North Korea says it test-fired new hypersonic missile
SEOUL (Reuters) -- The projectile North Korea fired off its east coast on Tuesday was a newly developed hypersonic missile, state news media KCNA reported on Wednesday, the latest in a series of new weapons tested by the reclusive state.
North Korea fired the missile towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military said, as Pyongyang called on the United States and South Korea to scrap their "double standards" on weapons programs to restart diplomatic talks.
The development of the weapon system increases North Korea
China airshow trumpets domestic defense industry's ascent
ZHUHAI, China -- China's premier airshow opened Tuesday with the country's arms producers parading some of their most advanced military hardware.
Unveilings include the domestically developed J-16D "electronic warfare aircraft" and the WZ-7 high-altitude drone, used by the People's Liberation Army for border reconnaissance and patrol of territorial waters.
The biennial Airshow China comes as the country looks to promote arms exports as well as highlight confidence in its own military capabilities. The show opened less than two
Japan's NTT aims for carbon neutrality by 2040
TOKYO -- Japanese telecom conglomerate Nippon Telegraph & Telephone aims to achieve carbon neutrality by fiscal 2040 by using more renewable energy and operating new network infrastructure that consumes less power, the company said Tuesday.
NTT aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by fiscal 2030 from 2013 levels, in its own operations and also in other power sources. It says its mobile phone business NTT Docomo and data centers will be carbon-neutral by 2030.
NTT has
Singapore's foreign population dips 10.7% on COVID restrictions
SINGAPORE -- Singapore's population of foreign nationals was down 10.7% in June compared with a year earlier, no thanks to travel restrictions and a weak economy brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the year, the nonresident population fell from 1.64 million to 1.47 million, largely due to a reduction in foreign employment in Singapore, according to the government's annual "Population in Brief" report released on Tuesday.
This decrease was seen in all categories
EU commissioner visits Japan and South Korea to discuss Chips Act
TOKYO -- A top official from the European Union concluded meetings in Tokyo on Tuesday as part of an effort to secure international partnerships for the proposed European Chips Act.
"The epicenter of the geopolitics of semiconductors is here in Asia, and that's why I'm here," said Thierry Breton, the EU commissioner for internal market.
Breton's exchanges with counterparts in Japan and tomorrow in South Korea come as the global shortage of semiconductors hampers European companies, from automakers to broadband providers.
Ursula von der
HNA restructuring advances with $5.7bn airline funding
HONG KONG -- Bankrupt Chinese conglomerate HNA Group has moved a step forward in its restructuring process this week with a plan to inject fresh capital into its core airline and infrastructure subsidiaries.
Investors in Hainan Airlines Holding agreed on Monday to a plan to double its capital base and allot new shares to a designated strategic investor and a group of creditors who will be compensated in stock, according to an announcement.
The bankruptcy administrators, appointed by the People's High Court of Hainan Province, have selected Liaoning Fangda Group, an
Beijing and Shanghai face blackouts in deepening power crunch
BEIJING -- China has begun rolling blackouts in Beijing and Shanghai, metropolises home to 48 million people, as the country struggles with crippling power shortages that have hit key factories in a further threat to the economy.
The Beijing office of State Grid Corp. of China said it will begin scheduled power outages in select areas through Sunday. Electricity will mainly be cut for a few daytime hours at a time.
The rolling blackouts will affect at least four districts in the capital. They include Xicheng and Dongcheng, which house
In Ford battery deal, SK aims to make up ground in U.S. market
SEOUL/TOKYO -- SK Group and Ford Motor will build new battery factories in the U.S., the companies announced Tuesday, as the South Korean conglomerate seeks to make up ground with compatriot and competitor LG Chem and its partner General Motors in a crucial market.
Battery maker SK Innovation will work with Ford to open production sites in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee at a total cost of $11.4 billion, with SK investing $4.45 billion. The South Korean company is also
Pandemic deepens poverty in Asia-Pacific for 2nd year
SINGAPORE -- Poverty will rise throughout emerging Asia outside of China for the second straight year in 2021, the World Bank projects, as the protracted coronavirus pandemic squeezes employment and educational opportunities in the region.
The number of poor -- those earning $5.50 or less a day -- across 22 developing countries in East Asia and the Pacific increased to 264 million in 2020 from 259 million the year before, and that figure will reach 266
Turkey plans drone-heavy roadshow in display of future warfare
ISTANBUL -- A modern remix of Ottoman military music blared as the Turkish Air Force's locally produced F-16 fighter flew in formation with a newly developed indigenous drone -- giving a glimpse of the future warfare that Turkey envisions.
Next, supersonic light fighters drew a crescent and star -- symbols of the national flag -- in the blue skies.
This was the scene at TEKNOFEST, Turkey's Aerospace and Technology Festival, which ended Sunday after a six-day run in Istanbul. The free
