Economy

A crude oil import terminal in Qingdao, China, pictured in August 2019: the combination of easy money and cheap oil could worsen deflationary pressures.
Opinion

Oil price crash will not offer help that Asian economies need

Long-term uncertainty has grown, overturning budgets and demanding cool heads

12 March 2020
Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, pictured on Feb. 5: the coronavirus outbreak is nothing short of a human credit squeeze. 
Opinion

Asia has little hope of economic recovery in 2020

Coronavirus, oil shock, weakened central banks all bode ill for struggling region

11 March 2020
An Indian woman walks to get water from a communal tube well at Raichi Wadi village, India: women and girls are responsible for water collection in 80% of households without access to piped water.
Opinion

Follow Greta and listen to women in fight against climate change

Poor and marginalized women are most affected by it but least heard

5 March 2020
The coronavirus outbreak is fueling sales of masks in Malaysia but threatens to derail economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Economy

Malaysia and Australia cut rates to counter coronavirus threat

Preventive measures spread among Asia-Pacific central banks

3 March 2020
A street sign for Wall Street is seen outside the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, New York.
29 February 2020
People wait at a crosswalk along the Dongseong-ro shopping street in Daegu, South Korea. The country reported 142 new coronavirus cases on Saturday.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Feb. 16 to Feb. 22, South Korea cases soar again, to 433

US confirms 34 additional infections and expects more from cruise ship

22 February 2020
Australian politics “weaponized” climate policy. Now, a brutal summer of wildfires has put the country on the front lines of a global crisis.
The Big Story

Australia locked in climate policy 'paralysis' despite summer of fire

Mining exec says 'we're not the bad guys, we're part of the solution'

19 February 2020
Facebook's plan to create a virtual currency called Libra has prompted some emerging nations to consider developing their own.
Cryptocurrencies

Libra threat spurs small nations to create own digital currencies

Cambodia and Marshall Islands look to safeguard monetary sovereignty

16 February 2020
Sea foam covers an area in front of beachfront houses after heavy rain and storms at Collaroy in Sydney's Northern Beaches area. The region's economy could be adversely affected if road, railway and other networks are blocked by flooding. 
Economy

Record rain in Australia douses wildfires but prompts flood warning

Successive natural disasters and coronavirus likely to hit country's economy

15 February 2020
A rare-earths mine in Australia. The mine operator, Lynas, is involved in a smelting plant project in Texas, in which Japan is looking to also take a stake. 
15 February 2020
Foreign students in Japan are allowed to work in unskilled-labor positions, such as convenience store work, for up to 28 hours per week. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Japan immigration

Japan intensifies crackdown on student visa overstayers

Number of countries subject to stricter checks to increase tenfold

11 February 2020
Chan Chun Sing, Singapore's minister for trade and industry, center, holds the signed joint statement for the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement with counterparts from New Zealand and Chile.
International relations

Singapore and TPP trailblazers now turn to digital rule-setting

Partners seek to draw global standards for AI, fintech and personal data

22 January 2020
Greece has rejected China's plan to build an additional cargo terminal at Piraeus port amid concerns about growing Beijing influence.
Belt and Road

China drops $11bn anchors to expand Maritime Silk Road

State-owned operators Cosco and China Merchants dominate decade of spending

5 January 2020