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August 29th, 2024

A very special relationship

Tighter U.S.-Japan alliance is unexpected legacy of Kishida-Biden era

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The Big Story

Tighter U.S.-Japan alliance is unexpected legacy of Kishida-Biden era

Uncertainty over successors threatens momentum of 'global partnership'

U.S. President Joe Biden, right, with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House in January 2023: Both are suddenly signaling their imminent departure from office, fueling uncertainty over their successors. (Pool via Reuters)
University students today prefer to buy experiences such as concerts over tangible goods like cars and brand-name goods.
Datawatch

Japan university student spending nears bubble-era peak

Higher part-time job wages spur buying of experiences rather than goods

Myanmar's military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, right, talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Naypyitaw, Myanmar, on Aug. 14. (Myanmar Military Information Team via AP)
Opinion

What does China really want from Myanmar?

The fall of Lashio marks a turning point for Beijing's pro-regime strategy

Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ousted Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from his post, citing a serious ethics violation. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Getty Images)
Opinion

Thai PM Srettha is out. Was this constitutional overreach?

Court blurs line between legal adjudication and political maneuvering

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra says she will ask for advice from her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
The Nikkei View

Thailand should not get bogged down in political turmoil

Infighting and interventions drive away foreign investment

Indian billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla, left, is battling rival Gautam Adani for control of India's cement sector, the world's second-biggest. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

Indian billionaires Adani and Birla wage 'cement war'

Expansion by rivals could spur price cuts in world's second-biggest market

The global chip market grew 18.3% in the second quarter. (Photo by Masayuki Kozono)
Semiconductors

AI-fueled demand buoys semiconductor market while legacy chips lag

Materials suppliers and producers in mature sectors left behind in current upcycle

A boy swims in a pool at a Vinhomes condominium complex in Ho Chi Minh City: Demand for housing in Vietnam's big cities outstrips supply, buoying prices.
Property

Vietnam's housing market sees green shoots of recovery

Fears of crash subside but apartment shortage persists

Luckin Coffee is one of several Chinese brands collaborating with the homegrown video game Black Myth on products. (VCG via AP )
Media & Entertainment

China's Black Myth attracts players, brands and game-averse Communists

PS5 sales jump as hit spawns merchandise deals, tourism promotions, counterfeits

Children from a kindergarten read at a public library in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province. The number of children enrolled in preschool education fell by 5 million in 2023 to 40.92 million, the lowest figure since 2014. (FeatureChina via AP)
Asia Insight

China's kindergarten closures foreshadow economic hit from falling births

20,000 schools shut in two years; Beijing seeks urgent solutions as workforce shrinks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019.
Economy

India economic report card triggers debate over China investment

Influential annual review encourages Delhi to loosen FDI rules to boost growth

The Philippine central bank has approved four new licenses for digital bank operators as more Filipinos go cashless.
Finance

Philippines eases digital bank cap as industry fights for profits

Central bank offers 4 new licenses, but experts see credit risk 'challenge'

Female workers in Bangladesh's garment factories face numerous pressures and hurdles.
Society

Bangladeshi women in garment industry held back by knowledge gap

'Magic bullet' of education seen as key to opening up managerial opportunities

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Life

A guide to Tokyo's vegan revolution

Some of the best plant-based eateries sprouting up across Japan's capital

A mainstream supermarket in Sri Lanka: A recent shopping trip by the author drove home the extent to which local agriculture has declined. (Photo by Zinara Rathnayake)
Tea Leaves

You can learn a lot from a country's supermarkets

Sri Lanka's economic crises and farming decline have driven up prices, led to shortages