Asia
Spokes without a hub
How dangerous would Asian security be without America?
The balance of power is harsher for allies in Asia than in Europe
Infrastructure and aesthetics
Are these the world’s most beautiful airports?
What spectacular new terminals reveal about a country
Strongman in the dock
The global importance of Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest
Thugs in high office can be deterred. But only if politics allows
Kiwi exodus
Why New Zealanders are emigrating in record numbers
The government may not be able to reverse the trend
Applying pressure
Indonesia’s shakedown of Apple comes to an end
But the iPhone maker got the better of the negotiations
A scary new game
Asian allies fear being dumped by Trump
America’s friends in the Indo-Pacific live in dread of being abandoned like Ukraine
Aid in Asia
Donald Trump’s cuts to USAID will hurt Asia, too
Even less aid-dependent countries, such as India, will be affected
Faith estate
A new law targets India’s third-biggest landowner: Allah
Narendra Modi’s government seeks control of thousands of Muslim sites
DOGE days in Jakarta
Prabowo Subianto is drastically cutting Indonesia’s budget
The cash saved is going into a new fund he controls
Keeping it in the family
The election in Tajikistan is unlikely to be democratic
Instead it will be a way for Emomali Rahmon, the president, to cement his rule
Banyan
How overt religiosity became cool in India
The Maha Kumbh Mela shows how tradition has become trendy