Economy

A farmer works in her field in Thailand. Exports of Thai rice recovered in 2023.
Agriculture

Vietnam and Thailand rice exports soar after India ban

Consumers feel the pinch of higher prices as countries scramble to secure supply

12 January 2024
Bhutanese people queue up to cast votes in the national elections in Deothang, Bhutan on Jan. 9.
Politics

Bhutan opposition party wins election amid economic challenges

Former PM Tshering Tobgay's People's Democratic Party set to form government

10 January 2024
Rohingya refugees work on rebuilding their makeshift shelters after a fire broke out in a camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Jan. 7.
7 January 2024
Credit-card debt has been growing rapidly in India: Signs suggest households are supplementing their income with loans, a sign of poor financial capacity.
Opinion

India's central bank needs to refocus on economic growth

RBI Gov. Das' emphasis on financial stability is counterproductive

4 January 2024
Workers hold a Chinese flag at Hambantota port in Sri Lanka on Aug. 16, 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping wants his country to play a larger role in global affairs through Belt and Road Initiative projects such as this one.
Asia Insight

Sri Lanka's China 'debt trap' fears grow as Beijing keeps investing

New $4.5 bn Sinopec deal comes amid debt restructuring, BRI lending shift

2 January 2024
Prices of rice remain high in Asia as its major exporters move to prioritize domestic demand.
Datawatch

Higher rice prices keep inflation simmering in Asia

Prices of staple food hit a 15-year high due to extreme weather and export ban

31 December 2023
A Filipino at a remittance center in the Metro Manila city of Makati receives pesos sent by a relative working abroad.
Economy

Cross-border remittances at all-time high for third consecutive year

Workers from South and East Asia, Pacific drive increase, World Bank says

28 December 2023
India's central bank has responded to the growing popularity of unsecured consumer loans by requiring lenders to hold more capital against such credits. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Business Spotlight

Indian consumer borrowing surges, raising fears of defaults

Unsecured loans give lower-income workers a chance to 'spend on things we really want'

22 December 2023
Durga Bahadur Subedi, Nepal's ambassador to Japan, speaks to Nikkei Asia in Tokyo on Dec. 20. (Photo by Shigeru Seno)
Economy

Nepal calls for more Japanese investment in tourism, health care

Ambassador underscores growing relationship between the two nations

21 December 2023
India's diamond processing industry is awaiting more details about a G7 move to trace the origins of the precious stones.
Trade

India braces for G7 Russian diamond restrictions

Impact on Indian trade to be limited at first but could grow as ban broadens

21 December 2023
India, the world's largest democracy, heads to the polls in 2024. The country is expected to continue its rise as an economic powerhouse.
Markets

India's ascent to continue as China slows: Wall Street 2024 forecast

Investors stay bullish on Japan despite anticipated monetary policy shift

20 December 2023
A conservationist and volunteers clean a coral nursery by removing algae in the sea off Nusa Dua in Bali. Efforts to protect coral reefs tend to be community-led and self-funded. 
COP28

Indonesian coral reefs to get U.N.-backed weather insurance

Quick payouts for floods, heat stress, typhoons also under consideration

11 December 2023
The Afghan Taliban says China has accepted its choice for ambassador to Beijing with the release of this photo of an unidentified Taliban representative.
Afghanistan turmoil

Taliban says China has accepted its envoy to Beijing

Afghanistan 'last piece' of strategic puzzle as Beijing looks to shut out West

10 December 2023
A cafe in Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnam's distinctive coffee filters and "ca phe sua da" have become a cultural export. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Food & Beverage

Latest buzz: India and Vietnam to lead Asia's growth in coffee consumption

Region's move beyond tea linked to urbanization and more disposable income

10 December 2023
Afghanistan's under-construction Qosh Tepa irrigation canal aims to turn some 550,000 hectares of desert land into usable farmland.
International relations

Taliban vow to finish disputed canal at 'any cost'

Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbors cry foul over plans to tap shared river

9 December 2023
A bull statue at the Bombay Stock Exchange. India's benchmark Sensex index ended Friday at a record high.
Markets

India, Taiwan stocks draw emerging-market investors as China slumps

Growth hopes lift Sensex to record; U.S. rate cut chatter boosts other currencies

9 December 2023
The Reserve Bank of India has upgraded its outlook for the nation's economic growth.
Economy

India central bank lifts annual GDP forecast to 7% on strong demand

Reserve Bank keeps key interest rate unchanged for 5th straight meeting

8 December 2023
Rice planting on the outskirts of Ahmedabad: Employment is growing in India but most of the gains are in agriculture and rural construction rather than more productive sectors.
Opinion

Few are benefiting from India's rapid GDP growth

Large companies enjoy perks while burdens on small business rise

4 December 2023
Laborers work at a construction site for India's Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail corridor in May, as the government ramps up infrastructure spending. 
Economy

India posts 7.6% GDP growth on brisk infrastructure spending

Figure for July-September quarter surpasses forecasts

30 November 2023
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel says his state provides "additional incentives" to semiconductor makers. (Photo by Shigeru Seno)
Economy

Indian state calls for Japanese chip and hydrogen investments

Gujarat 'creating requisite infrastructure': Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel

29 November 2023
Colombo slum residents in July. Electricity price hikes have hit the poorest Sri Lankans hard, leaving many without power. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Sri Lanka crisis

Bankrupt Sri Lanka's poor face life in darkness as price of IMF bailout

Hundreds of thousands cut off from grid; fund insists social safety net is a priority

23 November 2023
Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of India's Uttar Pradesh state and a Hindu monk, often makes public appearances wearing an orange robe. (Photo courtesy of the state of Uttar Pradesh)
Politics

Modi's potential successor aims to create Indian defense sector hub

Chief of Uttar Pradesh state bets on BrahMos cruise missile to achieve goal

20 November 2023
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who doubles as finance minister, presents the 2024 budget to Parliament in Colombo on Nov. 13. (President Media/handout via Reuters)
Sri Lanka crisis

Sri Lanka's election-year budget straddles line between IMF and voters

2024 plan praised for 'sticking to reform,' criticized for apparent contradictions

14 November 2023
Police confront garment workers in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, during a recent demonstration for higher wages. (Photo by Nazmul Islam)
Politics

Bangladesh garment industry wage fight shakes core economic pillar

Government alleges link between protests by opposition and inflation-weary workers

14 November 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, pictured here at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022, will meet on Nov. 15 in San Francisco for the first time in a year.
Your Week in Asia

Sri Lanka budget, Xi-Biden summit, Japan Q3 GDP

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

12 November 2023