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August 30th, 2018

Tap and grow

How e-payments are changing lives in Indonesia

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The Big Story

Go-Jek sparks an Indonesian banking revolution

E-payments pave the way to bank loans and financial inclusion

For some drivers, Go-Jek is "their first step towards the formal financial sector," says Go-Pay CEO Aldi Haryopratomo. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
The Indonesian government is keen to support e-payments and other forms of fintech to boost the country's digital economy. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
The Big Story

Indonesia offers a fresh battleground for fintech

From microloans to cryptocurrency, startups are competing for a huge market

Volkswagen is on track to sell 11 million vehicles this year, despite a brand tarnished by scandal. But the automaker faces some major challenges over the long haul.
Multinationals in Asia

VW's hot streak in China conceals signs of slipping grip

Limited electric lineup and also-ran status in India leave top automaker vulnerable

Infosys CFO M.D. Ranganath, right, is the fourth senior executive to leave the company since Salil Parekh, left, assumed the CEO role in January. (Photo by Ken Koyanagi)
Asia300

Infosys' search for new path continues after finance chief quits

Departure comes as Indian IT sector struggles to adapt to job-killing technology

NokScoot Deputy CEO Giam Ming Toh, second from right, announces the opening of a new route from Kansai International Airport to Bangkok on Aug. 22 in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Business trends

Asia's budget airlines rush to open routes beyond Tokyo and Osaka

Thai carrier NokScoot latest to meet greater demand for more Japan destinations

The recreation area at a  Google data center in Taiwan. The island's proximity to mainland China make it a good base for U.S. tech companies not yet able to enter the vast Chinese market.
Technology

Taiwan vies with Singapore as AI hub for US tech companies

Microsoft, Google and Amazon seize on Taiwanese expertise and China proximity

More than 1,000 shoppers lined up to check out Uniqlo's first Sweden store in central Stockholm.
Business trends

Uniqlo takes on H&M in its home market Sweden

Three-way battle with Zara intensifies in Europe

Cambodian rice farmers may be getting some new leverage when it comes to selling their harvests. 
Technology

Cambodian rice farmers turn to blockchain to gain pricing power

Tech behind bitcoin could show retailers whether growers were fairly paid

The logo of Alibaba Group is seen at the company's headquarters in Hangzhou, China.
Asia300

Alibaba touts growth beyond China as revenue surges

CEO says big Southeast Asian investments pave way for e-commerce group's globalization

Thai teens play a game on their smartphones. Data usage is growing in Thailand as smartphones proliferate.
Business trends

Pricey Thai mobile licenses fail to attract bidders

Seven out of nine permits left unsold despite rising data use

Soybean prices dropped earlier this year as China slapped retaliatory tariffs on U.S. supplies.
Asia300

Singapore commodity groups reap gains from trade war

Wilmar and Olam worry about long-term negative side effects

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's health plan is a big carrot for voters, but flawed implementation could help hard-charging rival Rahul Gandhi. (Original photo by Reuters)
Asia Insight

Modi bulldozes toward election with health care for 500m people

Will India's unparalleled insurance program backfire politically?

A containership in the northeastern Chinese port of Qingdao: Dialogue is crucial to averting a trade war that is certain to leave a lot of destruction in its wake.
Trade war

US-China tariff showdown uproots global supply chains

Two days of trade talks end with no breakthrough

Japan's defense industry will do more than 50% of the development and production work for a next-generation F-22, according to a Lockheed Martin proposal.
Politics

Lockheed offers Japan majority of work in plan for new fighter jet

The upgraded version of the F-22 would incorporate advanced features

The new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison attends a news conference in Canberra on  August 24.
Politics

Australia's new PM has little time to restore his party's image

Scott Morrison also faces public concern over China's growing sway on the country

A nickel mine in the Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte's government is pushing for a new tax on minerals.
Commodities

Flare-up of resource nationalism burns miners across Asia

Governments risk repelling companies with new levies and other pressure

A woman shops at a supermarket in Jakarta. Consumer spending propped up by oil subsidies and civil servant wages drove Indonesia's growth in the April-June quarter.
Economy

Southeast Asia deploys stimulus to maintain 5% growth in 2Q

Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia try to fend off impact of trade war

A globe in a Beijing bookstore shows islands claimed by China in the South China Sea.
Datawatch

China has island-building down to a science

Study finds South China Sea projects have become more efficient

Philippine House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is arguably the only person who could tame President Rodrigo Duterte's passions.
Opinion

Calm Arroyo could steady passionate Duterte

Unpredictable Philippine president needs all the help he can get as economic woes mount

A female doctor: Japan needs more like her.
Opinion

Japan's medical school scandal must prompt health care funding debate

Bias against women candidates exposes big management problems and discrimination

Google should be aware that branding is not just about money, but about its principles.
Opinion

In China, Google must go by any other name

Internet search company should use a different brand for censored results

Cargo is transferred at the northeastern Chinese port of Qingdao in April. Dialogue is crucial to reining in a trade war that threatens to inflict damage worldwide.
The Nikkei View

The US and China must keep talking

The global economy cannot afford the risk of a crippling trade war

Riding along the Karakoram Highway, a spectacular high-altitude route connecting Pakistan and China (Photo by Kit Yeng Chan)
Life

Pakistan's political shift raises hopes for tourism comeback

Mountainous north resurfaces as an alluring adventure travel destination

Yoji Tokuyoshi's "soba and tempura": Pasta made from a blend of grano arso and buckwheat flour, dusted with bottarga and sprinkled with hazelnuts, accompanied by a zucchini-blossom fritter. (Courtesy of Ristorante Tokuyoshi)
Life

Japanese chefs put their own twist on fine European dining

Yoji Tokuyoshi is among a new generation who blend innovation and commitment

Mali, a 51-year-old hippo, is one of the star attractions of Bangkok's Dusit Zoo. (Photo by Duncan McCargo)
Tea Leaves

Politics of Thai zoology

Closure of Bangkok's Dusit Zoo highlights state of Thai democracy