Features

A year into the job, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has shaken off some of the most pessimistic predictions that greeted his historic election victory. But the spiraling cost of living is still a huge concern for many Filipinos. (Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
Asia Insight

Philippines' Marcos Jr. defies skeptics but challenges persist

As president enters second year in power, Filipinos fed up with inflation

4 July 2023
Indian students using Byju's app, as pictured above, helped the company obtain a $22 billion valuation in March 2022. (Source photo by Kosaku Mimura) 
Market Spotlight

Indian corporate governance comes under fire as Byju's stumbles

Online tutoring app's woes threaten venture capital funding for other startups

3 July 2023
Many parents in Japan say there is a mismatch between demand for nursery places and supply, with some mothers simply choosing to extend their maternity leave given the dearth of nearby facilities for their children.
Datawatch

Finding child care still the bane of city life for many in Japan

Despite growth in nursery spots, overall demand continues to outstrip supply

1 July 2023
The industrywide push to adopt renewable energy may force TSMC, Samsung and regional peers to consider expanding chip plants beyond their home soil. (Source photos by AP and TSMC) 
Business Spotlight

From TSMC to Samsung, Asia's chipmakers struggle to go green

Dearth of renewable energy at home leaves titans lagging U.S. and European peers

30 June 2023
The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, commonly known as the Summer Davos Forum, kicked off in Tianjin on June 27.
China up close

Analysis: China today has fewer ads, cleaner toilets, economic hurdles

Chinese-style modernization distances itself from Deng-era freedoms

29 June 2023
Human rights lawyer and patriotic pro-democracy activist Albert Ho, seen here speaking at a museum opening in 2019, is currently behind bars in Hong Kong on charges under the national security law. 
The Big Story

Hong Kong's persecuted patriot

Rights lawyer Albert Ho has loved China for decades. Now he may die in jail for it

28 June 2023
From Tehran to Tokyo and beyond, trans people throughout Asia continue to face violence, discrimination and exclusion from society.
Asia Insight

Trans rights progress in Asia hits barricade of tradition, legal maze

Gradual LGBTQ advances in some countries shrouded by stigma, safety concerns

27 June 2023
The Nikkei Stock Average has risen 26% in yen terms this year, though this gain gets trimmed to 18% in dollar terms. (Source photo by AP) 
Market Spotlight

Japanese stock rally looks less impressive in dollar terms

Rally more sustainable if accompanied by a moderately stronger currency, analysts say

26 June 2023
The number of female IT engineers is on the rise in Japan, but many lack skills in data science and other advanced areas.
Datawatch

Japan's digital future depends on women

Shortage of high-tech professionals places premium on female IT specialists

24 June 2023
BTS bonanza: The surging popularity of South Korean music and TV shows in the U.S. has paved the way for investment in the country to become the next 'K-wave.'
Business Spotlight

The BTS bump: How K-pop drove Korea Inc to go big in the U.S.

Music, drama fan 'huge tailwind' for Korean investment in states like Georgia

23 June 2023
In his latest proposal, Xi Jinping sees China and the U.S. developing and prospering by divvying up the planet, not just the Pacific. (Source photo by Reuters)
China up close

Analysis: After a decade, Xi floats 'G2' world with U.S. again

President says Planet Earth is big enough for both U.S. and China

22 June 2023
Afghan men smoke drugs on a street in Kabul in November 2022. Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of heroin and opium, and domestic drug use is trapping millions there in poverty. 
The Big Story

Afghanistan's opium tragedy persists despite Taliban cultivation ban

Sanctions and loss of foreign aid puts treatment out of reach for many addicts

21 June 2023
China has emerged from COVID-enforced isolation with grand plans to boost its influence among countries around the world.
Asia Insight

China targets sea change in global diplomacy race with West

As Blinken calls, Beijing wields 'Xivilization' to promote China worldview

20 June 2023
Under the new scheme, foreign investors will get a chance to trade yuan-denominated shares in 24 Hong Kong-listed companies. (Source photos by Kenji Kawase and AP) 
Market Spotlight

Hong Kong's yuan share-trading scheme debuts at difficult time

Chinese currency's fall undercuts effort to promote use by foreign investors

19 June 2023
Regulators around the world worry about the impact of sluggish office demand on the financial system, as the value of debt backed by commercial real estate has declined due to rising interest and vacancy rates.
Datawatch

Wave of empty offices hits global market

Vacancy rates log post-Lehman highs in 60% of big cities

17 June 2023
Indonesia's massive supplies of nickel -- a key component in batteries -- are helping meet increasing global demand for electric vehicles. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

Nickel surplus seen widening in 2023 as Indonesian output soars

EV batteries to lead demand growth; prices under pressure but still historically high

16 June 2023
Workers pick goods at a logistics center in eastern China. However, economic pressures are casting a shadow over demand for e-commerce in the nation.
Business Spotlight

China's e-commerce extravaganza loses its shine as consumption sags

Online sales suffer amid COVID hangover, property weakness and job losses

16 June 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's reference to the Ryukyu Islands, modern-day Okinawa, has triggered an array of commentary about the island's history. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Xi throws Okinawa into East Asia geopolitical cocktail

President speaks of Ryukyu Kingdom's history, with emphasis on ties with China

15 June 2023
As artificial intelligence grows smarter and more widespread, governments from the U.S. to China are grappling with how to, or whether to, control it. (Illustration by Yoshiko Kawano)
The Big Story

ChatGPT unleashed an AI race, now regulators are struggling to hold on

Artificial intelligence boom pits U.S.'s bottom-up approach against China's top-down take on regulation

14 June 2023
For Japan to attract the best from abroad, experts say, it needs better pay and a welcoming culture. 
Asia Insight

Aging Japan wants foreign workers, but will they come?

Stagnant wages and old culture loom over Kishida's restructured policies

13 June 2023
Japan has only five organizations monitoring fake news and other misleading information, far fewer than other countries, according to Duke University of the U.S.
Datawatch

Japan lags Asian peers in dealing with fake news

Study shows only one in five Japanese know how to fact-check information

10 June 2023
Tourists stand in front of the main railway station in Kanazawa, in central Japan. More international tourists are looking to visit smaller cities and towns during their travels in the country.   
Business Spotlight

Thinking small: Japan lures tourists away from big cities

Nation's travel industry welcomes visitors looking to get off the beaten track

9 June 2023
The comments by Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, left, are thought to represent the views of the Central Military Commission led by President Xi Jinping. (Nikkei montage/Kyodo/Yusuke Hinata)
China up close

Analysis: Chinese general signals new strategy with Senkaku remarks

Ties with Japan are not all about islands, defense minister says

8 June 2023
Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat holds a "No. 1" victory pose at a news conference in Bangkok after winning the Thai general election on May 15. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Thailand's moment of truth: Pita's struggle for new regime continues

Move Forward pressured to scrap proposed royal reforms as it seeks to govern

7 June 2023
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan claims the "military establishment" is trying to crush his party, while the army has criticized him for making "baseless allegations."
Asia Insight

Pakistan's Imran Khan takes on powerful military establishment

Allies break from embattled former PM in aftermath of May 9 violence

6 June 2023