TOKYO -- Asia's growing appetite for beef is colliding with COVID-era supply glitches and food price inflation, driving up the cost of the meat and hitting consumers and restaurant owners across the region.

TOKYO -- Colombia's vice president has called on Japan to join the Pacific Alliance, a four-member Latin American trade bloc that aims to expand exports to Asia.

GUANGZHOU -- Chinese premium electric vehicle maker Nio has set its sights on Norway as it plots overseas expansion.

TOKYO -- Foreign tourists to Japan are often amazed by the number of vending machines lining the streets. But once the country reopens its doors to tourism, visitors might be in for an even bigger surprise when they see the vast range of food that is now being dispensed from machines.

SEOUL -- With help from the private sector, South Korea is forging ahead on its campaign to become a global space and military power in a bid to bolster defenses against the likes of North Korea and energize domestic industry.

HANOI -- Vietnam's first urban railway, a roughly $900 million project backed by China, began service in Hanoi on Saturday, following long delays for safety checks and to secure the land needed.

BEIJING -- The coastal Chinese province of Shandong lacks the name recognition of Bordeaux or Napa Valley, but the Chateau Nine Peaks winery in Qingdao has won a place on the wine list of the Michelin three-star Joel Robuchon Restaurant in Tokyo and the shelves of upscale department store Isetan Shinjuku.

BEIJING -- In the 20 years since joining the World Trade Organization, China has increased its foreign trade by ninefold, vaulting ahead of the U.S. to become the top player, but little progress has been made on reforming entrenched state-owned enterprises.

James Bowen is a Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre. He is currently working on the intersection of hydrogen sector development and regional cooperation.

TOKYO -- Japanese toilets have come to be known overseas for their variety of functions, and one has been attracting particular attention of late -- a speaker that produces white noise to drown out any embarrassingly loud eruptions.

The idea for the device actually has its roots in the country's ancient "culture of shame."

During the Tokyo Olympics this past summer, some visiting sports writers reported on devices set up inside toilet stalls that play babbling water recordings.

One reporter raved about the accessory, describing it as "