Japan
Nuclear generation hits fresh record as Asia drives expansion
Nuclear reactors worldwide generated 2,702 TWh of electricity in 2025, up 35 TWh from 2,667 TWh in 2024.
Nikkei surges 2.1% as chip and AI stocks lead gains
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average closed 2.12% higher at 66,399.84 on September 7, up 1,378.90 points from the previous week's close.
Japan issues landslide warnings as heavy rain kills one
A woman in her 60s died after her car became submerged at an underpass in Iwaki, northeastern Japan, as torrential rain swept the country.
Thailand foreign tourist arrivals fall 3.1% in first eight months of 2026
Thailand received 20,935,135 foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2026, down 3.08% year on year.
Japan ministries seek record JPY143 trillion in fiscal 2027 budget requests
Debt-servicing costs hit a record JPY36.64 trillion. The assumed interest rate used to calculate those payments was lifted to 3.8% from 3.0% in the fiscal 2026 budget.
Typhoon nears southern Japan with heavy rain forecast across the country
The slow-moving system is set to combine with an autumn rain front stalled along the southern coast of Honshu, drawing warm, humid air northwards and raising the risk of sustained downpours across Japan through about September 7.
Yen surges nearly JPY3 against dollar on bets of BOJ rate hike
The Japanese yen briefly strengthened by more than JPY3 against the US dollar in New York trading on September 3, driven by expectations that the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates in mid-September.
Rwanda diversifies sovereign borrowing with debut yen facility, raising $190mn
Blended financing backed by multilateral guarantees is central to Rwanda’s strategy of containing borrowing costs, smoothing repayments and protecting debt sustainability.
Taiwan releases sea warning as Typhoon Saudel skirts north towards China
Taiwan's Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Typhoon Saudel and forecast heavy rain across the island's south.
India’s Yes Bank withdraws planned $500mn US dollar bond issue amid higher yield demands
Investors were seeking yields 30-40 basis points higher than normal after the Reserve Bank of India brought forward the closure of its dollar deposit window.
Vietnam Techcombank weighs 15% stake sale to foreign bank
The possible transaction comes as international banks deepen their presence in Vietnam’s financial sector.
China’s clean-energy boom runs into the limits of its power grid
China rejected an estimated 360 terawatt-hours of clean power in the six months through June, enough to supply Mexico for a year.
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Taiwan, Philippines brace for joint heavy rain, typhoon threat
Southern Taiwan is preparing for further flooding and landslides as heavy rain persists, while a strengthening typhoon is forecast to enter the Philippines’ area of responsibility.
Earthquake hits Tokyo region, scores injured
The earthquake struck at about 2am, with its epicentre in southern Ibaraki prefecture to the northeast of the capital at a depth of 68km, the weather agency said. No tsunami was generated.
China’s $303bn ‘shadow trade’ exposed as apparent Asia-wide tariff dodge network
The report, carrying the somewhat dramatic title of ‘The Great Transshipment Scam’ and headed by an image of a Trojan horse style graphic, says Chinese exporters increasingly routed goods through third countries
North Korea fires 10 missiles as Seoul doubles Trump's warhead estimate
North Korea fired about 10 ballistic missiles hours after Seoul put its nuclear arsenal at up to 120 warheads, twice the number Donald Trump cites.
Japan's megabanks reap record profits as the Bank of Japan lifts rates to 1%
The Bank of Japan's slow climb back to a 1% policy rate is finally handing Japan's banks fat lending margins again - and the biggest of them record profits - after three lost decades of near-zero interest rates.
Russia conducts missile test near Japan-claimed islands
The test was announced on August 20 amid an intensifying row following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed area the previous week.
Asia's nuclear arms race stops being hypothetical
China has told Japan not to test its patience over nuclear weapons, in an exchange that has moved an Asian arms race from something strategists war-game to something foreign ministries now argue about in public. Beijing's warning followed months...
Japan wins deal to raise Pacific bluefin tuna quotas
An international conference on sustainable management of Pacific bluefin tuna has agreed to increase catch quotas for larger fish, meeting a key demand from Japan.