Asia
Cut down to size
Pakistan’s politicians seize control of the judiciary
Powerful judges were seen as a threat to the government
Banyan
Yes sir: a bizarre initiation ritual for Indonesia’s cabinet
The newly-inaugurated president sends his ministers to boot camp
Hard ball
Australia is trying to ruck China in Papua New Guinea
Funding for a rugby team might be one way to do so
Prayer and profit
India’s startups pray for a Hindu super-app
The business of God could yet create an Indian unicorn
Neighbourhood strife
North Korea’s fanatical regime just got scarier
A new missile test, troops to Russia and death sentences for K-pop
Japan shakes
Voters deliver a historic rebuke to Japan’s ruling coalition
But the Liberal Democratic Party may still hang on to power
Prabowo’s plans for nickel
Making nickel is a nightmare. Unless you are Indonesian
Gluts and shortages notwithstanding, Indonesia wants to double down on resource nationalism
Banyan
Japan is remarkably open to AI, but slow to make use of it
The land of Doraemon embraces the new technology in theory but not in practice
South-East Asia’s criminal scams
Suck up to your fake CEO
The deepfake scam explosion has only just begun
Himalayan handshake
Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping meet and resolve a border row
The meeting in Russia signals a new era of closer ties
Getting to know Prabowo
Indonesia’s macho new leader is no “cuddly grandpa”
Prabowo Subianto has fought back from years of disgrace and exile
Banyan
Myanmar’s military junta has conjured up a crazy currency system
Desperate for cash, the Tatmadaw is distorting foreign-exchange markets