Myanmar coup latest: COVID cases surge to 7-month high
YANGON/BANGKOK -- Myanmar's military on Feb. 1 detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in the country's first coup since 1988, bringing an end to a decade of civilian rule.
The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election in November . But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud.
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With eye on island defense, Japan strengthens community outreach
TOKYO -- Japan's Ministry of Defense will revamp its communication channels with communities where Japanese and American bases are located, as the country works to fine-tune defensive capabilities in response to China's military buildup.
The ministry's Bureau of Local Cooperation had previously been divided into sections that each specialize in a certain issue, like noise pollution and local industry. It is switching to a region-based approach effective Thursday to address local concerns more effectively and comprehensively.
One section is dedicated to all issues in
US bank lobby group gives Japan's MUFG a seat at the table
NEW YORK -- The Bank Policy Institute, a lobbying group for the U.S. finance industry, on Wednesday chose Mitsubushi UFJ Financial Group Chairman Kanetsugu Mike as its first board member from an Asian institution.
Mike (pronounced mee-keh) will sit on the board from Thursday, joining such figures as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan. The board is chaired by William Demchak, CEO of PNC Financial Services Group.
MUFG Chairman Kanetsugu Mike joins the Bank Policy Institute's boardCCP century marked by economic gains and global distrust
BEIJING -- Red lanterns and flower terraces dotted the Chinese capital ahead of Thursday's 100th anniversary of the founding of the China Communist Party. Cities across the country have been decorated in a similar fashion, with memorial halls hosting exhibits of the party's history, punctuated with self-acclaimed tributes and ideological slogans.
The party, founded in 1921 at a time of upheaval, came to power in 1949 after driving the nationalist Kuomintang to Taiwan and founding the People'
Japan's business sentiment hits highest since 2018: Tankan survey
TOKYO -- Business sentiment among Japan's large manufacturers has improved to the highest level since 2018, the Bank of Japan's latest Tankan survey showed on Thursday.
The improvement reflects strong external demand, as the U.S. and Chinese economies continue to recover steadily, boosting demand for Japanese autos and machinery.
The headline diffusion index of sentiment among large manufacturers came to plus 14 in June, compared with plus 5 in March, marking a fourth straight quarter of improvement.
DI is derived
Xi says CCP changed China's destiny and world's development
BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping called on Chinese people to build a modern a socialist country, calling socialism as more successful model of governance than Western democracy.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi hailed the system of Marxism with Chinese characteristics for the country's rise to become the world's second largest economy.
"The CCP has changed China's future and destiny, as well as the trend and structure of world's development
In row with China, Canada wrestles own legacy of Indigenous abuse
OTTAWA -- The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at defunct "residential schools" has provoked widespread remorse in Canada -- and complicated the country's already tense relationship with China.
China last week seized on the disturbing revelations to undermine a Canadian-led effort by 44 countries to hold Beijing accountable for alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet. In a pre-emptive statement to the United Nations Human Rights Council, China cited the children's graves in accusing Canada of
TSMC misses sustainability goals as it ramps up chip output
TAIPEI -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. failed to hit its sustainability targets for water usage and waste generation last year as the world's biggest semiconductor company ramped up output of the industry's most advanced chips.
According to TSMC's latest corporate sustainability report, the company's use of water, electricity and raw materials increased for the third straight year in 2020, due mainly to the building of new factories but also to the introduction of more advanced chip manufacturing technologies -- namely the so
Myanmar military warns foreign media to not call it a 'junta'
BANGKOK/YANGON -- Myanmar's Ministry of Information on Wednesday issued a warning to foreign media against calling the country's governing body since the Feb. 1 coup a "junta," "military junta" or "military council."
The military-led body, which controls government ministries, is called the State Administration Council (SAC) and is chaired by the commander in chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. The military established the council on Feb. 2, a day after ousting the democratically
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 cranks up investment to one company per day
TOKYO -- SoftBank Group's second Vision Fund is going on an investment binge, adding on average one new startup target per day.
Vision Fund 2's investment plans cover a total of 129 companies as of June 18, the Japanese tech group's data shows, with 34 new targets added over the prior monthlong period.
Investments in 85 targets have been finalized, with another 44 companies approved by the investment committee. SoftBank's second Vision Fund looks set to surpass the