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April 11th, 2019

Millennial moment

Has Widodo lost his touch with Indonesia’s young voters?

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President Joko Widodo with supporters at a rally outside Jakarta on April 7: In the final weeks of campaigning ahead of the April 17 election, he and challenger Prabowo Subianto are facing shifts in the all-important youth vote. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Commuters ride the newly opened Jakarta MRT, the city's first subway network. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Widodo's infrastructure push -- election advantage or drag?

New metro line is a win for president, but debt concerns linger

KKday lets tourists get up close and personal with whale sharks in the Philippines. Some tours can be booked the night before, a rarity in the industry. (Photo courtesy of KKday)
Startups in Asia

Taiwanese travel startup KKday gives local tours a global reach

Millennials drawn to last-minute bookings and on the ground tips

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, who once aspired to be a schoolteacher, is now throwing his support behind young "representatives of humans." (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
Companies

SoftBank's Son funds young geniuses to avert AI domination

As Vision Fund bets on tech, he's gambling his own money on humanity

People take photographs during a launching ceremony for SK Telecom's 5G service, in Seoul, South Korea, April 3, 2019
5G networks

Korean companies ready to exploit early adoption of 5G network

Retailer Shinsegae, amusement park Seoul Land go ahead for AR, VR services

FIH manufactures Google's Pixel 3, shown here at its launch in Tokyo last year. Google is the only profitable smartphone contract for FIH, senior sources told Nikkei Asian Review.
Tech scroll Asia

Foxconn shrinks Android arm and relocates staff as orders dry up

Tech giant shifts resources to newly launched automotive electronics

Members of Nissan's top management apologize to shareholders at the beginning of the shareholders meeting on April 8 in Tokyo.
Nissan's Ghosn crisis

Nissan removes Ghosn from board, marking end of an era

Dismissal opens way for governance reform with check on chairman's power

Samsung's office in Seoul: Falling memory chip prices have hurt the world's largest supplier of the component.
Companies

Samsung's profit drops 60% on slump in panels and chips

Analysts divided on whether worst is over semiconductor market

SAIC Motor forecasts only a small gain in sales for 2019, as China faces an economic slowdown and a trade war with Washington.
Companies

Chinese slowdown slams brakes on SAIC's 2018 auto sales

Numbers fall below target as joint venture with GM suffers

The surge in coal output gives a push to Coal India's efforts to expand its annual output to one billion tons.
Markets

Coal India annual output crosses record 600 million tons on rising power demand

State-owned company's production jumps nearly 10% last month

A nursing home in Japan: Social security outlays have ballooned over the past two decades, forcing the government to borrow to sustain the system. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Asia Insight

Asia's worst aging fears begin to come true

Policymakers in South Korea, China and Japan stare into demographic abyss

Thailand's Royal Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong strongly criticized the anti-junta coalition on Tuesday.
Thai election

Thai junta clamps down on opposition after election

Analyst says king's announcements may have boosted military government's confidence

Singapore has hit on a new location for its infrastructure--under this trove of skyscrapers in the Marina Bay financial district. 
Economy

Singapore to move infrastructure underground to free up space

With lateral and vertical expansion exhausted, overcrowded city looks below for options

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, left, and Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad are scheduled to meet next week.
Malaysia in transition

Singapore and Malaysia settle airspace spat

City-state to scrap new landing system while Kuala Lumpur lifts flight restrictions

Monetary policy easing began in February under Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, who is considered to be closely aligned with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Economy

India cuts rate again as election approaches

Central bank's second move in three months seen giving boost to Modi's BJP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government announced active investments in roads, railroads and other infrastructure to improve traffic in urban areas.
Economy

Australian government vows tax relief ahead of general election

Coalition offers help with electricity bills to low- and middle-income earners

Economists foresee improvement in the U.S.-China trade conflict as negotiations continue and the next American election approaches.
Economy

China stimulus to offer respite from slowdown in second half of 2019

Economists see growth falling to 6.2% in first quarter before temporary bounce

Manufacturers in the emerging economies of Asia saw better operating conditions in March due to easing inflation.
Economy

Easing inflation helps Asian factories improve performance: March PMI

Signs of improving US-China ties provide relief but no turning point yet

Fairycake Fair, a bakery in Tokyo Station, helps Japan usher in the coming Imperial era with a bit of celebratory icing on the cake.
Japan's Reiwa era

Japan’s Reiwa frenzy picks up as businesses get ready for new era

Retailers are starting Reiwa-themed campaigns and introducing new projects

The Indian test is clearly a warning shot across China's bow. (Handout photo from India's Press Information Bureau)
Opinion

The looming specter of Asian space wars

India's antisatellite missile test poses strategic challenges for China and Pakistan

Sara Duterte has been at her father's side on foreign trips, acting as de facto First Lady.
Opinion

Duterte's dynastic ambitions laid bare in election

Philippines president grooms daughter, raising concern over concentration of power in one family

Waves of fresh capital are sure to rush China's way.
Opinion

China bond move brings risk as well as reward for Beijing

Country needs more financial reforms to see full benefits of index inclusion

A trainee from Myanmar works at a factory in Osaka. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Nikkei View

To attract foreign workers, Japan must create a welcoming home

Fostering enough support personnel is an urgent task

Hunter Valley grapes on the vine, summer 2019 (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)
Life

Seeking the 'perfect' red wine in Australia's Hunter Valley

Asian visitors drawn by food and cultural events as well as historic vineyards

A barista prepares an ancient elixir in a Jakarta cafe that is winning over some of the capital's health-conscious corporate warriors.
Life

Traditional Indonesian herbal tonic meets modern-day barista

A drink made with turmeric, ginger and island spices catches on in Jakarta

Namewee acts as Hanguoren, a pro-Malaysia activist who wants to free his country from all immigrants, in a scene from the movie "Banglasia 2.0." (Courtesy of WebTVAsia)
Tea Leaves

Malaysia highlights disconnect in approach to popular culture

Cinema release for 'Banglasia 2.0' challenges Southeast Asian cultural conservatism