alt

August 22nd, 2024

Reviving Southeast Asia's old air hubs

Region's airlines seek business travelers willing to pay more for convenience

View all editions

The Big Story

Southeast Asia's old air hubs are revving back to life

Region's airlines seek business travelers willing to pay more for convenience

A Batik Air Airbus A320 prepares for takeoff from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport: The Lion Air Group unit is seeking to position its flights from the airfield as a premium service. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Many startups in Japan struggle with growth after going public, possibly starved of funding as mature firms refrain from reallocating surplus back to investors.
Datawatch

Japan's startups struggle to grow past '2nd death valley'

Flow of funds from mature firms back to investors seen as key to more dynamism

A Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts factory that makes transmission systems for hybrid cars in Bidadi, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
Opinion

India is well placed to become the 'next China' and drive global growth

Nation faces opportunities and challenges in becoming an economic powerhouse

The spotlight is back on corruption in the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Opinion

Xi's anti-graft purge of the PLA is limited and has dubious motives

Efforts are as much about ensuring loyalty to China's leader as tackling corruption

Supporters of the French far-right National Rally party react at the party's election-night headquarters on June 9 in Paris.
The Nikkei View

Global election results show importance of functioning democracy

Growing populism, confusion could benefit authoritarian regimes

Nvidia dominates the AI chip market but newcomers are looking to make their mark. (Nikkei montage/Photo by Yoshiyuki Tamai, AP and Edgecortex website)
Business Spotlight

Nvidia vs. the startups: AI chip challengers chase efficiency

Asia seen as strategic location for applications run by PCs, industrial devices

A Starbucks cafe in Shanghai. The chain's comparable store sales in China plunged 14% on the year in the April-June period. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Food & Beverage

Starbucks' new CEO Brian Niccol inherits a China headache

Cafe chain faces sliding sales in No. 2 market as consumers turn thriftier

A general view of Mes Aynak valley is seen some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.
Commodities

Taliban and Chinese partner restart copper project, reigniting worries

Pollution of nearby area, destruction of relics feared in Mes Aynak development

Paetongtarn Shinawatra has risen to Thailand's prime ministerial post on the strength of her father Thaksin's influence, but with that influence weakening, tough challenges lie in store for the 37-year-old as she takes up her first role in government. (Photo by Shinya Sawai) 
Asia Insight

Thailand's latest Shinawatra PM walks the same economic, political tightrope

Paetongtarn takes office with growth the key issue as father Thaksin calls party shots

Workers construct a pedestrian walkway near the State Palace and the eagle-shaped Garuda Palace in Indonesia's new capital Nusantara on Borneo.
Business trends

Indonesia's new capital Nusantara attracts increased investor interest

Prabowo asserts support for project amid private sector doubts

Workers at a commercial housing complex under construction by China Vanke in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. Labor disputes involving the property and manufacturing sectors have swelled in the first half of 2024 due to an economic slowdown.
Economy

Strikes hit China's property, manufacturing sectors as growth slows

Labor disputes reflect disparities in the country's social safety net

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus at Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris on Aug. 7. The microcredit pioneer was asked to lead a caretaker government in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh turmoil

Nobel winner Yunus picking up 'mess' left by ousted Bangladesh PM

Microcredit pioneer in charge after nemesis Sheikh Hasina flees

The Indonesian island of Maratua boasts a number of virtually empty beaches with superb reef snorkeling just off the shore. (All photos by Oliver Raw)
Life

Maratua beckons tourists seeking low-key alternative to Bali

Indonesian island expects rise in visitors after relocation of national capital

The friendship bridge spanning the Tiau River serves as an important commercial lifeline between the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram and western Myanmar's Chin state. 
Tea Leaves

Thai border town offers geopolitical lesson for India

Bangkok's discreet yet pragmatic stance on Myanmar refugees works better than India's hostility