July 1st, 2021

The Lives of the Party

The Chinese Communist Party turns 100. How much longer does it have?

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The Big Story

The lives of the party: The Chinese Communist Party turns 100

Xi is the strongest leader in a generation. But is his strength the CCP's greatest weakness?

As the Chinese Communist Party celebrates its centennial, not a single challenger is on the horizon, not to the general secretary nor the system itself.

The security law has produced a "chilling effect covering the entire Hong Kong society," says Toru Kurata, a politics and law professor at Rikkyo University.

Asia Insight

How the National Security Law transformed Hong Kong in one year

Legislation forces people to migrate, steer clear of politics in 'South Shenzhen'

Sam Bankman-Fried is worth $8.7 billion, shares an apartment with roommates, wears T-shirts and shorts to work, and sleeps on bean bag chairs.

Business Spotlight

Hong Kong's 29-year-old crypto billionaire: FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried

Value of exchange business led by US entrepreneur jumps 20-fold in a year

A health care worker prepares a Sinovac shot in Jakarta: The Chinese vaccine made up 90% of the doses Indonesia had received as of late June.

COVID vaccines

Chinese vaccines: Sinovac needs outweigh doubts in Indonesia

Five things to know about the role of China's shots in ASEAN's coronavirus fight

A Samsung factory in Vietnam: The Southeast Asian country produces half of all the South Korean company's smartphones.

Climate Change

Samsung urged to use 100% green energy in South Korea and Vietnam

Greenpeace says electronics giant lags Amazon and Total in renewables use

A Thai farmer gathers rice straw in Nakhon Sawan Province, north of Bangkok.

Economy

Thailand strives to regain position as world's biggest rice exporter

Competition with rivals on price and quality to get tougher

SoftBank

SoftBank makes rare early bet on startup by ex-Infosys CEO

US AI company Vianai Systems to launch products as early as this year

Ride-hailing company DiDi Chuxing is targeting what could be the year's biggest Chinese IPO in the U.S.

IPO

Chinese ride-hailer Didi seeks $4bn in US IPO

Tech group scales back expectations after Beijing steps up regulatory scrutiny

President Rodrigo Duterte, left, has ruled the Philippines very differently from his recently deceased predecessor, the relatively liberal Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. (Source photos by Reuters)

Politics

Noynoy Aquino's death gives Duterte dynasty upper hand

Passing of former Philippine president shifts landscape ahead of 2022 polls

Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.

International relations

The first AI conflict? Israel's Gaza operation gives glimpse of future

Sophisticated algorithm leads to 90% of rocket fire being intercepted

The NUG gained a sliver of hope for a possible path back to power by taking a groundbreaking position toward the Rohingya. (Source photos by Getty Images and Kachinwaves/AFP/Jiji)

Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar parallel government woos Rohingya in bid for legitimacy

NUG embraces Muslim minority to win foreign support but may backfire at home

Toshiba's June 25 annual general meeting was seen as a test of corporate governance.

The Nikkei View

Toshiba must restructure its management and take responsibility

Additional investigation into unfair shareholders meeting is urgently needed

A pro-democracy protester prays during a demonstration in Bangkok in December 2020: the current Thai political conflict has a generational and ideological divide.

Opinion

A breakdown in trust is eroding Thai social cohesion

Overcoming public polarization will be a monumental task

Saudi Aramco's oil facility in Abqaiq, pictured in October 2019: crude supply has been deliberately restricted.

Opinion

Surging oil prices are a crucial test for OPEC+ nations

Producers' alliance must not become a victim of its own success

Fifteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and 15 years after his first visit, writer and photographer Ian Lloyd Neubauer returned to the Balinese tourist town of Ubud to see how it has fared.

Life

In Ubud: not much to eat, lots of prayer, no love

Once bursting with tourists, Bali's spiritual capital looks like a ghost town

A selection of biryanis from Veg Gulati restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Veg Gulati restaurant)

Tea Leaves

Space travel puts spotlight on India's best-loved dishes

Astronauts to feast on biryani and khichdi when they launch next year