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April 7th, 2022

Dark futures

Afghanistan's women reel from latest Taliban education ban

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The Big Story

Dark futures: Afghanistan's women reel from Taliban school ban

U-turn on female education jeopardizes international legitimacy and economic recovery

Female students across Afghanistan were crushed by news that their return to senior schools was to be postponed by the Taliban on March 23. The future of young women at institutions such as the Edrak Institute of Higher Education (pictured) remains bleak. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/UN Women)
In Oita Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, the local airport is rebranding as a spaceport for midair rocket launches. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Business Spotlight

The space(port) race: Asian nations jostle for rocket launch business

Japanese prefecture famed for hot springs will be base for Virgin Orbit of the U.S.

Shanghai on March 31: Over two years into the pandemic, China continues to resort to lockdowns to curb COVID-19 outbreaks.
Asia Insight

Shanghai's extended COVID lockdown highlights China's hazy exit path

Vaccination policies and need for stability delay shift to living with virus

The war in Ukraine is causing supply chain turmoil and threatening demand for the consumer electronics industry. 
Supply Chain

Apple to cut iPhone, AirPods output amid Ukraine war uncertainty

Lower orders to suppliers are early sign of pressure on tech industry

Taiwan tech titan TSMC says demand for consumer electronics is starting to slow, especially in China.
Supply Chain

TSMC says demand for smartphones, PCs starting to slow

Rising costs could be passed on to consumers, chairman of tech titan warns

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is fighting to save his government as a no-confidence vote looms.
Pakistan

Why is Pakistan's Imran Khan on the precipice? 5 things to know

Islamabad has been engulfed by yet another leadership crisis

Robots assemble a Nissan Leaf electric vehicle. Batteries are said to account for a third of the cost of an EV. (Photo courtesy of Nissan)
Materials

Japan battery material producers lose spark as China races ahead

Former market leaders turn to recycling and next-gen tech to regain lost ground

People arrive at a temporary accommodation center after fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Korczowa, Poland on March 3.
Indo-Pacific

From war to nuclear warheads, geopolitical risk hits boardrooms

Ukraine reminds companies that strategies cannot be based on peaceful outlook

A containership off Singapore: Europe accounts for 9% of ASEAN exports, according to Maybank.
Ukraine war

ASEAN faces 'collateral damage' from Ukraine war's Europe impact

From Singapore to Thailand, spillover threatens COVID-hit economies anew

A logo for a fast-food restaurant "Uncle Vanya" from a Russian patent filing, left; A closed McDonald's restaurant in the Moscow region. (McDonald's photo by Reuters)
Business trends

From McDonald's to IKEA, Western brands' Russia exit breeds copycats

Threat to seize assets hangs over companies' decision to distance themselves

An analysis of Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech on the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea indicated lower stress levels but an inward-looking mindset. (Source photo by Getty Images)
Ukraine war

Is Putin cracking? Voice analysis belies steely exterior

Russian leader's initial optimism of conflict gave way to high stress, audio indicates

Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Mar. 18: he looks and sounds increasingly like the pitiless Kremlin dictator. (Handout photo from Kremlin Press Office)
Opinion

Vladimir Putin turns to the Stalin playbook

The Great Terror continues to haunt Russia

Chinese troops dismantling their bunkers in Ladakh along the India-China border in February 2021: what stands out is the speed and scale with which China is redrawing facts on the ground without firing a shot. (Handout photo from the Indian Army)
Opinion

China continues its territorial advances in Asia

Strategy relies on a steady progression of actions to outmaneuver rival states

Icon Award winner Jeong Kwan shows off fresh produce she grows in her gardens at Baekyangsa Temple in South Korea. (Courtesy of Davin Park)
Life

Asia's newest celebrity chef elevates Korean temple food

From her mountain haven, Jeong Kwan's vegetarian cuisine reaches across the world

The Patpong Museum retraces the history of the Bangkok district from rice paddy to nightlife mile, via the Cold War. It features an exhibit on serial killer Charles Sobhraj, who picked up victims in the area and has returned to the spotlight following last year's release of the BBC/Netflix series, "The Serpent." (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Tom Vater, Netflix)  
Tea Leaves

Bangkok museum highlights curious fame of serial killer

Exhibition and TV drama keep Charles Sobhraj in the limelight