WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia will visit Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand from the weekend after President Joe Biden pledged stepped up engagement with Southeast Asia, a key battleground in his contest for influence with China.
New 'omicron' COVID virus variant: 4 things to know
NEW YORK -- The emergence of a new, apparently more contagious COVID-19 virus variant first found in southern Africa has rattled markets, triggered travel bans and put vaccine makers on alert.
Coronavirus latest: WTO postpones ministerial conference
Nikkei Asia is tracking the spread of the coronavirus that was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.
Cumulative global cases have reached 260,559,002, according to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The worldwide death toll has hit 5,188,258.
For more information about the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination progress around the world, please see our interactive charts and maps.
Mizuho's top leadership to resign after regulator slams response to system crashes
TOKYO -- Japan's financial watchdog on Friday urged Mizuho Bank and its parent Mizuho Financial Group to clarify responsibility for eight system failures that disrupted bank operations this year.
Asia and Europe vow to fix supply chains, push digital access
BANGKOK -- Leaders from Asia and Europe have agreed to improve supply chains and accelerate digitalization to drive COVID-19 recoveries, at a two-day virtual conference hosted by Cambodia.
Japanese refiner Eneos sheds U.K. oil field stakes
TOKYO -- A unit of Eneos Holdings, Japan's top oil refiner, will sell its interests in oil and gas fields in the North Sea as it shifts its resources toward renewable energy.
Japan defense spending tops 1% of GDP for fiscal year
TOKYO -- Japan boosted its defense spending for the current fiscal year to 6.1 trillion yen ($52.8 billion) after the government approved a supplementary budget on Friday to expedite the acquisition of new patrol planes, transport aircraft and other hardware with an eye on Chinese maritime activity.
Thai port to be expanded with Chinese Belt and Road builder
BANGKOK -- A consortium that includes Thai power provider Gulf Energy Development and state-owned China Harbour Engineering has signed a 30.8 billion baht ($922 million) deal to expand a central port.
FedEx, Cathay Pacific squeezed by Hong Kong's 'zero COVID' rules
HONG KONG -- The business community has taken drastic steps to cope with Hong Kong's zero-tolerance approach to the coronavirus.
China puts AI at center of 'smart military' revamp: Japan report
TOKYO -- China is reshaping its military to more effectively incorporate artificial intelligence, drones and other advanced technology, according to an annual report by a Japanese Defense Ministry think tank released Friday.