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February 2nd, 2023

The general in his labyrinth

Two years in, Min Aung Hlaing has undone any progress Myanmar saw under civilian rule

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The Big Story

Myanmar's iron-fisted ruler Min Aung Hlaing fights to stay on his throne

Two years after seizing power, the general has undone any progress made under civilian rule

Myanmar's Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, appears to be following in the footsteps of military leaders who believe themselves to be reincarnations of ancient Burmese warrior kings. 
Sule Pagoda in Yangon on Jan. 30: Two years after the military takeover, Myanmar can still see no way out of the darkness.
Asia Insight

Myanmar economy hobbled by military rule despite garment boom

Reliance on fewer foreign partners limits economic recovery prospects

Macao's gambling industry, a key pillar of its economy, has taken a beating from COVID and a crackdown on VIP bettors.
Business Spotlight

Macao gambles on diversification after crackdown on high rollers

VIP rooms out, vanilla tourism in as city seeks to steer economy in new direction

Vietnam is the largest steel producer among the 10 ASEAN members, and sluggish demand at home puts a damper on the country's overall economy.
Construction

Vietnam steel demand slumps as construction stumbles

Crackdown on corruption linked to real estate hammers domestic steelmakers

Nguyen Phu Trong, left, is presented with a bouquet by Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi in January 2021: Trong has viewed Phuc with suspicion due to his pro-Western stance and policy pragmatism.
Opinion

Vietnam is losing appeal as a land of stable, competent leadership

Purge of top officials is taking down technocrats favored by foreign investors

Lu Keh-Shew, chairman, president and CEO of U.S.-listed chipmaker Diodes, says having a secure semiconductor supply is now seen as a national security issue. (Photo by Cheng Ting-Fang)
Semiconductors

'China, non-China' supply chains inevitable: chipmaker Diodes CEO

Key Apple and Samsung supplier expects decade of strong growth in auto business

China and India are both planning to invest in the development and modernization of Bangladesh's Mongla port. (Port photo courtesy of Mongla Port Authority website)
International relations

Archrivals China, India move in to fund same Bangladesh port

Officials insist powers 'will not collide'; others warn of contest for influence

Taliban soldiers stand guard in Mes Aynak valley, around 40 km from Kabul, where China is eyeing massive copper reserves.
Terrorism

China's mining ambitions in Afghanistan haunted by militants

ISIS-K steps up threats and attacks as Beijing eyes oil and copper

Xi Jinping delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in October 2022: Xi's power has become a global problem.
Opinion

'Maximum Xi Jinping' will be costly for China and its people

Lack of constraints will be felt in economy, public health and foreign policy

The Muara Laboh geothermal plant, where Inpex is planning to double production through expansions. (Photo courtesy of Supreme Energy Muara Laboh)
Energy

Indonesia's geothermal plants billow with foreign investments

Japan's Inpex, Singapore's Start Energy join rush to develop renewable energy source

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump poses with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates after signing the Abraham Accords in Washington on Sept. 15, 2020. 
Comment

Ruthless power battles in Middle East give Asia a golden chance

China and South Korea keen to exploit Israeli-Arab rapprochement

Commuters wearing face masks arrive at Tokyo's Shinagawa Station on Jan. 20. The government is expected to adjust its advice on masking up, among other changes. (Photo by Yo Inoue) 
Coronavirus

What Japan's COVID threat downgrade means: 5 things to know

Masks, expense coverage, border controls to be reviewed alongside shift to flu status

Shinichi Suzuki with young students: The Suzuki Method of music education brought a universalizing and inclusive approach to what had once been regarded as a strictly Western art form. (Courtesy of Talent Education Research Institute)
Arts

How Suzuki Method conquered the music world

Despite global success, Japanese teacher dreamed even bigger, wanting to transform society at large

Khin Reth, 35, carries his 3-year-old son in rural Cambodia in 2003. The former soldier lost his leg to a land mine. (Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

How ghost of Khmer Rouge haunts a Cambodian holiday

Beyond Siem Reap's ancient temples, sobering reminders of land mines and past traumas