HONG KONG -- Tensions are running high in Hong Kong as authorities scurry to conceal signs of dissent on the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown against student and civilian protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Images of candles, rebellious graffiti and old news clips about the Tiananmen protests turned up across the city on Friday. But officials moved swiftly to cover messages they deemed sensitive with smears of paint or drop cloths, following on their refusal to allow an annual candlelight vigil to proceed in the city's Victoria Park

SEOUL -- South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is operating in Japan, marking the first time its service has been available outside the company's home market.

The Seoul-based company opened Tuesday on a trial basis in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. Coupang utilizes a small building as a distribution center and starts deliveries as soon as orders are received from nearby customers.

In addition to fresh vegetables, meat and fish sold at general supermarkets, the service will offer a wide range of processed foods and daily necessities.

HONG KONG -- With billions of dollars in aviation and other assets in play, creditors of China's bankrupt HNA Group gathered online and in person for their first official meeting on Friday.

The group's restructuring likely has months or even years to go, with the meeting representing a key step forward in a process that will be felt by companies from Asia to the U.S. and Europe.

HNA Group gained worldwide attention for its aggressive purchases of well-known assets, including the Radisson hotel chain and

KARACHI -- When U.S. defense official David Helvey told the Senate that the Pentagon was exploring the possibility of basing U.S. forces in neighboring countries to provide over-the-horizon counterterrorism support to the Afghan government, he stirred debate in Pakistan, which has provided similar arrangements to the U.S. in the past, and caused some experts to wonder whether such a scenario might alter the U.S.'s position on China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"Pakistan has played

JAKARTA -- Anthoni Salim, CEO of Indonesian conglomerate Salim Group, has raised his stake in Data Center Indonesia by an additional 1.02 trillion rupiah ($71 million) as competition heats up in the country's cloud space on the heels of recent announcements by Tencent and Microsoft.

With the increased personal stake, Salim now directly controls 11.12% of shares in the local cloud services operator, up from 3.03% before the transaction, DCI said in a filing to

TOKYO -- Japan should require solar panels installations on all new public buildings as the country ramps up efforts to promote renewable energy toward its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, according to a plan presented by the government on Thursday.

But a proposal to mandate solar panels for all new buildings, public and private including homes, was not included in the plan -- for now.

The draft plan was presented to an expert panel hosted by the infrastructure, economy and environment ministries. The government

TOKYO -- U.S. President Joe Biden's latest executive order lists 59 Chinese companies that are banned from receiving U.S. investment due to suspected ties to defense or surveillance technology sectors.

The order prevents U.S. investment from supporting China's military-industrial complex, including military, intelligence and security research and development programs, Biden said in the order.

"I find that the use of Chinese surveillance technology outside the PRC and the development or use of Chinese surveillance technology to facilitate

NEW YORK -- The U.S. on Thursday detailed plans to donate at least 80 million coronavirus vaccine doses globally by the end of June, including 7 million for India and other parts of Asia, as Washington aims to close the gap with Beijing in vaccine diplomacy.

"The sharing of millions of U.S. vaccines with other countries signals a major commitment by the U.S. government," the White House said in a fact sheet that called the plans "a vital component of our overall

HONG KONG (Reuters) -- Thousands of Hong Kong police are expected to surround a central park and patrol the city's streets on Friday to prevent people from gathering to commemorate the 1989 crackdown by Chinese troops in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Critics say the heightened vigilance from authorities is a marked departure from Hong Kong's cherished freedoms of speech and assembly, bringing the global financial hub closer in line with mainland China's strict controls on society.

The former British colony, promised