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October 6th, 2022

The money blizzard

Asia's central banks reckon with the aftermath of COVID-19

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The Big Story

The money blizzard: Asia's central banks reckon with the aftermath of COVID-19

Governments from Japan to Thailand grapple with inflation, currency chaos and 'zombie companies' after biggest-ever bailout

A combination of post-pandemic debt, inflation and currency fluctuations has thrown central banks throughout Asia into chaos this year. 
Asian and U.S. chipmakers are building and expanding facilities across America as the federal and state governments roll out incentives for investment. (Source photos by Yifan Yu, Samsung and TSMC) 
Business Spotlight

Chipping in: How U.S. states woo the likes of TSMC and Samsung

Subsidies, big tax breaks and size of the workforce go into the equation

Chinese soldiers at Shek Kong Barracks, Hong Kong, in 2017. China’s military build-up has alarmed the U.S., which has acted to restrict American investment in companies deemed to have connections to the People’ Liberation Army. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)
US-China tensions

China's military companies tap new investors after U.S. sanctions

Scramble for state-backed shareholders aims to offset curbs on foreign capital

Supported by the popularity of BTS, Hybe has attracted would-be artists from around the world to form a pool of trainees and built a structure to mass-produce K-pop idols. (Photo courtesy of Hybe)
Media & Entertainment

BTS's talent agency in rapid business diversification mode

New artists debuted, game business launched to cut reliance on K-pop sensation

Ardelia Apti, CEO Mapan, is offering reasonably priced household items that improve quality of life in a bid to grow the fintech's customer base. (Photo by Nana Shibata) 
Startups

Indonesia fintech Mapan targets 10m households in dash for growth

Company has digitized traditional community savings model

A competition for the best of the best workers is heating up across Asia, as governments and companies seek the talent they need to accelerate growth in the wake of COVID-19.
Asia Insight

From Singapore to Thailand, Asia dangles visas to lure high-fliers

New programs kick off as companies struggle to find skilled workers

The Khmer Rouge meticulously recorded their murdered victims at S-21/Tuol Sleng, including with high-quality photographs. (Photo by Dominic Faulder)
International relations

'Spotlighting horror': Tribunal helps Cambodia find closure

Khmer Rouge got away with mass murder, but not the last word

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari trade places to deliver remarks after meeting at the State Department in Washington on Sept. 26.
International relations

India, China loom over Pakistan's push to repair ties with U.S.

Restart of Washington's military assistance to Islamabad upsets New Delhi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the revamped Kartavya Path, earlier known as Rajpath, leading to the country's seat of power, on Sept. 8.
Politics

Modi chips away at India's colonial relics as critics doubt motives

Changes to names and buildings bring debate over Hindu nationalist agenda

A tour group from the Philippines visits a shrine in Tokyo in July. Japan will no longer require visitors to sign up for packages. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Coronavirus

Japan details October's full tourism reopening: 6 things to know

All 68 visa exemptions restored; vaccines on WHO emergency list will be accepted

Vladimir Putin attends the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Sept. 7: Russia's relations with key Southeast Asia nations now appear in jeopardy.
Opinion

Southeast Asia will not be Russia's lifeline

Western sanctions dampen regional enthusiasm for closer Moscow ties

Victims of flooding walk with their cattle in Sehwan, Pakistan, on Sept. 9: The country will be difficult to live in because of flooding within thirty years.
Opinion

Emerging problems can only be effectively addressed globally

Conflict within and between nations to grow as planet heats

The Shang Sisters: Winnie Ho, left, Janet Lee, center, and Mian Tan. Their eponymous second album, released in June, is a mix of originals and covers of old Malay and Mandarin language classics, interspersed with snatches of sounds and conversations from Malaysian history. (Courtesy of the Shang Sisters)
Arts

Southeast Asia leads vintage Chinese jazz revival

A century on, 'indecent' Shidaiqu music is blossoming in Malaysia and Singapore

Tattoos may not have yet entered the mainstream in Japan, but the stigma surrounding them is fading. (Screenshot from Red Bunny Tattoo's Instagram page)
Tea Leaves

Japan's 'cool' tattoo culture reflects changing values

Indelible body art is no longer confined to ranks of the underworld