Bloomberg – An Indonesian beach isn’t the first place you’d look for clues about the trajectory of Asia’s economies. Here on the island of Bali, there are myriad ones. They are bankers, many of American and European origin.

The financiers are here for the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting, and the fact they are here at all speaks volumes about Asia. Thailand last month had to cancel a meeting of regional leaders, also planned at a beach resort, amid political unrest. Indonesia’s confab is going off without a hitch.

It’s but the latest sign that Indonesia is among the most politically stable countries in Asia, and deserves more attention from global investors. The presidential election in July could be another plus for those betting on the world’s fourth most- populous nation.

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Tags: annual meeting, asian development bank, confab, countries in asia, european origin, financiers, global-investors, indonesia, island of bali, political unrest, populous nation, presidential election, regional leaders, rsquo, stable countries, thailand, trajectory

Times Online – They must think it’s Christmas in Geneva. Alistair Darling delivered an early present last week by slapping a 50 per cent tax rate on top earners.

Highly paid but footloose financiers are now betting when the rate will go up to 60 or 70 per cent and are digging out those brochures from the Swiss inward investment agency.

As if that wasn’t enough, here come our friends at the European Commission with proposals for the regulation of hedge funds and private equity funds.

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Tags: alistair-darling, brochures, christmas, european commission, financiers, geneva, investment agency, inward investment, private-equity-funds, proposals, tax-rate, top earners