Asia

Pensions and penury

Japan and South Korea are struggling with old-age poverty

Their problems may be instructive for other countries

No to GMO

The Philippines bans some genetically modified foods

But golden rice could help thousands of nutrient-deficient children

Banyan

Meet the maharajas of the world’s biggest democracy

Indian officialdom still treats citizens like subjects

Young and conservative

Even disillusioned young Indian voters favour Narendra Modi

They worry about their future, but do not blame the BJP

No longer just made in China

Chinese firms are expanding in South-East Asia

This new business diaspora is younger, better-educated and ambitious

Banyan

The family feud that holds the Philippines back

Squabbling between the Marcos and Duterte clans makes politics unpredictable

Pacific pivot

The Maldives is cosying up to China

A landslide election confirms the trend

Back to the future

Why do the Japanese love CDs?

They have not taken to streaming as keenly as the rest of the world

Jobs v the patriarchy

Can women-only factories help more Indian women into work?

Ola, an electric-scooter manufacturer, is trying to find out

Trump-proof tiger

Without fanfare, the Philippines is getting richer

And its economy is unusually well-defended against American politics

Banyan

Lawrence Wong will be only the fourth PM in Singapore’s history

The next leader promises continuity and change

Waving the red flag

An obscure communist newspaper is shaping Japan’s politics

Stories by Shimbun Akahata consistently pack a punch