ATHENS -- The worst Israeli-Palestinian violence seen in years continues to rattle the Middle East despite international calls for a de-escalation, amid warnings that the impact of this round will be felt long after the shooting stops.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to inflict "serious setbacks" on Hamas, the group that controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza and has launched thousands of rockets at Israel over the last week. On Sunday, Netanyahu warned that Operation Guardian of the Walls was "continuing at full strength.

TOKYO -- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group on Monday reported a 47% surge in net profit to 777 billion yen ($7.1 billion) for the year ended March, showing that banks that are able to transform quickly to adapt to the new digital economy can prosper even during the COVID crisis.

Japan's largest bank not only digitizing its own operations to reduce costs, but also partnering with other industries, such as mobile carrier NTT Docomo and ride hail service Grab, to offer services beyond traditional

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has reported a record loss of 2.66 billion Hong Kong dollars ($342 million) for fiscal 2020, its sixth consecutive year in the red.

Michael Moriarty, who took the post of managing director in December, told reporters that the theme park has no plans to lay off staff or seek additional funding from the government, which owns 53% of Hong Kong Disneyland through a joint venture with Walt Disney Co. The partners plan to

SINGAPORE -- The World Economic Forum has canceled the special annual meeting set for Singapore in August, scrapping the planned in-person gathering due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the group said Monday.

The event, which was scheduled for Aug. 17 to 20 in the city-state, would have been the first WEF annual meeting in Asia.

"Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout and the uncertainty around new variants combine to

YOKOHAMA, Japan -- Galaxy Entertainment Group will not participate in developing a proposed casino resort in Yokohama, the Macao-based operator said Monday, citing the impact of the coronavirus on the business environment.

After careful consideration, Galaxy decided against taking part in the request for proposal process for an integrated resort in Yokohama, the company said. The RFP process ended Monday.

But Galaxy said it remained interested in operating such resorts in Japan.

Japan legalized the operation of casinos at integrated resorts -- large commercial complexes that include

HONG KONG -- The head of Hong Kong's security force sent a stern warning Monday to Jimmy Lai, the jailed 73-year-old founder of a fiercely pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong, by expressing his resolve to deal with any national security risks.

This follows moves to freeze Lai's key assets under the China-imposed national security law covering the city.

John Lee, Hong Kong's security secretary, told reporters that "any activities that endanger national security will not be tolerated

TOKYO -- Japanese trading house Itochu has become the top shareholder in an American company specializing in "semisolid" battery technology, which has the potential to slash manufacturing costs while also improving safety.

Itochu led a $56.8 million fundraising round for 24M Technologies, joined by other investors including Fujifilm and a fund run by Japan's Sparx Group, according to a press release Monday from the Massachusetts-based company. Mass production of the new batteries is set to begin in Thailand this year under license

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has developed an OLED panel that folds into three segments, looking to deploy the technology for future smartphones.

Measuring 7.2 inches fully unfolded, the prototype is being unveiled in an online expo hosted in the U.S. from Monday. The company is also scheduled to show off a slidable display there.

Samsung Display, which developed the double-folding organic light-emitting diode panel, hopes to get the display adopted by many smartphone brands in addition to Samsung.

The Samsung group,

HANOI -- The Vietnamese government has asked domestic steelmakers to boost production and limit exports in an effort to fight off soaring steel prices.

"We should prioritize supplies to the domestic market to ensure price stability," Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai said in a statement released early this month. Such an industry intervention by a top Communist Party official is considered highly unusual.

Import prices of hot-rolled coil steel, a staple for construction material, has exceeded $1,000 per ton, touching highs not