Panasonic device expected to cut cost of iPS cell therapies by factor of 50

OSAKA/TOKYO -- Panasonic Holdings has developed an automated system for culturing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that is anticipated to slash the cost of related medical treatments.


Weak Indian monsoon threatens volatile crop prices amid Iran pressures

MUMBAI -- A forecasted weak monsoon in India is set to make production and prices of agricultural goods volatile at a time when farmers are bracing for a possible fertilizer shortage due to the Iran war.


Australia's Lynas flags higher sulfuric acid, fuel costs due to Iran war

CANBERRA -- Australia's Lynas is benefiting from higher rare earth prices but warns that rising costs due to the Iran war, including more expensive chemicals, will weigh on its business.


China bets on hybrid vehicles in challenge to Japan's global lead

HONG KONG -- Chinese automakers are going after a bigger slice of the lucrative hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) market dominated by Japanese manufacturers, promoting a powertrain long seen as niche in China.


China's coal conversion boom underpins security in Iran war's shadow

OSAKA -- Far from the metropolises of its eastern coast, China is betting on coal as a core element of its energy and feedstock security, a gamble that looks shrewder than ever as the Iran war wreaks havoc on the global oil and gas trade.


India targets speed with plug-and-play industrial park drive

RAJASTHAN, India -- The Indian government is investing more in plug-and-play industrial parks now that project delays have stymied the South Asian nation's ability to attract a larger share of global manufacturing.


China's chip tool supply chain, retooled

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Welcome to the Tech Latest podcast. Every Tuesday, our tech experts Katey Creel and Shotaro Tani deliver the hottest trends and news from the sector.

In this episode, Katey speaks with Taipei tech correspondent Annie Cheng Ting-Fang about China's shifting supply chain for chip tools as it ramps up domestic production.

Check out this episode's featured story:

-- China snaps up US chip tools via Southeast Asia amid supply chain


Seoul shares hit record intraday high on back of tech sector rally

SEOUL -- South Korea's benchmark stock index hit a record high in intraday trading on Tuesday, following easing Middle East tensions and a sustained rally in the tech sector.


Takaichi still popular 6 months on, but Iran war could derail smooth start

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi marked six months in office on Tuesday, but her strong start characterized by consistently high public support faces the risk of derailment by economic fallout from the Iran war.


US drone makers race to build supply chains as China ban bites

SEATTLE, Washington -- On any given day, more than a dozen engineers in blue coats are piecing together different parts of a drone on the shop floor of Brinc's factory in Seattle.