea of red ink

Kingdom offers crude to US at a premium but shows reluctance to lose Asian market share

Countries in region issue debt at close to fastest rate in a decade due to pandemic

If we continue to ignore the rising economic success of our Asian neighbours we will lose our place as a G20 economy by 2030.

PwC’s asset management leader, Ken Woo, said Japan’s commitment to creating a regional market for managed funds represents a ‘tipping point’ in terms of momentum for the initiative.

The number of detected cyber security incidents in Australia was the highest worldwide in the last 12 months with an increase of 109 percent, compared to a 38.5 percent increase globally.

Omar Abdulrahman has even been dubbed 'the Arabian Messi', with talk of a move to Europe refusing to disappear since Espanyol of Spain reportedly coveted him at 17.

Kanye West announced plans in November that he was setting up a new Adidas Yeezys HQ in Cody, Wyoming, vowing to bring jobs back to the United States.

The 39-year-old siren wished 'recluse' Rob a happy 33rd birthday while sharing five flashback photos that were taken 15 years ago. 'Happy Birthday I love you you so much.'

Youfoodz founder Lance Giles and his fiancee Jordana Stott filmed themselves mocking Asian people in Singapore.

CEO of Youfoodz Lance Giles and Jordana Stott, from Brisbane , were in Singapore over the weekend for the Global Restaurant Leadership summit.

Perth man Colin Ahearn was travelling from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Phuket, Thailand, when he decided to buy some of his favourite duty-free alcohol at the international airport.

Prince Charles, 71, has praised the British Asian community for it's contribution to the national coronavirus pandemic as he launched a fundraising appeal for families struggling in South Asia.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 fell nearly 10 per cent in the morning session on Friday (pictured), and ended more than six per cent down despite a slight recovery.

Remarkable footage shows the well-dressed woman, aged in her late 60s, pointing and shouting at a group of young girls at a crossing in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

Business Wire India

Monsoon Blockchain Corporation, Asia’s premier blockchain company pioneering the adoption of highly secure decentralized asset management, has partnered with Asia’s largest digital asset platform OSL of BC Group, DraperDragon Fund, CarbonBlue of BSN, and Academy Award Winning Studio Cross Creek Media. This deal signifies a major move for the blockchain, digital assets, and the expansion of global media and Hollywood. These partners create a global powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region, which plan to harness industry-leading blockchain solutions for their business needs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200505006164/en/

The Monsoon-OSL deal will explore opportunities to accelerate the drive towards the digitalization of assets, money, currencies, and decentralized blockchain ledgers (where all transactions, storage of payments and data will be inviolably recorded). Combining intellectual property, deal flow, large scale investors, and blockchain capabilities, Monsoon Blockchain is looking to create a digital asset powerhouse in the US and Asia.

OSL is the Hong Kong region’s most comprehensive digital asset platform, providing Software-as-a-Service, brokerage, exchange, and custody services for institutions and professional investors. OSL manages over $1.5B in transactions per month in digital asset trading. After reaching $171 billion this year, the value of business-to-business and cross-border payments carried out on blockchain systems is estimated to exceed an astounding $4.4 trillion by 2024.

Recently, Fidelity International, a spin-off from the U.S. financial services brand Fidelity Investments, invested in BC Group (stock code: 863 HK), the Hong Kong-based operator of crypto exchange OSL. Including custodial accounts, the firm reported $8.3 trillion in assets under administration - a spike from the reported $6.7 trillion in 2018.

Both Monsoon and OSL will participate in launching multiple digital assets and tokens including media and telecommunications tokens, Monsoon Token, and other branded assets within the Monsoon ecosystem. Monsoon has been making worldwide news in blockchain after partnering with China’s largest phone retailer, Dixintong (D.Phone), which generated a reported $2.5 billion in revenue in 2019.

Monsoon will be joining the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), which was recently launched on the Chinese Mainland on April 25th, 2020 and will officially be available for global commercial use by June 25^th. China Mobile, China UnionPay, and Red Date Technology are the founding consortia partners that created the BSN protocol and infrastructure, which has been deployed in over 100 cities in China. The BSN is a global interoperability protocol that allows companies to connect to different blockchain ecosystems, as well as create and run new blockchain-as-a-service applications. The BSN will accelerate the development of digital economies and smart cities deployment by providing global interconnectivity and integrated blockchain cloud computing services for participants on the network.

Additionally, Monsoon has formed a new partnership with CarbonBlue Innovations to integrate cloud computing capabilities on top of the BSN protocol, allowing the creation of new low-cost blockchain cloud computing offerings suitable for developing regions of the world. CarbonBlue Innovations is a leading venture building and investment company that is focused on rapidly commercializing and scaling blockchain, fintech, and digital finance innovation around the world. Not only does CarbonBlue Innovations focus on both fintech infrastructure solutions, but also digital assets and investment banking services to allow the institutional adoption of regulated digital assets.

Michael Sung, Chairman of CarbonBlue Innovations asserted: “Monsoon’s unique cloud computing optimization technologies complement the existing multi-cloud offerings of the BSN and can further enhance our ability to customize blockchain cloud services for the developing world. With this partnership, we will be able to offer compelling low-cost solutions to enable SMEs (small and medium enterprises) globally to join the digital economy, which will massively drive self-sufficiency and financial inclusion in these developing regions.”

Monsoon will also be able to leverage the partnership with CarbonBlue Innovations to create innovative digital asset securitization and digital finance solutions for the market. Leveraging CarbonBlue Innovation’s strong academic and institutional finance affiliations, the new partnership will allow the creation of a vertically-integrated digital asset investment banking platform to address the massive opportunity in the future digitization of the world’s economy. CarbonBlue Innovations is able to provide full-stack solutions, vertically-integrating fintech technology infrastructure, legal/regulatory best practices, and institutional financial engineering expertise for digital finance.

Michael Sung added, “CarbonBlue Innovations has created a strong strategic partnership network consisting of the top digital asset companies leading the industry. Combined with Monsoon’s access to various industry ecosystems and pipeline of tokenization projects, our partnership will enable us to immediately scale to take a leadership position in the market and allow our clients to leapfrog into the future of finance.”

Partnering with Monsoon Blockchain, Cross Creek Media ($1.5B in the worldwide Box office) will expand its digital assets in film, television, and IP into the blockchain universe. The aim of the partnership is to achieve streamlined digital content management systems, and to gain broader access to worldwide audiences. Cross Creek has been a co-financier/producer of such films as Oscar winner Black Swan and has been behind hits American Made,Everest, Black Mass, Bloodshot, Hacksaw Ridge and the upcoming The Trial of the Chicago 7. Cross Creek is well positioned to be the next generation of production houses. Additionally, Cross Creek will announce a token style offering alongside Monsoon Blockchain Corporation. Timmy Thompson, CEO of Cross Creek Media stated: “We are very excited to work with Monsoon and continue developing award-winning properties. Furthermore, we believe Cross Creek's portfolio of new media technology investments perfectly positions us to take advantage of the new distribution paradigms.”

“We are very honored to work with such insightful leaders and innovators, the breadth of participants in this deal demonstrates the significant impact blockchain will have across a wide variety of industries,” Dr. Donald Basile added, “tokenization of asset classes has a tremendous upside on both the investment level and security level. Gartner’s prediction of over $3 trillion of business value added by blockchain seems increasingly likely.”

Monsoon Blockchain Corporation is focused on innovative cloud solutions in the blockchain ecosystem. Dr. Donald Basile, its CEO and founder, is the former CEO of Fusion IO, a company known for playing a major role in implementing the cloud systems at Apple and Facebook as well as partnerships with HP, IBM, and Dell. Recently, Monsoon Blockchain added advisory board members Ken Goldman, President of Hillspire (Eric Schmidt’s family office), and former CFO of Yahoo and Fortinet and Xiaoma Lu, former Dalian Wanda Investments CEO and former board member of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange to their team.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200505006164/en/

At the event, which took place in Burbank, Shum was clad in a khaki polo shirt with dark slacks and brown dress shoes, with his shaggy black locks parted to the side.

Most guests could only bring a plus one. But lucky Harry Shum Jr got to bring his gorgeous wife Shelby and his unborn daughter to the SAG Awards on Sunday.

People.com mislabeled a photo from a SAG afterparty, misidentifying several actors. It was originally mislabeled by the photo agency.

Channel 10 have released a sneak peek for its new Pilot Week series, Sydney's Crazy Rich Asians.

A shocking video shows the moment an unhinged man believed to be an essential worker throws 40 punches at an innocent bystander who was Asian, because the attacker blamed him for COVID-19.

The order came as North Korea warned of 'undesirable consequences' after the US seized one of its sanction-breaking cargo ships.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, 72, appeared delighted as they posed for photographs alongside Katy Perry while celebrating the British Asian Trust in London this evening.

The Prince of Wales - founder of the organisation - announced the pop star's new role at a black tie reception in London last night. But the appointment has provoked outrage online.

AirAsia Indonesia cabin crew shouted inappropriate commands to passengers including 'crash position' as the air craft lost pressure on a Bali-bound flight from Perth, watchdog say.

In a bid to fill cabins amid the coronavirus outbreak AirAsia is offering jaw-dropping discounts - including zero-fare seats to destinations including Singapore, Phuket and Sydney.

Kylie Jenner has a couple reasons to celebrate her Tuesday afternoon. Fresh off of celebrating her mother Kris Jenner's 64th birthday, she received a loaded package full of Stassi's new swim line.

Anastasia Soare invited fans into her bathroom during a video with Allure. During the bathroom tour, she showed her bathtub area overlooking outside.

Britain's most senior doctors have demanded immediate Government action to tackle soaring fatalities from Covid-19 in black and Asian communities, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Julia Roberts and Michelle Obama are teaming up to travel to Malaysia and Vietnam and take part in an effort to empower and educate girls in December.

The 15-year-old recovered from losing the first set 6-3 to claim the next two 6-2, 7-5 against a player 68 places higher up in the rankings.

Kylie Jenner urged her 166M followers to stay home after the Surgeon General of the US requested she do so. And now her friend 'Stassie Baby' is also taking to social media.

The model is working on her tan as she proved on Monday when sharing a photo in her light pink bikini while in the backyard of her Los Angeles home.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians guest star was on a wood lounge chair with a striped towel on top by a swimming pool with a pool blow-up toy in the background as she hung out with Kylie.

The model, 22, looked phenomenal in a neon pink bikini when soaking up some rays at home on Sunday.

Lottie Lion has been accused of bullying Lubna Farhan (pictured), whose parents hail from Pakistan. She is said to have told her to 'Shut up Gandhi'.

'This is ludicrous for the Clinton campaign and others to suggest that somehow, somehow I am using a derogatory term,' he said today after his visit to the United States' southern border.

'Choose a brighter path,' the ad says, as it pans to the sun rising over a pasture. The title of that footage on Shutterstock? 'A Field In Cornwall, England At Sunrise.'

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Sportsmail runs the rule over the Barcelona full-back to see why United have targeted him, his style of play and the reaction from Barca fans at news of his departure.

The club were reluctant to let Son leave for the tournament after he signed a new long-term contract and had already missed some of the season through injury.

Anthony Bourdain was dating Asia Argento at the time, and the actress had detailed in graphic description how she was allegedly raped by Harvey Weinstein at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

Filming of the £1million 2020 Army Belonging campaign will begin in Morocco tomorrow. This appears to be the latest in a series of blunders in the drive to make the Army more politically correct.

BET Awards arrivals are in full swing, and Fantasia Barrino arrived making a dramatic statement.The American Idol winner turned heads in a white mini-dress that revealed her toned shoulders.

One of the key figures in the surprise success of Crazy Rich Asians has 'exited' the film's proposed sequels, according to Variety. Adele Lim left the films 'due to a dispute over pay disparity'.

Chu posted a lengthy statement to Twitter on Monday that began: 'For those of you who are asking, you bet your a** I stand with Adele!'

Murray announced on Friday that he will compete next week in Cincinnati, seven months after his revelation in Australia that his career could be over, and is already planning further events.

Sam Fischer spent £479,000 exercising options to buy 28,000 shares at 1709p. He later sold the stock at 2663p, netting £267,000. Diageo's market value has fallen 14 per cent this year.

The first scheduled international flight out of South Australia left with 30 tonnes of fresh seafood, meat and other produce destined for Asia.