CANBERRA -- A major overnight fire at one of Australia's two refineries has further impacted the supply of gasoline to some southeastern states, adding to concerns over fuel security as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese scrambles to secure additional supplies from Asia due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

TOKYO -- Japanese stocks jumped to historic highs on Thursday, climbing above their previous record close, following a rally on Wall Street as investors grow optimistic about the possibility of more talks between the U.S. and Iran to end the conflict in the Middle East.

TOKYO -- Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund is considering setting up its first overseas outpost to enable 24/7, in-house futures trading and improve its real-time risk management as growing asset values make rebalancing more complex and potentially market-moving.

ISLAMABAD -- After the first round of Islamabad-mediated U.S.-Iran peace talks failed to reach an agreement last weekend, Pakistani officials are increasingly confident they can convene a second round within the next few days -- before the expiry of the two-week ceasefire agreement brokered by Islamabad and announced last Wednesday.

MUMBAI -- Ishmeet Kaur Muker, who has owned a Royal Enfield Interceptor motorbike for about eight years, was first taken by the brand when as a child she saw her uncles riding the company's older Classic models.

TOKYO -- Sustainability-related bond issues are set to stabilize in Japan this year after two years of decline, as the disruption of oil supplies from the Persian Gulf has sharpened the case for energy diversification in the resource-poor country.

TAIPEI -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on Thursday reported another record-breaking quarter, with profit surging 58.3% on the year to an all-time high as the global AI infrastructure build-out continued to gain momentum despite tensions in the Middle East.

JAKARTA -- Indonesian internet providers' big plans to expand their home broadband coverage are facing a major obstacle, the Iran war, which has increased prices of fiber optics and other telecom components, industry players say.

TOKYO -- Japanese stocks jumped on Thursday morning, climbing above their record closing high during intra-day trading following a rally on Wall Street as investors grow optimistic about more talks between the U.S. and Iran.

HANOI -- Vietnam has offered to settle prolonged payment dispute with dozens of renewable energy investors, amid the Middle East energy crisis and the country's ambitious growth target.