Bisinomics

It’s the Year of the Fire Horse as the Chinese New Year celebrations commenced on 17 February. It is said to usher vibrant energy, adventure and transformation after the Year of the Snake, which was introspective.

A new leader takes over

Voters in Bangladesh have delivered a landslide victory to BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who has been sworn in as the new prime minister. The vote came 18 months after a Gen Z-led revolution sent the autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina into exile.

Landslide victory strengthens Japan's Iron Lady

The lady known affectionately as Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ has led the country’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a landslide electoral victory – the party won more than two-thirds of seats in the House of Representatives or Diet.

Taking a longer view

The Islamic Republic of Iran has just celebrated the 47th anniversary of its founding. Amid the bunting and fireworks foreign reporters detected a sense of foreboding they had not experienced previously.

Asia’s Pride and Prejudice with love in the shadows

Gay Asians of both genders were later than Americans and Europeans to campaign for LGBTQ+ rights. Now they lead forceful movements in several Asian countries. Rayeesa Daulah reports.When Asian American actor BD Wong won a Tony Award for his 1988 Broadway debut as a gender-bending Chinese spy in gay playwright David Henry Hwang’s M Butterfly, no one imagined that Wong was actually gay.

How democracy and elective monarchy sit side-by-side in Malaysia

Malaysia has an unusual system of governance in that both its parliament and its monarch are elected. But while adult citizens elect their parliamentary representatives, the king is elected from a field of nine sultans, hereditary rulers of their respective states, and only sultans get to vote.

Holding Myanmar’s rulers accountable

As Myanmar’s military rulers attempt to consolidate their hold on the country through elections, intended to restore at least a semblance of civilian rule, an independent programme outside the country known as the Myanmar Accountability Project (MAP) is on a regional mission to hold the military authorities accountable for their brutality. Director of MAP, Chris Gunness, reports on a visit to Timor-Leste.

Japan's Iron Lady takes full control

Nepal votes in Gen Z-inspired election

The people of Nepal go to the polls this month (5 March) after last year’s violent street protests and army intervention followed by a peaceful period of interim government. Kunda Dixit reports from Kathmandu.

Bisinomics

The United States’ military operation in Venezuela, culminating in the abduction and rendition to New York of its president, Nicolas Maduro, is potentially an economic blow to China. Chinese credit to the South American country amounts to around US$10 billion. The South China Morning Post, quoting analysts, reported that Caracas could challenge the very legitimacy of the debts.

Jakarta takes over as the world’s largest city

The Indonesian capital Jakarta has overtaken previous front runners Dhaka and Tokyo to become the world’s most populous city according to a United Nations report which reveals that all but one of the world’s largest cities are in Asia. Rahul Jaywant Bhise reports.

From TI to AI: India’s semiconductor journey

This month (February) New Delhi hosts the AI Impact Summit, a flagship global conference on artificial intelligence, recognition that India is in the top league of AI. Sham Banerji tells of its journey towards this milestone.