MUMBAI -- Shares of India's largest private bank, HDFC, dropped Thursday by as much as 5.2% after part-time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty unexpectedly stepped down the day before, citing disagreements over "values and ethics."

BENGALURU -- India, among Asia's most import-dependent energy markets, has pitched its rapid expansion of renewable power as key to its energy security. Yet the Iran war is exposing how industries remain locked into fossil fuels, with high costs and technical barriers slowing a shift to electricity.

CANBERRA -- Australia's Lynas says it has achieved production of samarium oxide, a rare earth element in demand for powerful magnets important for the defense industry.

TOKYO -- The leaders of Japan's auto industry have called for greater collaboration among the country's manufacturers to maintain international competitiveness, viewing it as a fight for survival as rivalry with China intensifies.

SEOUL -- A shift in social attitudes toward favoring marriage is helping lift wedding numbers in South Korea, as more young adults say tying the knot is necessary despite persistent economic and demographic pressures.

BANGKOK -- Thailand's parliament on Thursday reelected Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister following his Bhumjaithai Party's victory last month, keeping the incumbent leader in his position as the escalating global energy crisis hits the country's already slowing economy .

TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan on Thursday decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged, maintaining a cautious stance amid greater unpredictability stemming from the deepening crisis in the Middle East.

HONG KONG -- Pop Mart has partnered with Japan's Sony Pictures Entertainment to produce a film featuring the Chinese toymaker's signature Labubu dolls, as it aims to extend the commercial lifespan of its breakout elf-like character, the companies announced on Thursday.

TOKYO -- The Japanese yen slid on Thursday to the brink of the key psychological level of 160 against the dollar, ahead of the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision and after signs of a hawkish tilt by the U.S. Federal Reserve overnight and an Iranian strike on a major energy facility in Qatar.

TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan on Thursday decided to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged, maintaining a cautious stance amid greater unpredictability stemming from the deepening crisis in the Middle East.