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Features

6 May 2026
Shinichi Moriyama, head of Kyoto Fusioneering's plasma heating division, checks on its gyrotron, which is used in nuclear fusion. (Photo by David Cortez)
The Murum hydroelectric dam in Sarawak is a key component of the Malaysian state’s expanding hydropower portfolio. (Sarawak Energy)
ASEAN Money

Singapore power plan buoys Sarawak's green energy ambitions

Malaysian state on Borneo seeking to become the 'battery of Southeast Asia'

5 May 2026
According to the Hong Kong exchange, 409 listing applications from companies are currently “under processing”. 
Trading Asia

Hong Kong's new listing pipeline undeterred by Iran war volatility

AI/tech leads "billions" in capital raised, with total outpacing Nasdaq and NYSE combined

4 May 2026
U.S. Navy cadets with the Maine Maritime Academy tour the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) State of Maine at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, on Aug. 26, 2025. The yard acquired by the South Korean conglomerate in 2024 epitomizes its drive to build ships for the U.S. Navy and expand its global maritime defense presence.
Big in Asia

South Korea's Hanwha builds arms empire as Ukraine, Iran wars spur spending

Philly shipyard key to ties with US Navy; Firm ramps up global hardware sales

2 May 2026
Workers stitch together garments at an Urmi Group factory in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, in April 2025. 
Policy Asia

Bangladesh clothing makers look to trade deals to revive exports

Cooling Western consumer confidence could accelerate declines in monthly shipments

1 May 2026
Xi Jinping needs a victory heading into the next Chinese Communist Party congress, in 2027, and a handshake with Sanae Takaichi just might give it to him. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Suzuki, Reuters and Getty Images)
China Up Close

Analysis: How the Shenzhen APEC summit might reshape Japan-China ties

A simple handshake could give Xi Jinping a 'complete success' ahead of party congress

30 April 2026
An Apple store in Beijing. China has recently become a major bright spot for iPhone sales.
Tech Asia

What China holds in store for Apple's new CEO

John Ternus set to take reins as India shift struggles, iPhone pressure mounts

28 April 2026
President Prabowo Subianto refers to Garuda Indonesia as a "national pride," but the flag carrier has been struggling with financial losses and long-standing structural problems. Now it must navigate the repercussions of the Iran war. 
ASEAN Money

Iran war casts Garuda Indonesia into even more turbulent skies

Surging fuel and other costs threaten to send troubled airline deeper into the red

28 April 2026
Tokyo's residential property market, which was previously buoyant, has begun to soften, with inflation squeezing budgets and higher interest rates making mortgages more costly. (Photo by Tomoki Mera) 
Trading Asia

Tokyo condo boom cools off as interest rates rise

Inventory of unsold properties rises to the highest level in decades

27 April 2026
Markets in Tokyo and Seoul have hit record highs, while in Manila jeepney drivers went on strike last month to protest surging fuel costs. Economists warn the growing divide could trigger stagflation -- slower growth and accelerated inflation. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Big in Asia

Asia's great disconnect: Markets boom as Iran war fuels cost of living crisis

AI fever lifts stocks to records while Strait of Hormuz closure pumps up oil prices

25 April 2026
Lunchtime smokers and heat-not-burn cigarette users in Tokyo in 2021: Japan's new government budget reduced the tax gap that favored HNB cigarettes, a move that could benefit state-backed Japan Tobacco. (Sipa via AP Images)
Policy Asia

State ownership complicates smoking battle in Japan and China

Asian governments reap hefty dividends from control of leading cigarette makers

24 April 2026
Xi Jinping finds himself in a dilemma. He cannot directly criticize Donald Trump for putting China's crude oil imports at risk without jeopardizing a summit he dearly covets. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Getty Images)
China Up Close

Analysis: US blockade of Hormuz casts shadow over Trump's China visit

As pressures mount on Chinese economy's choke point, Xi poised for counteroffensive

23 April 2026
Coupang has built an impressive logistics service promising fast delivery throughout South Korea.
Business Asia

Small businesses struggle to coexist with 'South Korea's Amazon'

Regulators, politicians at odds with Coupang, the US e-commerce titan reshaping the economy

22 April 2026
Ho Chi Minh City has seen some of Asia's steepest property price jumps relative to income, with prices up 40% in the last 5 years, making the traditional Vietnamese method of cash buying no longer feasible. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
ASEAN Money

Mortgages go mainstream in Vietnam as generational values change

Even as interest rates rise, fast-growing economy has newfound thirst for home loans

21 April 2026
Demand for crude palm oil from Southeast Asia has surged because of the war in Iran, but future production is constrained by mounting fertilizer costs, climate change and aging palms. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Reuters)
Trading Asia

Iran war spurs surge in palm oil exports from Southeast Asia

Malaysian and Indonesian supply threatened by fertilizer costs and heat

20 April 2026
Attracting retail investors can be a double-edged sword for Japanese companies, as an increasing number of these shareholders are siding with activists seeking changes in management policy.
Datawatch

Japan's retail investors embrace shareholder activism

A survey finds 72% exercised voting rights in 2025

19 April 2026
Prospective pilgrims in South Tangerang, Indonesia, practice at a replica of the Kaaba that sits in the middle of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Each year the Hajj pilgrimage season attracts travelers from across Asia, home to about two-thirds of all Muslims.
Big in Asia

Asia's Muslims keep faith with Mecca pilgrimage despite Iran war fears

One of the world's largest mass gatherings begins, with more than 750,000 set to travel from the region for this year's Hajj

18 April 2026
Women join a rally for Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Assam's Morigaon District on March 30. (NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Policy Asia

Cash handouts to women voters reshape India's state elections

Incumbent parties test regulatory limits with timing of benefit payments

17 April 2026
Xi Jinping's meeting with Taiwanese opposition party leader Cheng Li-wun on April 10 in Beijing allowed the Chinese president to project a conciliatory mood toward some factions in Taiwan, particularly the KMT. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Xinhua/AP)
China Up Close

Analysis: Military purges prompted Xi Jinping to meet Taiwan KMT leader

Warm welcome for Cheng Li-wun demonstrates Beijing's hope for 'peaceful unification'

16 April 2026
(Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP) 
Tech Asia

China snaps up US chip tools via Southeast Asia amid supply chain shift

Imports from Singapore and Malaysia hit record as Chinese players' earnings surge

15 April 2026
All of Southeast Asia's three biggest banks, DBS Group Holdings, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. and United Overseas Bank, reported lower profits in 2025. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yuki Kohara and Akira Kodaka)
ASEAN Money

Singapore banks chase wealth inflows as Iran war lifts safe-haven appeal

DBS, OCBC and UOB cling to fee-based business amid interest rate uncertainties

14 April 2026
Pressure on the domestic economy and military strikes in the key oil-producing region of the Middle East are adding to the challenges faced by the Indonesia Stock Exchange. (Source photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Trading Asia

Indonesia's underperforming stock market faces credibility test

Transparency reforms answer MSCI concerns, but execution and investor confidence remain key

13 April 2026
Taxi drivers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the main arrivals point for Bangkok, await customers April 10.  Sectors across the Thai economy from tourism to farming, street food sales and fishing face a hit from the shortage of oil triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by Wissarut Weerasopon)
Big in Asia

Thailand feels heat as Iran war sparks energy shock

Mideast supplies 60% of Thai oil; Strait of Hormuz blockage 'among most severe crises in history'

11 April 2026
Party elder Wen Jiabao makes a statement by appearing in public in Beijing, and Xi Jinping sends his own message by shrugging away the stunt. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)
China Up Close

Analysis: What Wen Jiabao's rare public appearance reveals

Xi Jinping tolerates former premier's stunt as an olive branch to party elders

9 April 2026
Li Ka-shing, left, now 97, handed over control of his business empire to his eldest son Victor, right, eight years ago. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Business Asia

CK Hutchison to navigate 'world in turmoil' by scaling up

$23bn ports sale stalls, but Li Ka-shing family empire builds 'war chest' for fresh deals

8 April 2026
The head office of Cambodia's Asia-Pacific Development Bank: Last month, the lender severely restricted the amount of money depositors could withdraw each day. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Vantha Phoung) 
ASEAN Money

Cambodia banking jitters reflect concerns over wider economy

Soaring nonperforming loan rates and gloomy national outlook weigh on sector

7 April 2026
Bursa Malaysia, the country's stock exchange, is expected to play a key role in the new capital market master plan published by the securities regulator. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yuki Kohara and Akira Kodaka)
Trading Asia

Malaysia launches push to encourage local investors to buy stocks

Five-year plan seeks to expand capital market, encourage listings by large private firms

6 April 2026
Despite growing concerns about the environmental impact of plastics, their recycling remains limited, with less than 10% of global output reprocessed into new plastic or reused annually.
Datawatch

Global plastic recycling stalls at under 10%

Low rate raises alarms over climate impact and ecosystem damage

5 April 2026
Laopu Gold has become the latest homegrown darling of China's wealthy and investors alike, with designs that often incorporate traditional motifs and materials. (Source photos by Laopu Gold and Cissy Zhou) 
Big in Asia

China's 'Hermes of gold' courts turbulent world after dazzling at home

Laopu Gold boss shrugs off metal's price drop amid Iran war, eyes Southeast Asia and Japan

4 April 2026
A designated outdoor smoking area at Velana International Airport, the Maldives' main visitor gateway: President Mohamed Muizzu's government has expanded smoke-free spaces, banned e-cigarettes and tobacco advertising, increased tobacco taxes and boosted free smoking cessation programs. (Photo by Ashwa Faheem)
Policy Asia

'Generational' smoking phaseout in Maldives faces cloudy future

Politics poses threat to South Asia's latest attempt to root out tobacco

3 April 2026