ECONOMY

Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, has sought to toughen the existing Sharia law penal code in the country. Effective April 2014, offenders of the revised law, such as adulterers face death by stoning, amputation of limbs for theft, as well as flogging for alcohol consumption and abortion, among other types of punishments.

Real money as we know it arose along with marriage and the golden rule. These innovations allowed people to live together, peacefully, and to do business with one another. Trade, savings, investment, the division of labour - these are the bedrock innovations upon which modern capitalism rests.

Although the Fed may realize (though I doubt it) that the current asset purchases have minimal impact on the real economy of the majority of American people, they probably think that continuous monetary stimulus is the lesser of two evils. This is a wrong assumption, in my opinion, because prices are rising far more than wages and salaries.

This week's theme is the global financial system. It's been around for 40+ years in its current guise. That is, since 1971 when Nixon reneged on the US government's promises to pay its debt in gold (or gold equivalent dollars).

Thailand, known for its archaeological sites, sandy beaches, weekend and night markets, Buddhist temples and, of course, the traditional Thai massage, among others, wants to slap a 500-baht (AU$16.60) entry tax on tourists upon their arrival at the country. The government targets to implement the new fee effective January 2014.

A study by researchers from the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health has found that at least 21,000 Canadians die each year due to air pollution.

Who would not want to work for big companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook? But how could one get a job in these "most wanted employers' companies?"

Harbin City, capital of China's Heilongjiang province of 11 million people, has been enveloped by a chockfull of smog so thick authorities have been forced to cancel flights and suspend classes. Residents are scared out of their wits as the smog, expected to last for at least the next 24 hours, could become recurring as the country enters the winter season.

Barely a week after the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake, the Philippines' Central Visayas region has again been struck by a 5.4 magnitude quake on Monday morning, one of the thousands of aftershocks of the original temblor.

New Zealand has gained its highest migration rate in 10 years with fewer Kiwis leaving Australia, according to Statistics New Zealand. The country had more people arriving than departing with 2,740 migrants in Sept. 2003. The figure is the highest number of migrants since Jul. 2003.

I've just spent a harrowing weekend reflecting on Thomas Paine's Common Sense, the pamphlet that came out in January 1776 and turned the public toward seeking independence from Britain. I say harrowing because the distance between the ideals found in this pamphlet and those of today's America is so vast as to make it nearly unrecognisable.

Of 100 global cities assessed by the Reputation Institute, Australia's Sydney topped the list of most reliable city published over the weekend by Forbes Magazine.

I just spent two solid days at a conference on energy development in regional shale plays of Pennsylvania-Ohio-West Virginia, called Marcellus and Utica.

Insolvent trading is unlawful in most developed countries. If found guilty, company directors face severe legal and financial penalties.

The Americans continue to play silly buggers over their budget. It's fantastic stuff to watch. Especially if you're a 'Deal or No Deal?' fan, unlike us. Last night's episode ended with 'No Deal!'

To avoid paying a hefty $17.3 billion fine, South Korean tech giant Samsung offered to the European Union (EU) not to engage in a legal patent war with its rivals for five years.

The World Bank has cut its forecast for India's economic growth from 6.1 percent to 4.7 percent in this fiscal year, citing a sharp slowdown in manufacturing and high interest rates as the key factors driving down investment.

What he's referring to is that the supply of Australian housing should rise as prices do. He's worried about affordability for developers, not buyers. That's fair enough...if you want to ignore the other half of the supply and demand equation.

Effective summer of 2014, American Airlines will be flying direct to China from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

A 94-year old Chinese woman has been afforded rights by a court in China on the legal action she slapped against her four adult children. Zhang Zefang had taken her children to court for abandonment because they refused to take care of her.

The 7.4 magnitude quake that struck Bohol island in the southern Philippines has not only damaged malls and ripped roads apart in the province, it has also caused massive damage to at least two historical churches.

Crumbling Asian stocks was a result of the U.S. stalemate. Consequently, this has also affected the Australian market.

Air Canada is now not just in the hot seat but may well ought to be inside a dog pen after how it handled the case of a dog that went missing from one of its supposed flights.

Losing a loved one to unexpected death is really heartwrenching, specially if it involved a newly born baby. But the parents of an unidentified UK baby decided to go the extra mile to donate their child's kidneys to a patient who badly needed it, in the hopes that someday they would be able to feel their child's presence again."

At the rate Chinese millionaires are being minted, the Asia-Pacific region is bound to seize the crown as the wealthiest in the world from North America by 2017, a Credit Suisse report said.

China, Europe Agree To $57 Billion Currency Swap Deal

Philippines Introduce Tax ‘Star Ratings’ For Restaurants

China is now the world's leading oil importer, surpassing the U.S. in September, according to latest data released by the latter's Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Australia’s very first F-35 underway its production in Forth Worth, Texas