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May 16th, 2024

India's Instagrab

Modi's reelection bid weaponizes social media influencers

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The Big Story

India's Instagrab: Modi's re-election bid weaponizes social media influencers

BJP leaves nothing to chance, boosting favorable online celebrities while suppressing dissent

As more than 900 million Indian voters head to the polls, influencers on Instagram, X and other platforms have become key pawns in the ruling BJP's bid for a third term in power.
Google and other U.S. tech giants play a key role in laying international undersea cables that bypass Chinese influence. 
Datawatch

More subsea cables bypass China as Sino-U.S. tensions grow

No new projects will connect the country after 2025 as focus shifts to Southeast Asia

A People's Liberation Army honor guard in Tiananmen Square on Jan. 1:  Xi Jinping's strategy of putting loyalists into key positions in the military has backfired.
Opinion

Xi Jinping's vision of war seen in creation of 'Information Force'

New branch likely to handle electronic warfare and psychological operations

Supporters of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at a campaign rally in Bengaluru on April 20: New Delhi's model of democracy promotion focuses on supporting democratic processes.
Opinion

West needs to realize India values democracy differently

New Delhi prefers to offer itself as a positive example rather than proselytize

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to the national anthem during his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 7. (Pool via Reuters)
The Nikkei View

Democratic camp must unite to contain the 'Putin empire'

Russia cannot be allowed to change status quo by force

The artificial intelligence revolution relies on cutting-edge components known as high-bandwidth memory, and demand for it is shaking up the memory chip market.  
Business Spotlight

AI memory emerges as new battleground for SK Hynix, Samsung and others

Demand for high-bandwidth memory is driving competition -- and prices -- higher

Japan's major trading houses are aiming to maintain high returns despite weaker commodity prices.
Business trends

Buffett-backed trading houses target double-digit ROEs, above Japan's average

Conglomerates announce dividend rises and share buybacks at earning conferences

Customers look at new Huawei Pura 70 series smartphones: Smartphone sales for Huawei Technologies have rebounded recently.
China tech

Huawei breaks free from Google ecosystem with homegrown OS

HarmonyOS Next targets Internet of Things and car demand along with smartphones

Australia’s popular Aboriginal gift and decor brand, Koh Living, works with Indigenous artists. (Photo by Rurika Imahashi)
Retail

Australian furnishings featuring Aboriginal artwork catch on

Artists hope products convey spirit and stories of Indigenous community

Lawrence Wong, left, will succeed Lee Hsien Loong as Singapore's prime minister on May 15. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Tomoki Mera)
Asia Insight

New Singapore PM Lawrence Wong's test: Change with continuity

Incoming leader expected to 'refresh' job support, 'listen' to diverse voices

A woman tries to cool down in the Philippines in April 2024. People around Asia should expect more scorching weather as the year unfolds. 
Climate Change

Asia braces for more extreme weather like 2023, world's hottest year

Health fallout set to worsen as severe heat, dryness and rain have already hit region

A memorial in Yeoncheon, South Korea, depicting a 1968 infiltration by North Korean agents on a mission to assassinate then-South Korean President Park Chung-hee. (Photo by Steven Borowiec) 
Defense

South Korea border area keeps calm despite growing threat from North

Seoul has accused Pyongyang of planting mines in roads that symbolized friendly ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a news conference on May 9. Both countries have declared an "all weather" partnership. (Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP)
International relations

Xi's Hungary trip sets stage for China to gain ground in Eastern Europe

Slovakia expected to seek closer ties with Beijing as EU rift over China widens

Women at work at the Khiva Silk Carpet Workshop in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The facility opened in 2001 with backing from sources including UNESCO. (All photos by Charukesi Ramadurai)
Arts

Uzbekistan's traditional carpets make a comeback

British adventurer helps to revive skills lost during communist rule

Curries vary by type and flavor not only from country to country, but from home to home. (All photos by Meenakshi J)
Tea Leaves

Global curry trail crosses continents

Variations of the traditional Tamil dish have conquered the culinary world