Asia

Microfinance in Cambodia When Microloans Do More Harm Than Good

Millions of Cambodians rely on microloans to survive, even though the practice drives many of them further into poverty. Some of the money given out to poor farmers comes from Germany, yet Berlin refuses to acknowledge there is a problem. Von Vanessa Steinmetz

When Microloans Do More Harm Than Good - Adrees Latif/ Reuters

Operation Mekong China Solidifies Its Influence in Southeast Asia

China has always wielded significant influence in Southeast Asia. Lately, though, as the West turns its attention elsewhere, Beijing has been seeking to solidify its economic and political clout in the region. Von Bernhard Zand

China Solidifies Its Influence in Southeast Asia - DPA

Tainting the Beautiful Game How Asian Match-Fixers Are Infiltrating European Football

Asian investors are buying into European football clubs, bringing money, new players and hope along with them. But some are engaged in match-fixing, manipulating games and earning millions off crooked bets. They have already infiltrated a number of teams. Von Rafael Buschmann und Tim Röhn

How Asian Match-Fixers Are Infiltrating European Football - Tim Röhn / DER SPIEGEL

International Trumpquake Tentative Stirrings of a Beijing-Berlin Axis

With U.S. President Donald Trump threatening Germany and China with a trade war, Beijing and Berlin have begun searching for ways to tighten economic relations. But there is more dividing the two nations than uniting them. Von Ralf Neukirch, Gerald Traufetter und Bernhard Zand

Tentative Stirrings of a Beijing-Berlin Axis - REUTERS

Indonesia's Secret In the Kingdom of Gentle Islam

Nowhere in the world are there more Muslims living in one place than in the Southeast Asian island nation of Indonesia, which will be a guest of honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair this fall. Can a cosmopolitan faith assert itself against Islam? A journey. Von Erich Follath

Burma's Stateless Muslims The World's Most Persecuted Minority

In Burma, thousands of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority are fleeing persecution from Buddhists. Abused by smugglers, they are being turned away from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Von Katrin Kuntz

Land Grab Foreign Firms Drive Cambodians from Farms

Each year, foreign agricultural corporations deprive thousands of Cambodian farmers of their fields -- with the government's help. Human rights groups claim German taxpayer money is used to fund a program that benefits land grabbers. Von Andreas Lorenz

Foreign Firms Drive Cambodians from Farms - REUTERS

Sunken Sub German WWII U-Boat Found Near Indonesia

The rusted remains of a Nazi-era submarine have been discovered off the coast of Java, Indonesia. Researchers are looking through the wreckage, which includes human bones and plates with Nazi insignia, for clues that could identify the ship.

German WWII U-Boat Found Near Indonesia - AFP/ National Archaeology Centre

Unprepared Government Failings Intensify Haiyan Aid Disaster

Typhoon Haiyan has left entire regions all but inaccessible in the Philippines, while the ensuing chaos has hampered the efforts of relief workers. A country hit by about 10 typhoons a year ought to be better prepared. Von Katrin Kuntz, Jonathan Stock und Bernhard Zand

Government Failings Intensify Haiyan Aid Disaster - Hartmut Schwarzbach / argus / DER SPIEGEL

Philippine Typhoon Germany and Other Nations Pledge Aid

A powerful typhoon devastated parts of the Philippines Friday, killing an estimated 10,000 and leaving stunned survivors searching for food and aid. The catastrophe has "shocked" the German government, which is offering assistance to the region.

Germany and Other Nations Pledge Aid - AFP

Where Allah Rocks Indonesia's Tolerant Take on Islam

The Southeast Asian island nation of Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population, which practices an open-minded, gentle version of Islam in urban areas. But elsewhere Islamists are beginning to encroach. Von Erich Follath

Indonesia's Tolerant Take on Islam - REUTERS

Dirty Money Will Singapore Clean Up Its Act?

Singapore has become an increasingly popular haven for money laundering and tax evasion. But now it faces calls for reform and a difficult dilemma: Can it be both a home for fortune hunters and a bastion of integrity? Von Martin Hesse

Will Singapore Clean Up Its Act? - AP/dpa

Shutdown Specter US Fumbling Puts China at Risk

The whole world looked on as the United States embarrassed itself for three weeks with its government shutdown. China, the only other superpower, profited from the domestic dispute -- but as Washington's largest creditor, it also has cause for concern. Von Marc Hujer und Daniel Sander

Path of a Tyrant Uncovering Genghis Khan's Lost Legacy

As competing researchers race to locate Genghis Khan's tomb, discoveries by German and Mongolian archaeologists are shedding light on his son Ögödei's equally impressive accomplishments. Von Frank Thadeusz

Uncovering Genghis Khan's Lost Legacy - DPA

Economist Jayati Ghosh India's Woes Foretell 'Chaos and Violence'

Indian economist Jayati Ghosh believes her country's current financial problems are of its own making. She also warns of widespread chaos and an increase in violence if India's economic imbalances are not tackled head on.

India's Woes Foretell 'Chaos and Violence' - REUTERS

Capital Flight Currencies Plunge Rapidly in Asian Economies

As the credit glut in the US nears an end, the currencies of developing countries like India, Thailand and Indonesia are plummeting. Now there are fears that a redux of the 1997 market crash is on the horizon. Von Wieland Wagner

Currencies Plunge Rapidly in Asian Economies - AP/dpa

Mining the Gobi The Battle for Mongolia's Resources

The construction of a huge mine in the middle of the Gobi Desert was supposed to catapult Mongolia toward rapid economic growth. But an ongoing conflict over profits from the gold and copper mined there threatens to capsize the young democracy. Von Bernhard Zand

The Battle for Mongolia's Resources - Jonathan Browning/ DER SPIEGEL

Tentative Steps Navigating Burma's Fragile Transition

Burma is slowly transitioning from military dictatorship, but the old elite still pulls the strings. As the country moves towards more societal freedoms, they increasingly find themselves confronted with victims of the old regime. Von Matthias Schulz

Navigating Burma's Fragile Transition - Sandra Hoyn/ DER SPIEGEL

Laos Land Grabs Deutsche Bank Backs Ruthless 'Rubber Lords'

Vietnamese companies have been ruthlessly taking advantage of Laotian locals and their environment to create vast rubber plantations. The "rubber lords" are also getting support for the land grabs from Germany's Deutsche Bank, which is violating its ethics and sustainability policies, critics say. Von Martin Hesse, Jörg Schmitt und Wieland Wagner

Deutsche Bank Backs Ruthless 'Rubber Lords' - Wieland Wagner / DER SPIEGEL

War Angst and Karaoke Daily Life as Bizarre As it Gets in South Korea

North Korea threatens to start a nuclear war, while South Korea dances Gangnam style. Those are the clichés. War has never been this close, but Koreans in Seoul confront their fears by going about a bizarre version of everyday life, complete with truffle pasta and super-smart phones. Von Ullrich Fichtner