Tsai-Ma meeting on transition

Taiwanese President-elect Tsai Ing-wen will hold a meeting today at the Taipei Guest House with incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou on issues of transition, as well as economic and foreign policies. They will each deliver a three- to five-minute opening statement and respond to media inquiries before holding a closed-door meeting, the first between the two since Ms Tsai won the presidential election on Jan 16.

Tips for heartland business owners

Retailers in the heartland are facing rising operating costs, and stiffer competition from online outlets and shopping malls at regional transport hubs. The Singapore Heartland Enterprise Seminar 2016 looks at these issues and challenges faced by heartland businesses.

Themed "Make it happen, make it better", it will look at how heartland merchants have to change, adapt and adopt new ways to reach out to customers.

Japan to release key economic data

The Japanese economy will be the focus for traders today, with two key pieces of economic data likely to dominate trading in Asia.

Data on household spending, a key metric in the Japanese economy, will be released today, shedding more light on consumer sentiment, which has been weak despite measures taken by the government to boost confidence.

At the same time, Japanese unemployment figures will be released early.