30 h. ago How Indonesian fintech firm is bridging funding gaps for women entrepreneurs

Across Indonesia’s vast archipelago, millions of women running small businesses in rural areas remain locked out of traditional banking – a gap increasingly filled by fintech firms offering microloans as economic pressures mount. One of the most prominent players in this space is Amartha, a Jakarta-based lending platform that connects borrowers in remote communities with financial institutions. Founded in 2010, it now counts about 3 million active borrowers – 99 per cent of them women operating...

Economics

3 d. ago Philippine senators split over legality of delaying Duterte’s impeachment trial

Mounting calls from legal scholars, civil society and protest groups are putting the Philippine Senate under pressure to launch an impeachment trial against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – even as her allies move to have the case dismissed. Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5 on a wide range of serious charges that include large-scale corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, his wife and the speaker of the house –...

Politics

5 d. ago Over 700 US scholars of China urge Rubio to pause student visa limits

More than 700 American scholars of China have signed a petition urging US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause moves to impose visa restrictions against Chinese students. The petition sent to America’s top diplomat on Friday comes about a week after he announced the State Department would “aggressively” revoke visas of Chinese students, including those with “connections” to China’s Communist Party and in “critical fields” as well as apply extra scrutiny to future applicants from mainland...

Politics

8 d. ago ‘We won’t tolerate it’: Japan’s maid cafe staff join fight against groping

Authorities in Japan are facing mounting pressure to curb groping in public places as complaints from victims, including maid cafe staff and high school students, continue to soar. On Sunday, Tokyo Metropolitan Police launched a campaign against chikan – a Japanese term referring to groping or sexual harassment – targeting assaults in crowded public spaces such as trains. Maid cafe staff and students were recently spotted in Tokyo distributing flyers denouncing groping outside the train station...

Politics

1 week ago Meet India’s answer to Pakistan’s Chinese jets: the AMCA stealth fighter

For decades, India’s most advanced fighter jets have borne the stamp of foreign origin. But the country’s quest for military self-reliance took a leap forward last week with the long-awaited go-ahead for its own stealth fighter jet. The Indian government’s green light for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is being lauded by analysts as a watershed moment for national security, as the country confronts mounting military pressures from both Pakistan and China. New Delhi’s Defence Ministry...

Events

1 week ago China fails to win over the public with second chances for disgraced officials

Debate is raging in China over the case of a young Communist Party cadre who was disciplined over a drinking spree two years ago and is now up for promotion. State media reports have portrayed Xie Qin, a 38-year-old township party chief in southwestern Yunnan province, as a positive example of rehabilitation. But the idea is unpopular among the public, with many taking to social media to express frustration at officials like Xie being given a second chance and even “rewarded” for their...

Politics

1 week ago Beijing’s marine science diplomacy can calm South China Sea tensions

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine...

Events

1 week ago How China’s maritime strategy is swapping force for research diplomacy

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine...

Politics

2 w. ago As US pressure mounts, top China party journal calls for worst

Beijing must prepare for the worst-case scenario in its trade talks with Washington, while embracing a narrative of China’s economic certainty, the Communist Party’s leading theoretical journal said in an article published hours before Washington escalated tech and education curbs on China. “The US turned away from the negotiating table and immediately intensified its pressure on China’s semiconductor industry,” said a commentary posted on the official WeChat account of the Qiushi Journal on...

Events

2 w. ago China accuses Taiwan's ruling party of backing cyberattacks against mainland company

China accuses Taiwan's ruling party of backing cyberattacks against mainland company  Anadolu Ajansı

Events

2 w. ago From Beijing To Bhutto: The Congress Party's Soft Spot For China And Pakistan

From Beijing To Bhutto: The Congress Party's Soft Spot For China And Pakistan  Swarajyamag

Politics

3 w. ago Former Chongqing political official facing corruption investigation

Sun Zhengcai, the former secretary of Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, has been placed under investigation on suspicion of accepting bribes, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Monday.

Politics

3 w. ago Xi stresses nonstop efforts to fight undesirable work styles

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that the fight against undesirable work styles should not be stopped.

Politics

3 w. ago Fake Filipinos scandal reignites Chinese espionage fears in Philippines

As arrests mount, Manila faces growing pressure to address systemic corruption that allows foreigners to obtain fake IDs.

Politics

4 w. ago Party journal says China can establish effective market stabilisation fund

Study Times and CSRC chairman acknowledge Central Huijin Investment’s role as ‘quasi stabilisation fund’.

Politics