TOKYO -- Japan is preparing to launch a new initiative aimed at helping the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations cut greenhouse gas emissions and realize a decarbonized society.

Tokyo will take the lead in compiling a road map to decarbonization, set up a public and private investment and loan facility of $10 billion, and encourage development of renewables and stronger energy conservation measures, government sources said.

The move comes as Japan seeks to contribute to global decarbonization efforts while helping maintain growth in emerging economies in Southeast Asia

TOKYO -- Japanese electronics retailer Nojima is set to begin procedures for selling its 18.52% stake in the embattled Suruga Bank, Nikkei has learned.

The two companies have clashed over the appointment of directors, and if repairing relations proves difficult, Nojima will start the procedures for selling its share of Suruga Bank, a regional bank based in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Nojima has already informed Suruga Bank and the Financial Services Agency, which has issued approval for major shareholders. It is unknown at this time when

TOKYO -- A 24-year-old woman living in Mandalay suffered deep lacerations in mid-February after a stranger denounced her as ethnically Chinese Burmese and "not of our number."

Nwet Sandi Kyaw, is not alone. Since the military coup on Feb. 1, Myanmar has been hit by violent upheaval, and amid the chaos, Burmese of Chinese descent have been called out for myriad perceived sins -- not taking the side of the people, not participating in public protests, and paradoxically, not

Vincent Peng is a senior vice president at Huawei, and a member of the company's board.

Two years ago this month, the Trump Administration placed Huawei Technologies on a blacklist that blocked U.S. companies from selling us the tech components we need to make smartphones and other products as well.

That restriction was followed by others, including a move last year to prevent Huawei from buying chips from the world's largest maker of semiconductors Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), a Taiwan-based manufacturer

NEW DELHI -- Already grappling with a deadly second wave of the coronavirus, India is now faced with a new challenge: the alarming rise in cases of mucormycosis, a rare but potentially fatal infection also known as black fungus.

The fungal disease -- which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says has a fatality rate of 54% -- has been reported among several thousand people, mostly diabetics recovering or having recovered from COVID-19. Several Indian states have declared black fungus an

TOKYO -- India's second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be far more devastating than the first in terms of the numbers of patients and deaths. Yet some startups are demonstrating the striking resilience they succeeded in building during the first wave last year.

Ritesh Agarwal, founder and chief executive of Oyo Hotels and Homes, one of the major Indian unicorns -- startups valued at $1 billion or more -- became a little emotional when he revealed that some of his co-workers

SEOUL/TOKYO/TAIPEI -- Chang Hyo-jung, a senior nurse at a general hospital in New York, is considering going back to her home country of South Korea in October for a four-week vacation. But it is unclear whether she will be able to avoid a two-week quarantine on arrival, even though she has been fully vaccinated with two Pfizer shots in the U.S.

"I wish I could see my family and friends without quarantine," Chang said.

In a shot of

TOKYO -- Sony Group plans to spend 2 trillion yen ($18 billion) during the next three years to secure a dominant position as a gaming and anime provider and to expand its sensor business.

"When it comes to financial strength, our investment capability has increased," President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said on Wednesday during the conglomerate's annual corporate strategy meeting.

Sony expects to make 2 trillion yen or more in strategic investments through March 2024, according to its midterm business plan. That

TOKYO -- The U.S. warning against travel to Japan on Monday showed that the Asian country still is lagging far behind other major economies in COVID-19 vaccinations and that it should quickly ramp up its inoculation drive.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that Washington continues to support the Tokyo Olympics, but that only "very limited categories of U.S. travelers" are planning on going to Japan for the games.

The message was not lost on Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who