Hello from Tokyo. As I was drafting this newsletter, U.S. President Donald Trump concluded a televised address. Speaking about the war with Iran, he said that the "core strategic objectives are near completion," and made opaque remarks suggesting that the Strait of Hormuz, a key bottleneck in the global energy crisis, would "open up naturally." He stopped short of any clear reference to a ceasefire, which the world had been hoping for. Asian stock markets , struggling to digest Trump's remarks
Franklin Templeton CEO bets on Asia ETFs, privatization
TOKYO -- U.S. investment manager Franklin Templeton is eyeing Asia's growing exchange-traded fund (ETF) market as well as niche avenues that target state-owned assets, its CEO says.
Thai fuel retailer expands EV charging network as prices jump
BANGKOK -- The retail arm of Thai state oil company PTT plans to more than double its network of electric vehicle charging points to 7,000 by 2030, as rising fuel prices accelerate consumers' shift to battery-powered cars.
India looks to fertilizer exporters in Indonesia and Malaysia amid Iran war
NEW DELHI -- India is the world's second largest consumer of fertilizers after China and depends on imports to meet domestic demand. It is looking to diversify sourcing beyond the Middle East, tapping nations like Indonesia, Malaysia and Egypt amid shipping disruptions caused by the Iran war.
Microsoft to pour $10bn into Japan data centers, work with SoftBank on AI
TOKYO -- Microsoft plans to invest $10 billion in Japan over the four years through 2029, focusing mainly on data centers and related facilities, Nikkei learned Friday.
India's solar exports struggle even as price gap with China narrows
BENGALURU -- India's solar industry is struggling to find new export markets -- a pressing need amid growing overcapacity issues and punishing U.S. tariffs -- even as it narrows the price gap with Chinese panels.
South Korea's indebted households squeezed as war lifts mortgage costs
SEOUL -- A surge in global bond yields triggered by escalating Middle East tensions is driving up mortgage costs in South Korea, squeezing highly leveraged households and testing the resilience of one of Asia's most debt-laden economies.
Snow country: How Niseko became Japan's ski and property boomtown
KUTCHAN, Japan -- As winter ends in Japan, the memory of powder snow likely lingers in the minds of its record number of domestic and international visitors. Perhaps no other place in the country is responsible for this more than the Niseko ski area in western Hokkaido.
Over the past 30 years, following the bursting of Japan's asset-inflated bubble economy of the late 1980s, a combination of domestic and foreign capital along with waves of visitors has turned Niseko's real-estate
After EVs, Vietnam pushes solar power to tackle 'fraught' oil crisis
HO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam is preparing financial perks to get more solar panels on homes and offices, citing a need for energy security amid the global oil crisis as war continues in the Middle East.
'Generational' smoking phaseout in Maldives faces cloudy future
MALE -- When Aik Ahmed Easa started high school in the Maldives, students like him could buy all the cigarettes they could pay for, even while in school uniform, from any retailer.