Economy

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at Nikkei's Future of Asia conference on May 26. (Photo by Tomoki Mera) 
The Future of Asia 2022

Singapore PM Lee warns of nuclear 'arms race' amid Ukraine war

U.S.-China tensions risk splitting supply chains or 'worse unintended consequences'

26 May 2022
A damaged bust of D.A. Rajapaksa, father of both the president and the former prime minister, lies amid wreckage at a museum in the family stronghold of Hambantota on May 11.
Asia Insight

Flight of the Rajapaksas: Sri Lankan dynasty faces reckoning

Accused of mismanagement and corruption, the nation's top clan is down but not out

24 May 2022
A woman whose farming land had been transferred to build a solar power plant grazes her cow near the plant in Mikir Bamuni village, Assam state, on Feb. 18: Nowhere is the transformation of economy more dramatic than in India.
Opinion

India should rethink plans to become a semiconductor hub

Other more important goals deserve Narendra Modi's attention

23 May 2022
Stream article image
Podcast

Asia Stream: Asia's Inflation Dilemma

Rising prices are hurting wallets across the world. The crisis is particularly bad in Sri Lanka and Turkey, and in Japan, people are facing inflation for the first time in decades.

20 May 2022
A police officer on duty during a citywide lockdown in Shanghai on April 25: The risks do not seem so remote anymore. 
Opinion

Inflation not Asia's only worry as growth risks intensify

Sharp downturns in the U.S., Europe and China will shift the balance decisively

20 May 2022
Sri Lankans wait to buy kerosene in Colombo on May 18. The country's central banker says some funds have been secured to enable ships to replenish supplies.
Sri Lanka crisis

Sri Lanka's central bank chief confirms first foreign bond default

Weerasinghe offers hope on fuel crunch, points to political stability 'improvement'

19 May 2022
One economist told Nikkei Asia that privatizing loss-making SriLankan Airlines was "long overdue."
Sri Lanka crisis

Sri Lanka pushes airline privatization as debt grace period ends

Experts welcome PM's plan for national carrier despite doubts over finding buyer

18 May 2022
A demonstrator raises a placard as part of a protest against Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo on April 23.
Sri Lanka crisis

Nepotism, bad policy push Sri Lanka to brink of economic ruin

Some blame China's 'debt trap diplomacy' but reasons for crisis are legion

15 May 2022
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi watches as bilateral agreements are exchanged with Sri Lanka in Colombo in January.
Sri Lanka crisis

Sri Lanka meltdown exposes China loan policy: 5 things to know

Beijing could complicate Colombo's IMF talks as other borrowers watch closely

13 May 2022
A man grills chicken to sell at a bazaar in Kuala Lumpur: Signs abound of a potentially devastating jump in the price of all types of staples.
Opinion

Asia needs to brace for surging food prices

Deep and potent forces are at work

11 May 2022
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says he has tendered his resignation to his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Politics

Sri Lanka PM Mahinda Rajapaksa tenders resignation as economy burns

Curfew imposed after clashes between government supporters and protesters

9 May 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left, and his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo in Octobe 2019: Political pressure is growing on the Rajapaksas to either step down or enact political reforms.
Opinion

U.S. should push the Quad to help Sri Lanka

One area of possible collaboration is food security

5 May 2022
The Reserve Bank of India unexpectedly raised rates on Wednesday.
Economy

India unexpectedly hikes key rate in off-cycle meeting

Reserve Bank of India raises benchmark by 40 bps to 4.40% in bid to stem inflation

4 May 2022
Floods and other natural disasters caused by climate change have led to the mass displacement of people in many parts of the world.
Datawatch

Climate refugees: The world's silent crisis

Number of people displaced by natural disasters could top 200m by 2050

2 May 2022
Police officers stand guard near a passenger van after a blast at the entrance of the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute. Three Chinese teachers were killed in the suicide bombing.
Terrorism

Suicide bombing stokes security concerns for Chinese in Pakistan

Blast tests Beijing's patience with separatist group behind other deadly attacks

30 April 2022
 People wait in a queue to buy kerosene oil at a fuel dispensing station on Tuesday in Gampola, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka crisis

Broke, downgraded and begging: Sri Lanka pays price for missteps

South Asian nation's economic crisis draws comparisons with Lebanon's meltdown

29 April 2022
Nepal's finance minister Janardan Sharma, left, and foreign minister Naryan Khadka speak to Nikkei Asia in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Source photos by Moyuru Baba)
Interview

China-India rivalry is good for South Asia, Nepal ministers say

Himalayan nation facing stiff economic challenges amid Ukraine war and pandemic

27 April 2022
A demolished shop in the area that saw communal violence, pictured on April 20 in New Delhi's northwest Jahangirpuri neighborhood: Hindu nationalists have intensified their attacks on India's Muslim minority.
Opinion

West not about to abandon India, despite communal tensions

Underlying story is one of remarkable political and social stability

26 April 2022
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi receives a gift from Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa during a meeting in Colombo in January.
Economy

Sri Lanka begins talks with China on refinancing debt

Colombo asks Beijing for help as it struggles with debilitating financial crisis

26 April 2022
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, hosts Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba in New Delhi on April 2.
International relations

India offers carrots to 'pro-China' neighbors Sri Lanka, Nepal

Political instability in South Asia opens diplomatic doors for New Delhi

24 April 2022
India currently accounts for 1% of the $225 billion global pet care industry, but with an annual growth rate of 17%, it is the world's fastest-growing market and is expected to be valued at around $500 million by the end of this year.
Life

Aspirational millennials give Indian dogs a luxury upgrade

From spas to psychics, booming pet industry is about more than food and grooming

24 April 2022
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, shakes hands with his British counterpart Boris Johnson after a joint press conference in New Delhi on Friday.
International relations

Modi and Johnson agree on new Anglo-Indian security partnership

Leaders also discuss Ukraine crisis in talks between 'special' friends

22 April 2022
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting during the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 2, 2021. (File photo by Reuters) 
International relations

China in mind, British PM visits India to boost Indo-Pacific ties

Johnson expected to urge Modi to take a strong stand against Russia

21 April 2022
Shoppers purchase packets of vegetable oil at a supermarket in Mumbai on March 7: Higher food prices can lead to higher inflation expectations.
Opinion

Rising cost of living puts Asian policymakers in the hot seat

Second K-shaped shock to hit low-income households after the pandemic

20 April 2022
The IMF expects global gross domestic product to expand 3.6% in 2022, down from the 4.4% predicted in January -- before Russia invaded Ukraine and before lockdowns in China. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Economy

IMF cuts emerging Asia growth estimate on war, COVID lockdowns

Warns of 'significant slowdown' in global economic expansion

19 April 2022