The U.S. Secretary of State wants to bolster defense ties in the Indo-Pacific, while distrust of Trump’s commitments to the region, particularly on economic issues, runs deep.

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Each year from June to September, a series of heavy rains known as monsoons sweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country’s farms and replenishing its rivers.

While U.S. and European companies have reduced their average dividend payouts over the past decade, Asian corporates have maintained consistent payout ratios, reflecting the region’s improving balance sheets,

Kwon Ping Ho, the founder of Banyan Group, said the hospitality industry is not only "management intensive" but also "vulnerable to event risk."

Parts of South Korea and Japan have had short rainy seasons this year. Scientists say that climate change has helped make the summer rains more unreliable.

Asian stocks rose slightly on Thursday, riding on optimism from Nvidia's brief rise to a world-record $4 trillion valuation and as investors largely shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff salvos.

He made the remark at a meeting between China and the Asean nations in Kuala Lumpur.  Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.