Japan
UK, Japan seal $24bn investment and tech partnership
More than 10 trade agreements were signed in total. These included an offshore wind farm project.
Taiwan curbs advanced AI chip trade with China
The policy shift highlights Taiwan's delicate geopolitical position, where the necessity to secure its vital semiconductor monopoly and appease Western partners must be balanced against the commercial realities of its massive cross-strait trade.
Inside the growing speculation around Kim Jong Un’s daughter as heir apparent
According to various intelligence sources, Kim Ju-ae is understood to be the daughter of Kim Jong Un and Ri Sol-ju, although North Korea has never formally confirmed her full biographical details.
Japan’s NTT launches $500mn fund to expand IOWN communications network worldwide
IOWN, or Innovative Optical and Wireless Network, is designed to enable large-volume data communications with low latency and lower power consumption.
Philippines quake leaves at least 15 dead and 129 injured
Several countries across the region, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, issued tsunami warnings following the quake, although most have since been lifted.
M7.8 Philippines earthquake triggers tsunami warning across Asia
The tremor struck at 7:37 am at a depth of 33 km, with its epicentre located 32 km south of Maasim.
South China Sea tensions drive a quiet realignment against Beijing
The Philippines is not alone as other countries bordering the South China Sea are also starting to push back. Surprisingly given shared Communist ideals is Vietnam, which has become one of the region's most active challengers of Chinese claims.
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Iran seeks Japanese help in rebuilding war-damaged oil sector
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has asked Japan to participate in reconstructing infrastructure damaged in recent US-Israeli attacks, including refineries, in exchange for efforts to restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Asia’s EV race speeds up as China’s champions challenge Tesla
As of mid-2026, China remains the centre of gravity in the EV world.
The magnet wars and how China still holds the keys to electric mobility
While Western carmakers rush to roll out new electric models, their production lines remain tethered to an extraction and refining network dominated by a single superpower - China.
Hegseth praises US-China stability but warns over Beijing’s military build-up
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said relations between Washington and Beijing are “better than they have been in many years” under President Donald Trump, but warned of China’s rapid military expansion.
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Russian oil tanker arrives in Japan as Middle East supply concerns grow
A tanker carrying Russian oil has arrived at Japan's Kiire port as Japanese firms step up purchases on a government request, Russian media reports.
China’s economic growth leaves Japan in the dust.
Thirty years ago in its heyday Japan’s economy was bigger than the whole of Asia combined. Today it is the size of just three Chinese coastal regions.
Japanese groups weigh backing SoftBank-led AI venture
According to people familiar with the matter cited by the agency, the companies are examining plans to invest tens of millions of yen each, equivalent to several hundred thousand US dollars.
Asia’s coal comeback complicates energy transition across region
Taiwan has struggled to secure LNG supplies through May and finalised contracts covering roughly half of June demand, but additional procurement costs are expected to reach into the billions of US dollars to complete.
Toyota Middle East exports nosedive
Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203) said on May 28 that exports from Japan to the Middle East plunged 91.7% in April from a year earlier to 2,418 vehicles, as conflict in the region disrupted demand.
SMBC Indonesia offloads $1.13bn pensioner loan portfolio to BTN
In one of the largest domestic banking asset reallocations of the year, PT Bank SMBC Indonesia, recently rebranded to reflect its parent Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, has agreed to sell its pensioner and pre-pensioner retail loan portfolio.
The geopolitical chokehold on Taiwan's polymer lifeline
For Taiwan, the sudden evaporation of naphtha and crude oil is not just a market fluctuation but a national security threat that will force an involuntary and painful "detoxification" from its plastic addiction.
The baby bust: how a global demographic crisis crept up on everyone
Just a decade ago, the dominant demographic narrative was of "dying Russia" — a population hollowed out by the chaos that followed the Soviet collapse, shrinking through a combination of low birth rates, high mortality and mass emigration.
Trump sushi – US president invests in Japanese chain
US President Donald Trump reportedly bought shares in the US subsidiary of popular Japanese conveyor-belt sushi operator Kura Sushi, where diners have the possibility of winning prizes after inserting used plates into a slot system.