TOKYO -- U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla plans to double the number of directly operated service centers in Japan to more than 30 this year, seeking to improve after-sales support for customers and gain market share.

TOKYO -- The Japanese government is considering plans to help sweep mines from the Strait of Hormuz once a ceasefire is reached in the Iran war, at a time when the U.S. Navy is planning to retire the last of its minesweeping ships.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's Karachi port is witnessing a sharp rise in transshipment cargo due to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which has prompted carriers to reroute, while Islamabad's discounts on port charges are also helping global shipping lines call at the port on the Arabian Sea.

BANGKOK -- A massive earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, also shook neighboring Thailand's capital, causing a half-finished building to collapse and leaving cracks on the walls of condominiums.

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO -- Companies that cannot accept new technology like artificial intelligence will face a difficult future, said Bret Taylor, CEO of U.S. AI agent startup Sierra and chairman of the board at OpenAI.

TOKYO -- Japanese eyewear chain operator Jins Holdings is opening a flagship location in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district, equipped with a multilingual generative-AI system that will recommend glasses to customers, particularly foreign tourists.

TOKYO -- Japan will no longer receive foreigners to work in food services next month as it nears the immigration cap for such workers, the government said Friday, a move that has sparked panic among restaurant operators.

TOKYO -- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and local ward offices are addressing the absence of public garbage bins -- a long-standing headache for visitors from abroad -- not only as a welcoming measure but also to address growing concerns about overtourism.

TOKYO/MANILA -- Soaring resource prices due to the worsening situation in the Middle East are widening the gaps between currencies of Asia -- which is highly dependent on the region -- and of resource-rich countries like Canada and Australia, with potential repercussions for the global economy.