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July 9th, 2020

ALL FROTH

Luckin Coffee raised billions of dollars on promises it could not keep

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The Big Story

The Luckin scandal: fake sales, power struggles and a 'broken model'

How a Chinese tech darling went from startup wonder to market pariah

All froth: Luckin Coffee, whose store count outstripped Starbucks' in China, claimed high-tech credentials as it expanded rapidly through the country and listed overseas.
An artist's rendering of the SpaceX Crew Dragon: The May launch shows it is possible for a private company to send people into orbit, something deemed impractical a decade or so ago.
Business Spotlight

SpaceX success has Asia startups dreaming of the stars

From Japan to Singapore, space companies face financial and technical challenges

Apple is racing to make sure its first-ever 5G smartphones are released with as little delay as possible. (Nikkei Montage/Reuters/Getty Images) 
Technology

Apple races to push ahead with 5G iPhone mass production

US tech titan to make more older handsets to offset coronavirus disruption

A protester, right, dressed as a Chinese policeman gestures during a protest in Causeway Bay in front of department store Sogo on July. 1.
Business trends

Hong Kong law leaves companies wary of fuzzy 'red line'

Banks and retailers fear inadvertently violating national security legislation

PlayStation 4 units come off the assembly line at a pace of about one every 30 seconds. (Photo by Kento Awashima)
Companies

PlayStation's secret weapon: a nearly all-automated factory

Robots carry on legacy of craftsmanship at little-known Kisarazu plant

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths have been lower in Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps than in surrounding host communities. (Photo by Mohamad Hafiz Johari)
Asia Insight

Rohingya scapegoated as Bangladesh battles COVID-19

Pandemic threatens aid to both poor host communities and refugees

Stream article image
International relations

Thousands of US troops will shift to Asia-Pacific to guard against China

German contingent to redeploy to Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, Japan and Australia

An armed conflict between China and India, Kashmiris have come to believe, might be a good thing. (Photo by Bhat Burhan)
International relations

Kashmiris see ray of hope in India-China standoff in Himalayas

Locals expect help but global community remains silent about Delhi's crackdown

Shanghai's financial district, pictured on June 5: China has to take ownership of how ESG standards are implemented in its capital markets.
Opinion

China needs to untangle its rules for ESG reporting

Companies and government are willing to disclose more and better information

Gojek motorcycle taxi driver waits for passengers during a partial lockdown in Jakarta on May 1: gig workers have been left with nowhere to go.
Opinion

Gig economy must share rewards as well as risks with workers

COVID-19 has caused many on digital platforms to lose their jobs

Toyota Motor, which just began producing pickup trucks at its new plant in Mexico in February, faces a dilemma.
The Nikkei View

New North American trade pact puts toll on Asian companies

Exporters seen passing cost to American consumers

Travel guides on Southeast Asia from Lonely Planet, Moon Guides, Rough Guides, Insight Guides and Reise Know How. (Tom Vater)
Life

Guidebooks in the age of COVID-19

Travel writing industry faces challenges even after lockdown restrictions ease

The International Departure Lobby of Narita Airport's Terminal 1 is deserted due to the effects of the new coronavirus on June 10. (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Tea Leaves

The new geopolitics of travel bubbles

Stakes rise in East Asia as tourist restrictions are eased