Russia & Caucasus

Buildings and fuel storage tanks are ablaze at Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Ukraine, on March 11. (Satellite image by Maxar Technologies via AP)
Ukraine war

Fighting rages outside Kyiv, evacuations threatened again

Russian forces accused for shelling mosque in Mariupol

12 March 2022
The Atamanskaya compressor station for Power of Siberia, the only currently operational gas pipeline between Russia and China.
Energy

China turns to Russian gas to curb dependence on Quad members

Beijing and Moscow eye pipeline capacity equal to half European demand

12 March 2022
The walls and towers of the Kremlin are reflected in a window of a McDonald's restaurant in Moscow. The U.S. fast-food chain has decided to close all its stores in Russia. 
Ukraine war

Russia's asset seizure threat confronts companies with grim choices

Businesses risk facing Russian courts, long arbitration as Moscow fights exodus

12 March 2022
Tadashi Yanai, 73, is Japan's richest man, with a family fortune estimated at $26 billion. (Source photos by Kotaro Igarashi and AP) 
Retail

Uniqlo boss steers course through geopolitical controversies

Tadashi Yanai's Russia U-turn underlines reputational risks facing retailers

11 March 2022
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang parried questions about why Beijing had not condemned Russia's invasion.
China People's Congress

China's Li calls Ukraine crisis 'disconcerting' and urges cease-fire

In last news conference, premier says achieving 5.5% growth 'will not be easy'

11 March 2022
Stream article image
Podcast

Asia Stream: The cost of war

As the conflict in Ukraine enters its third week of fighting, what are the costs inflicted on global business?

11 March 2022
Refugees from Ukraine at Berlin's central station on March 8. Over 2 million have fled the country since Russia's invasion, according to UNHCR.
Ukraine war

Ukraine war tests Japan's refugee policy that admits just 1%

Bill to expand asylum eligibility scrapped under criticism

11 March 2022
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has roiled global metal markets, with Turkey's steelmakers rushing to ramp up production and boost their exports. (Source photos by Turkey Steel Producers Association and Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

Turkey's steelmakers grab for market share from China, Russia, Ukraine

Industry sets expansion plan to capitalize on global disruption

11 March 2022
Hong Kong's Animoca Brands has suspended Russian accounts from its blockchain-based game "The Sandbox." (Photo courtesy of Animoca Brands)
Media & Entertainment

Ukraine war protests find virtual platforms as gamers speak out

EA and Sony halt Russia business, while Animoca shuts out players there

11 March 2022
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sits in front of his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during a tripartite meeting chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Antalya, Turkey on March 10. (Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP)
Ukraine war

Russia and Ukraine fail to agree cease-fire at meeting in Turkey

Foreign ministers blame each other after highest bilateral talks so far in war

10 March 2022
Customers shop at Moscow's first Uniqlo store after its opening in April 2010.
Ukraine war

Uniqlo suspends Russia business, reversing earlier decision

Japan retailer cites operational challenges and worsening conflict

10 March 2022
Building of the Long Phu 1 thermal power plant has been delayed in Vietnam's Mekong Delta because of U.S. sanctions against a Russian contractor. (Photo courtesy of PetroVietnam's PTSC)
Ukraine war

SWIFT sanctions add twist to Vietnam-Russia coal plant dispute

Hanoi refrains from condemning Ukraine invasion by its old Soviet partner

10 March 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Beijing Olympics in February: On social media, some Chinese users are calling him "the Great Emperor."
International relations

China's online pro-Putin fest drowns out anti-war sentiment

Nationalist netizens seem to have free rein; experts paint more nuanced picture

10 March 2022
Cryptocurrency players in Singapore are keen to show they are abiding by the city-state's financial sanctions on Russia. (Source photos by AP) 
Cryptocurrencies

Singapore's Russia sanctions pile pressure on crypto players

Digital asset platforms scour transactions as Ukraine war enters third week

10 March 2022
Kunashiri, called Kunashir in Russia, is one of the islands that has stood in the way of a peace treaty between Japan and Russia for decades.
International relations

After Ukraine, Japan reverts to old line on Russian-controlled islands

Shinzo Abe's nuanced language gone as outlook for negotiations dims

10 March 2022
Although only a few countries are restricting imports of Russian oil, many companies are shying away from the fuel over logistical and ethical concerns.
10 March 2022
The United Nations says that over 2 million refugees from Ukraine have fled the country.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Feb. 24 to March 9: Over 2.1m people have fled country, UNHCR estimates

Air alert in Kyiv as fighting continues; EU has enough gas for this winter, says Von der Leyen

9 March 2022
China's Xi Jinping is balancing close ties with Russia while warning of a "large-scale humanitarian crisis" as casualties mount in Ukraine.
Ukraine war

China signals shift on Ukraine as Russia accused of atrocities

Xi calls conflict a 'war' for first time as it threatens No. 2 economy

9 March 2022
Homes destroyed by the Russian attack on Kharkiv. International conventions ban "indiscriminate" attacks, and urge countries to only target military objectives. (Handout photo from State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
Ukraine war

Russia accused of war crimes for attacking civilians, nuclear plants

International courts open probes, but face uphill battle to prosecute

9 March 2022
An oil treatment plant in Russia's Irkutsk region. Around 3% of U.S. crude imports came from Russia last year, compared with 30% for the European Union.
Ukraine war

U.S. leads Western ban on Russian oil

Lower imports put America in better spot to absorb impact than European partners

9 March 2022
Bera says India can play a constructive role in ending the crisis because it has open lines of communication with Moscow.
Interview

U.S. lawmaker urges India to speak out against Ukraine invasion

House Asia subcommittee chair Bera hopes sanctions deter China in Indo-Pacific

9 March 2022
 Russia is believed to be seeking Syrian soldiers skilled in urban warfare. 
Ukraine war

Russia offers Middle East fighters '$400 a week' to join Ukraine war

Moscow seeks recruits from Syria and Iraq with urban battle experience

9 March 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping, top, spoke virtually on March 8 with French President Emmanuel Macron, bottom left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, bottom right.
Ukraine war

Xi objects to Russia sanctions in summit with France and Germany

Chinese leader commends efforts to negotiate, but steers clear of mediator role

9 March 2022
Vladimir Putin talks with Xi Jinping via video link in December 2021: China wants to reassure Moscow of its support without appearing to do so to the rest of the world. (Handout photo from Kremlin Press Office)
Opinion

China's long game has just gotten a lot harder

Putin's war against Ukraine has upended key assumptions

8 March 2022
An Aeroflot flight takes off. Though more companies are evacuating employees from Russia, many airlines, including the Russian flag carrier, are suspending service to and from the country.
Ukraine war

From Toyota to JT, corporate Japan pulls staff out of Russia

Evacuations pick up steam as weak ruble and blocked credit cards disrupt daily life

8 March 2022