HONG KONG -- Global investors are warming to Chinese bonds after a temporary sell-off and are looking at safer alternatives beyond sovereign debt to tap higher yields and boost returns.

Attracting increasing attention are bonds issued by Chinese "policy banks," which channel public funds to areas such as trade, infrastructure and agriculture. The banks in question -- China Development Bank, the Agricultural Development Bank of China and the Export-Import Bank of China -- are state-owned and viewed as offering a quasi-sovereign low

BERLIN -- The United Nations is weary that Myanmar's massive illicit drug trade is receiving a boost from the economic and security crises that have engulfed the nation since the military coup almost four months ago.

"We are concerned that already very high levels of drug production and trafficking will increase," said Jeremy Douglas, regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime, or UNODC. Agencies in neighboring countries "are also expecting a jump."

Violence is escalating

LONDON -- The development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments should emulate the shared international framework created for flu shots to ensure timely rollouts against virus variants, Britain's health secretary told Nikkei in a recent interview.

Matt Hancock, the secretary of state for health, will propose that approach when health ministers from Group of Seven nations meet in the U.K. next week. This gathering will inform the debate at the G-7 leaders summit to be held in the country June 11-13

MUMBAI -- Adani Green Energy, which plans to buy SoftBank Group's renewable energy assets in India, points to a new round of consolidation in the sector, which has drawn interest from private equity investors and top energy companies in recent years.

In a May stock exchange filing, the renewable energy company led by billionaire Gautam Adani said it would buy SB Energy Holdings for an enterprise value of $3.5 billion. Adani is buying SoftBank Group Capital's 80% stake in SB Energy, and the

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai and nine other prominent democracy activists were sentenced on Friday to 14 to 18 months in prison for participating in an illegal protest on China's national day in 2019 as the city government pressed on with a crackdown on political dissent.

The protest took place in Hong Kong on Oct. 1, 2019, as the Chinese Communist Party celebrated the 70th anniversary of its rule. The demonstration eventually devolved into violent clashes across the

NEW YORK/LONDON/TOKYO -- It took just a single day, but suddenly global oil majors face a very different outlook for the pressure they will come under to combat climate change.

In a meeting that ran for three hours on Wednesday, Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods, sounding exhausted, eventually acknowledged the vote in favor of two of the independent directors nominated by Engine No. 1. The activist firm had argued that the oil major's narrow focus on oil eroded shareholder value and threatened future returns.

Engine

BANGKOK -- Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group has spent 404 million baht ($13 million) to strengthen its overseas livestock business in anticipation of a sharp post-COVID recovery.

The funds were used by Charoen Pokphand Foods, CP Group's food processing arm, to acquire pig farms in Russia and further its livestock business in the country.

The farm acquisition came via the purchase of 100% of Russia's BiltOil and its food and agricultural subsidiary.

CPF now has the capacity to raise

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.

For all our coverage, visit our Myanmar Coup page.

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-- Myanmar

HONG KONG -- JD Logistics rose as much as 18% in its debut Friday, providing relief for a Hong Kong new listings market that has shown signs of fatigue.

Shares in the logistics unit of Chinese e-commerce major JD.com traded at HK$46.35 in early trade and rose as high as HK$47.75. The stock opened at HK$ 46.05 compared with the issue price of HK$40.36, which was