TOKYO -- Japanese semiconductor materials maker JSR said Friday it would acquire Oregon-based Inpria, with an eye on the latter's expertise in cutting-edge chipmaking chemicals.

JSR, which currently owns a 21% stake in Inpria, will acquire all remaining shares in cash by the end of October.

JSR CEO Eric Johnson told reporters online on Friday that he intends for Inpria to turn a profit by fiscal 2022.

"Chipmakers highly value Inpria's technology, and I think we are on

TOKYO -- Japanese property developer Mitsubishi Estate has begun asking its suppliers for information about carbon emissions sparked by construction materials like cement and steel, a move that could force a rethink of traditional construction methods and materials, Nikkei has learned.

The request was made to large general contractors Mitsubishi Estate works with. The real estate company plans to ask contractors to use power generated with renewable energy.

Mitsubishi Estate has set a goal of reducing emissions by 87% from the 2017 level by 2050.

Karan Mehrishi is an economics commentator based in India. He is the author of "The India Collective: What India is Really All About" and the forthcoming "The Making of Monetary Policy in India: Imagining the Future."

The second COVID wave shook India to its core, giving rise to such levels of mayhem and despair that the central government in New Delhi faced a do-or-die moment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must act now to ensure that such collective suffering never strikes this country again.

As the

SINGAPORE -- The Singapore Exchange will get help from government-linked sources to boost anemic technology listings as it prepares to welcome special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) to the stock market.

Southeast Asia's financial hub on Friday announced a concerted drive to lure the likes of high-growth startups to the SGX, which has been noted for lacking rival Hong Kong's ability to draw new-economy companies in droves to seek initial public offerings.

Within the boost the city-state plans to give to its

HAMBURG, Germany -- After 16 years of relatively warm ties with China under Angela Merkel, Germany will vote later this month in an election that will determine who will take over as chancellor and set the course for relations with Beijing.

Voters will on Sept. 29 elect a new parliament, the Bundestag, which in turn will pick Germany's next leader. Chinese officials will be watching keenly as Germany is its most important partner in the European Union, with a mutual trading value of 212.

TOKYO -- There has never been such diversity of views among candidates to lead Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party as it kicks off its triennial presidential campaign on Friday.

One favors same-sex marriage and is openly opposed to nuclear power, while another is against married couples even having different surnames and advocates giving Japan the military capability to strike enemy bases. Another hopeful has staked out a centrist position, calling for modest change on almost every issue.

"The LDP used to host a very limited range of views within

HONG KONG -- A Chinese bank is breathing life back into Hong Kong's initial public offering market after Beijing's clampdown on the technology sector crippled volumes for much of the third quarter.

Dongguan Rural Commercial Bank, which finances farmers, agricultural groups and small companies, hopes to raise 10 billion Hong Kong dollars ($1.29 billion) in an offering that opened for subscriptions on Thursday.

A successful IPO by the bank, the fifth-largest of China's rural lenders, would mark

TOKYO -- Japanese livestreaming company 17 Live is making a push into India and the U.S. as Chinese tech companies face regulatory headwinds at home and abroad.

17 Live recently moved its headquarters from Taiwan to Japan, where it claims to have gained the leading position in its sector since launching four years ago. Now, the aim is to conquer overseas markets, CEO Hirofumi Ono said in an interview.

The livestreaming industry first took off in China, and some of the biggest local players have started expanding

NEW DELHI -- Before the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last month, Sara was a senior official in the Ministry of Women's Affairs, handling multimillion-dollar projects aimed at alleviating hardships faced by women.

"I didn't even have a single minute to rest," she said. "Now I am sitting at home with no plan, no vision for the future. The ministry is totally closed."

Sara, who uses a pseudonym to protect herself, worked hard to implement the Women's