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.
Thailand's water festival makes a splash as fuel prices dampen travel
BANGKOK -- On Silom Road, the atmosphere is one of a good-natured riot. A long stretch of the usually traffic-ridden Bangkok thoroughfare has been cordoned off and is now filled with crowds almost too thick to move through. Water flies through the air, thrown from buckets and squirted from plastic water pistols, hitting passersby and police alike -- all cheerfully shooting back. The music booms over crowds.
China's GDP growth accelerates to 5% despite Iran war
GUANGZHOU -- China's economy grew more than expected in the first quarter of 2026, shrugging off energy disruptions from the Iran war as exports compensated for weak domestic demand.
Japan's Nikkei average rises above record high in intraday trading
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 and an extended ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.
Japanese stationery maker King Jim readies new lineup for tourists
TOKYO -- Japanese stationery company King Jim will soon launch new offerings aimed at tourists amid a rise in inbound travelers.
Beijing has decided it has little to learn from the rest of the world
Henny Sender is the founder and managing partner of Apsara Advisory, a strategic consultancy for financial services companies.
Japan should urge Iran to stay in nuclear weapons treaty: ex-PM Kishida
TOKYO -- Japan should play a role convincing Iran not to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told Nikkei, adding that the international community must make clear nuclear development by Tehran is unacceptable.
Analysis: Military purges prompted Xi Jinping to meet Taiwan KMT leader
Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief and was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.
Nippon Steel's blast-to-electric-furnace shift faces energy, price hurdles
TOKYO -- Nippon Steel has begun the process of transitioning from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces, seen as crucial for reducing the industry's emissions, but questions remain over the technology's huge energy needs and demand for costlier "green" steel.
China presses Iran to open Hormuz in call between top diplomats
BEIJING -- China urged Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic on Wednesday, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi telling his counterpart Abbas Araghchi that freedom of navigation and safety in the strait must be guaranteed.