TOKYO -- Nippon Life Insurance has invested 750 billion yen ($4.67 billion) in private credit, representing 0.9% of total assets under management, the Japanese company said Wednesday.

HONG KONG -- Seven people and two companies were charged Wednesday over Hong Kong's deadliest fire in recent history, with allegations spanning 25 offenses including manslaughter.

TOKYO -- International organizations face a "hard time" amid geopolitical uncertainties and unprecedented technological innovation, including artificial intelligence, said Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda.

TOKYO -- Shin-Etsu Chemical will build a new rare-earth refinery in Japan to achieve mass production of products and reduce reliance on China, people familiar with the matter have told Nikkei.

TOKYO -- The energy crisis stemming from the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz is spilling over into areas such as industrial inputs, logistics, food prices and tourism, Malaysian central bank Gov. Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said on Wednesday, highlighting potential challenges ahead for Asian economies.

BANGKOK -- Malaysia's import ban on Thai shrimp has dealt a blow to Thailand's seafood producers, adding to industry woes as they grapple with rising feed and fuel prices.

BANGKOK -- For Asian countries struggling with high oil prices due to the Iran war, the dollar's rise is adding to their burden. While expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike growing, and with economic uncertainty running high, Asian countries are finding it more difficult to defend their currencies.

TOKYO -- Establishing clear maritime boundaries between the Philippines and Japan is of vital importance to the country's national defense, Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro said in an interview on Wednesday.

SINGAPORE -- Top U.S. chip equipment maker Applied Materials has opened a $500 million manufacturing campus in Singapore, the linchpin in the company's plan to nearly double its global production capacity to meet surging demand from the AI-driven chip boom.

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Apple partner Foxconn said it will invest in 1 gigawatt of solar and wind power in Vietnam for its factories and suppliers there.