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March 24th, 2022

The People's president

Indonesia's Jokowi still has lots to do

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The Big Story

Unfinished business: Indonesia's Jokowi still has lots to do

The 'People's President' talks to Nikkei Asia about growth, the new capital and whether two terms is enough

Indonesian President Joko Widodo's ability to charm is increasingly being tested as he tries to please both the public and big business. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in 2014 and had planned to serve a full elected term until 2023, but his way ahead is far from clear.  
Asia Insight

Rifts in Thailand's fractious coalition threaten early election

Prime Minister Prayuth less certain of lasting full term to 2023

GoTo is hoping that by listing in Indonesia its shares can escape the undertow that has dragged away value from other newly listed super app providers. (Source photos by  GoTo Group and AFP/Jiji) 
Business Spotlight

Indonesia holds key to GoTo's 'aggressive' IPO valuation

Super apps burn through cash in fight for Southeast Asia's biggest digital market

COVID-19 testing near Rennes, France: The country is one of a handful of European states to have detected cases of a hybrid variant combining delta and omicron.
Coronavirus

'Deltacron' variant: 5 things to know as experts downplay danger

Early signs suggest scarily nicknamed COVID hybrid unlikely to pose unique risk

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House. (Photo courtesy of the White House)
Ukraine war

Strong NATO, weak U.S., puzzled China: Ukraine war hints at new order

Quad members Japan and India take different stances on siding with West

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Victory Day parade in Moscow in May 2019. Putin wants to restore Russia as a great power and gain more international respect. (Handout photo from Kremlin Press Office)
Opinion

Reviving the empire: Putin follows path of Stolypin and Stalin

Russian invasion reflects Ukraine's tragic, war-torn history

Yoon Suk-yeol during his election campaign rally in Seoul on Mar. 8: expectations and scrutiny will be riding high for the incoming Yoon administration.
Opinion

South Korea's new president will reshape regional dynamics

Denuclearization will be a litmus test of North Korea's sincerity

Kunashiri, called Kunashir in Russia, is one of the islands that has stood in the way of a peace treaty between Japan and Russia for decades.
International relations

After Ukraine, Japan reverts to old line on Russian-controlled islands

Shinzo Abe's nuanced language gone as outlook for negotiations dims

Buy now, pay later payment platforms are proving a harder sell with consumers in Asian compared with other markets, despite early investor excitement over the latest financial technology trend.
Finance

From Hong Kong to Philippines, 'buy now, pay later' a tough sell

Much-hyped consumer financing method lags behind mobile wallets in Asia

The Forest City project in Malaysia's state of Johor has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, but is still aiming for completion in 2035. Residential apartments under construction are pictured in early 2019.
Property

China-backed Malaysia megacity project struggles to gain momentum

Country Garden's $100bn offshore development still slowed by pandemic headwinds

The 1915 Canakkale Bridge has the world's longest central section of 2,023 meters, some 30 meters longer than Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. (Anadolu Agency)
Construction

Turkey opens world's longest suspension bridge, built by 'K-tech'

South Korean consortium's speed and funding puts Japanese rivals on back foot

The latest powerful earthquake to rock Japan derailed a Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train on March 16.
Natural disasters

Earthquake derails Japan's bullet train, cuts supply chains

Toyota halts factories, while railways foresee long path to resumption

As sake gains popularity in Taiwan, more people are discovering its versatility when paired with food. (Courtesy of the Wufeng Farmers' Association Winery)  
Life

Taiwan sake boom starts to challenge Japanese traditions

Local producers face quality hurdles in the premium market

Uluru, the massive sandstone monolith also known as Ayers Rock, is one of Australia's most important Indigenous sites. (Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

Time to listen to Australia's Indigenous voices

After 234 years, original inhabitants deserve proper hearing