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March 12th, 2020

Lost cause

Narendra Modi's divisive politics won him elections, but cost him the economy

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The Big Story

How Modi won India's elections but paralyzed the economy

As PM stokes nationalism, backlash brews among business elite

Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to shape India into a manufacturing powerhouse and a $5 trillion economy. Instead, as his government tilts toward authoritarianism, reform has fallen by the wayside. (Illustration by Eric Chow)
Inexpensive smallsats are replacing large satellites, presenting a challenge to existing manufacturers.
Business Spotlight

Asia's mobile revolution puts satellite makers into spin

Low-cost innovation helps Rakuten and other newcomers take on established players

In better times: Fans of South Korean K-Pop group Super Junior attend a concert in Shanghai.
Coronavirus

From K-pop to cars, coronavirus hits South Korea business

Travel ban spat with Japan is latest blow to economic activity

Tesco's Thai unit ran 1,967 stores, serving over 13 million customers each week as of August 2019. Its Malaysian business, which began in 2002, operated a network of 68 stores. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Business deals

CP Group to buy Tesco's Thai and Malaysian units for $10.5bn

Thailand's top three conglomerates fight hard for retail dominance

A worker stacks steel pipes at a factory in Liaoning Province. Chinese steel demand has plummeted due to the coronavirus, sending inventory rising to record levels at the country's steel mills.
Commodities

Record stashes of steel fill China's mills as factories stall

Industry fears another export wave that floods global market

A passenger jet flies above Shinjuku in central Tokyo. 
Transportation

Global airlines claim 'double standard' in Haneda's new routes

Carriers race to catch up with possible unannounced changes in landing procedures

CIMB Group is aiming for return-on-equity of 9%-9.5% this year, while keeping dividend payout ratio above 50%.
Nikkei Markets

CIMB Group's fourth quarter net profit falls 24% on year

Lender flags pressure on net interest margin as central bank's rate cut looms

An employee enters Foxconn Science and Technology Industrial Park in Shanxi Province, China, on Feb. 22.
Coronavirus

Foxconn: China production to return to normal this month

iPhone supplier expects coronavirus to cut quarterly revenue by up to 15%

BYD's sales of new-energy vehicles have dropped for seven straight months through January. (Photo by Takashi Kawakami)
Automobiles

China's BYD collects $190m in subsidies for electric cars

Automaker's finances strained after Beijing cut incentives

Thailand is a leading center for medical tourism in Asia. A growing niche in this important industry is made up of people seeking HIV prevention treatments that are expensive or unavailable elsewhere.
Asia Insight

Thai medical tourism expands into new area: HIV prevention

Cost, stigma and lack of education slow PrEP pill's rollout across Asia

A woman peers into her phone on a rainy night in Beijing: Across Asia, con artists and cyberthieves are looking to take advantage of fear of the coronavirus.
Coronavirus

Coronavirus scams prey on the fearful in China, Japan and beyond

Knockoff masks, malicious emails and fake news spread alongside outbreak

A Kuomintang rally in Kaohsiung: Johnny Chiang's election occurs amid a growing distrust toward Beijing on the island.
Politics

Xi stays silent as Taiwan's new Kuomintang leader takes reins

Beijing mindful of opposition party's pivot from China-leaning stance

Seniority has already been playing less of a role in determining pay in Japan.
Datawatch

Japan's middle-age salarymen face pay cuts as seniority loses sway

Median salary for 55-year-old men plunges 14% since 2000

A Myanmar trainee at an Osaka factory: The Burmese union has received complaints over unpaid wages and excessive overtime in recent years. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Myanmar workers in Japan join top labor group

Unions aim to give voice to fast-growing legion of foreign employees

The Wuhan coronavirus outbreak has left Macao casinos with few customers other than city residents.
Society

Macao locals' gambling habits prompt rising concern

Casino operators expected to face new obligations to combat addiction

A woman wearing protective mask stands as she waits for a commuter train at a station in Jakarta on March 2.
Interview

Asia must rely less on dollar to cushion shocks: ADB chief

Asakawa proposes currency basket system as virus hits region's economies

Jimmy Lai walks out from a police station after being bailed out on Feb. 28: the arrest is a warning signal to the protesters.
Opinion

Hong Kong activist arrests will reinflame pro-democracy protests

Government used cover of coronavirus to take Jimmy Lai and others into custody

Ties between the U.S. and India could strengthen but it will be a marriage of convenience.
Opinion

Asian leaders underestimate danger of Trump's reelection

US-China conflict would worsen and existing alliances would suffer

AI is creating unfamiliar possibilities.
Opinion

It is time for G-20 to give way to tech-driven AI-20

Multilateral body based on harnessing artificial intelligence is way forward

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, meet in China on Dec. 24, in what was their first official summit in roughly a year and a half.
The latest version of the Jimny features a streamlined design.
Life

The Suzuki Jimny: a tiny SUV with a big cult following

Cute to some, cool to others, the Japanese micromachine is still selling out

A special 2018 feature in Idea magazine.
Arts

Tokyo's manifesto for graphic design still relevant 66 years on

Idea magazine remains global champion of print even as it embraces the Instagram age

The Japanese Olympic team enters the National Stadium during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on Oct. 10, 1964. 
Tea Leaves

Japan's Olympic challenge holds echoes of 1964

Tokyo overcame huge problems first time around and could do it again, coronavirus permitting