Asia

Banyan
As Malaysia’s politicians bicker, its royals gain authority

Nine hereditary rulers take turns to be king—and kingmaker

General strike
A boycott by bureaucrats is undermining the coup in Myanmar

The machinery of government is grinding to a halt

200m jobs short
Hardly any women in India are in paid employment

One survey finds that only 7% of working-aged women have jobs

Suffer the little children
Kids in the Philippines have not left their homes for a year

The authorities fear they will give their grandparents covid-19

Les Kanaks en marche
A French Pacific territory gets a pro-independence government

New Caledonia is likely to get its first indigenous president

Palm-fringed fury
A Zoom call sets off a diplomatic dust-up in the Pacific

Micronesians complain that the Pacific Islands Forum treats them as second-class countries

Hell is other people
South Koreans are being driven mad by noisy neighbours

And there is not much they can do about it

Banyan
If America leaves Afghanistan there will be trouble

If it stays it may be double

Olympic gory
The obstacles to holding the Tokyo Olympics in July are daunting

Most Japanese would prefer to postpone the games again, or cancel them

Wallets at the ready
Bangladesh’s government lavishes money on the army

But in buying soldiers’ loyalty, it has also put them at the heart of power

Don’t putsch me
Myanmar’s generals face growing protests against their coup

Many demonstrators fear a violent crackdown

Here’s my QR code
Business cards are going online in Asia

But traditionalists miss the feel of paper and ink