iPhone in Asia

iPhone will be available in 20 more countries on August 22. It's not known exactly which countries will be included but the short list of 50 countries under consideration include the Philippines, Macau, Singapore and India.

The iPhone is already shipping to Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and New Zealand in Asia-Pacific region. In some areas, people waited in line for two days to get the new gadget.



A mock iPhone is on display at the first day of the release in Hong Kong, Friday July 11, 2008. As Apple rolled out its newest iPhone in Asia Friday, dealers and buyers said it's only a matter of time _ maybe as little as a few days _ before the popular device hits the region's thriving underground marketplace. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) (AP/KIN CHEUNG)



Models hold the new iPhones during the first day of the release in Hong Kong, Friday July 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) (AP/KIN CHEUNG)





A customer shows Apple's new 3G iPhone mobile handset at the Softbank shop in Tokyo on July 11. Apple's international launch of its iPhone 3G has begun in several Asian countries. (AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

Asian Development Bank encourages regional integration

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released a new study suggesting that the growing integration in Asia including the formation of the planned ASEAN and Asian free trade areas is healthy for the world economy.

The integration offers a new platform to promote growth, strengthen trade links, and reduce poverty, the ADB said in a new study, entitled "Emerging Asian Regionalism: A Partnership for Shared Prosperity."

The study also suggested that while Asian economic integration is market-led, to tap the full potential of regional interdependence, Asian economies need to boost their ties through closer dialogue and policy coordination.

Although environmentalists encourage local production whenever possible, the free and fair movement of commodities, products and people is essential in establishing a healthy balance between nations, and to help prevent shortages.

According to the new study, Asia is lacking in economic integration as compared to other regions.

The study highlights that Asia is less integrated in finance than in trade but financial markets are now larger, deeper, and more sophisticated than they were a decade ago. With the growth of trade and financial ties, Asia's macroeconomic interdependence has also increased.