ISLAMABAD -- Approaching Islamabad's city center from suburban areas now means a nightmarish journey even for local Pakistanis. With a series of checkpoints staffed by police, paramilitary forces and the army, travelers need to brace themselves for a trip that is twice to three times as long to reach their destinations.

KYOTO, Japan -- Major parcel-delivery company Sagawa Express and MUFG Bank have joined forces on an unlikely front in Kyoto's overtourism problem: the humble suitcase.

ISTANBUL/TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan banned cash transactions for key items this month as part of a drive to raise digital penetration and trace businesses, but critics say it may be a struggle to draw the roughly $41 billion shadow economy online.

HONG KONG -- When Jeffrey Andrews started working at a refugee support center in Hong Kong's notorious Chungking Mansions 17 years ago, he kept his workplace to himself.

TOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu is promoting the popular Opanchu Usagi character, a forlorn pink rabbit who first gained traction on social media, as part of a push to expand its intellectual property business.

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics is facing its second labor strike in the company's history, as the union clashes with management over demands to remove a cap on bonuses at a time when the artificial intelligence boom has sent semiconductor profits soaring.

TOKYO -- Artificial intelligence chip giant Nvidia is dipping its toes into software and developing open-source models because doing so helps it understand clients' needs, said Kari Briski, the company's vice president of generative AI software for enterprise.

BANGKOK -- Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group is incorporating the online marketing know-how of Japan's NTT Docomo, aiming to catch up with overseas rivals in the e-commerce market by focusing on loyalty points.

MUMBAI -- Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's conglomerate Reliance Industries on Friday reported a year-on-year decrease in profit for the final quarter of the fiscal year through March, as the supply shock from the U.S.-Iran war impacted the oil and gas units of India's largest company.