TOKYO -- Kirin Brewery will begin exporting Japanese-made whisky to the U.S. next month, tapping one of the biggest markets for luxury spirits.

Kirin looks to make its Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whiskey available at liquor stores in 12 states as well as sell to high-end restaurants, aiming for 900 locations this year. Set to sell for $95 a bottle, Kirin plans to market it with a wineglass in line with the promotion used in Japan.

The subsidiary of Japan'

TOKYO -- Japan's tepid economic growth for April-June has dimmed hopes for a quick recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, with economists predicting similarly weak numbers for July-September as the spread of the contagious delta variant slows consumer spending.

Japan's real gross domestic product increased an annualized 1.3% in April-June from the previous quarter, the Cabinet Office announced Monday, in a slow recovery from the 3.7% contraction in January-March. Japan's GDP still sits 1.

Satoshi Ikeuchi is professor of religion and global security at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo. Gedaliah Afterman heads the Asia Policy Program at the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy.

During his nine-day tour of the Middle East which began on Sunday, Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Iran and Qatar. One of the goals of this trip is to achieve a better understanding of recent developments in the strategic but divided region

SYDNEY -- Anglo-Australian BHP Group on Monday revealed it is in talks to sell its petroleum business in a deal potentially worth 20 billion Australian dollars ($14.7 billion) as the global push toward decarbonization spreads to the traditionally carbon-intensive commodities sector.

"BHP confirms that we have initiated a strategic review of our petroleum business to reassess its position and long-term strategic fit in the BHP portfolio," the company said in a release.

"One option is a potential merger of the

TOKYO -- The structures may not be made of brick and mortar, or even green cheese, but Japan has plans to build on the moon, tapping existing technologies for remotely operating construction machinery and joining the international race to explore resources on the lunar surface.

Tokyo aims to construct an unmanned lunar base as early as fiscal 2030, and seeks to establish building methods by fiscal 2025. Private-sector companies due to handle research and development with public funding will be selected in September.

The

PALO ALTO, U.S. -- A U.S. regulator is launching a formal investigation into 11 incidents where Tesla crashed into emergency vehicles when using Autopilot or other driver-assistance features.

The probe adds to the pressure on Tesla after a series of safety investigations in China this year and as regulators around the world grow increasingly concerned about nascent autonomous driving technology.

The 11 incidents under investigation in the U.S. occurred between Jan. 2018 and July 2021,

BANGKOK -- Wanchalerm Noomuean yearns for the days he was known in Phuket as tour guide Jimmy, and every month showed hundreds of international visitors around the famous Thai island.

COVID-19 wiped out the 31-year-old's job 15 months ago. While Jimmy remained in Phuket and the Thai government from July started allowing into the island inoculated international visitors, the number is tiny and there is no demand for tour guides. The outlook for Jimmy getting back a job he loved isn't

WASHINGTON/TOKYO/KABUL -- America's mission in Afghanistan was never about nation-building, and its only national interest there was to prevent a terrorist attack on the homeland, U.S. President Joe Biden said Monday in televised remarks.

Under immense political pressure from both Republicans and Democrats, the president cut short his stay in Camp David and returned to the White House. The remarks, which were not on his public schedule Monday morning, sought to defend his decision in April to withdraw from the Central

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON -- The United Nations Security Council demanded an end to the violence and especially called for protecting the rights of women, girls and minorities at a Monday emergency meeting, its first opportunity to react to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

But China, a permanent member of international body, stood out as it blamed the U.S. military's departure for recent events.

"The chaos currently in Afghanistan is directly related to the hasty withdrawal of foreign troops," Geng Shuang told the Security Council