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September 29th, 2022

Asia's ticking debt bomb

Sri Lanka's economic crisis sounds alarm bells in Laos, Bangladesh and across the region

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The Big Story

Asia's ticking debt bomb: Sri Lanka crisis sounds alarm bells across region

Disaster looms in Laos, Bangladesh and elsewhere as China seems reluctant to take losses on Asian loans

A customer hands over Sri Lankan rupee banknotes at an open market in the capital, Colombo. The country is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades. 
A worker arranges staple goods inside a Reliance supermarket in Mumbai, India. The company wants to get its consumer brands on the shelves of retailers around the nation.
Business Spotlight

From soap to soda: India's Reliance ramps up consumer goods push

Adani Wilmar, Unilever, ITC face fresh competition from massive conglomerate

Workers in Singapore: Asian employers are more eager to bring people back to offices than Western companies, research suggests.
Coronavirus

From Singapore to Japan, workers get restless as offices call

Surveys signal clash between employer and employee priorities after COVID

Aiming to get its own chips back into production as early as this year, Huawei has redesigned some of its core chips so they can be produced with older technology that is more readily available in China, sources said. (Source photo by Reuters) 
Semiconductors

Huawei dives into chip production to battle U.S. clampdown

Telecom equipment maker is partnering with fellow blacklisted companies

Chinese efforts to develop suspected dual-use ports in countries surrounding India -- dubbed a "string of pearls" -- have attracted attention for years.
Asia Insight

Indian Ocean rivalry: China's naval maneuvers irk New Delhi

Submarine deals and ship deployment hint at Beijing's power projection

Tensions between China and the U.S. over Taiwan show no signs of abating. (Source photos by AP) 
Taiwan tensions

Taiwan act puts Washington's 'One China' policy at risk

'Beijing and Washington are in a security dilemma, a vicious cycle': analyst

Newly elected Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt prays at a shrine inside Bangkok Metropolitan City Hall on June 1.
Interview

Bangkok governor battles floods, red tape to attract investment

Chadchart Sittipunt says ambitions still local despite calls to aim higher

A vendor sells vegetables in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Aug. 31. The country's inflation rate hit 27.3% in the month, the highest in decades.
Economy

Pakistan's IMF loan shows few signs of stopping economic slide

'Hope is not a strategy,' economist says, calling for more drastic measures

Inspectors from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board are in Hong Kong to examine the audit records of selected Chinese companies currently listed on U.S. exchanges.
US-China tensions

U.S. probes Chinese company audits: 4 things to know

Inspections begin in Hong Kong as Washington threatens companies with delisting

Decorative lights are turned off to save power in Shanghai on Aug. 22: Beijing may have to switch to serious helicopter money.
Opinion

China is finally facing up to the limits of economic stimulus

Country looks set to fall well short of annual growth target

Artisans spin cotton during an event to promote hand-woven cloth in Ahmedabad on Aug. 27: India's export basket has a strong bias toward low-value raw materials.
Opinion

India will need more than a target to triple its exports

Trade pacts with EU and others will be vital to reaching Modi's goal

Thanks to enterprising organizations lie Sari Knot Sari, I was a Sari, and Sari for Change, used material from the traditional Indian garment is turning up in wardrobes instead of landfills. (Nikkei montage; photos courtesy of Sari Knot Sari, I was a Sari, Sari for Change)
Arts

Old saris, new purpose: Upcycling clothing and lives

Global entrepreneurs find fresh market for iconic Indian garment

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Westminster Hall in London on Sept. 14. The pomp that accompanied the queen's funeral was steeped in the kind of elaborate symbolism and arcane rituals seen in parts of Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Tea Leaves

Why Britain's royal succession resonates in Asia

Queen Elizabeth's funeral highlights similar focus on reinforcing national identity