Politics

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo with soldiers after attending a national flag-raising ceremony in Izium, Ukraine on Sept. 14.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Aug. 22 to Sept. 15: Zelenskyy in car accident, no serious injuries

U.N. aims to facilitate Russian fertilizer shipments; India may start trade with Russia in rupees

15 September 2022
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reviews Self-Defense Forces personnel at Camp Asaka in November 2021.
Politics

Japan to broaden scope of defense budget as Taiwan tensions mount

Cross-ministry framework to include airport and cyber spending

14 September 2022
A Rosneft oil refinery in Russia. The state-owned company will issue yuan-denominated bonds.
Currencies

Russian companies shift to yuan as flight from dollar accelerates

More bond issues and trade conducted in China's currency, avoiding sanctions

14 September 2022
A medic checks an X-ray of a man who was wounded after a suicide bomber detonated explosives near the entrance of the Russian Embassy in Kabul on Sept. 5.
Terrorism

Russia's ISIS-K problem intensifies after Kabul embassy bombing

As militants undermine Taliban, experts see rising threat to Moscow in Central Asia

13 September 2022
Sony Group suspended Russian operations across the board following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Media & Entertainment

Sony Music exits Russia operations in deal with local company

Other Sony businesses in country remain suspended after Ukraine invasion

12 September 2022
The Maltese-flagged tanker Marinoula unloaded a cargo of Russian oil at the British port of Immingham by June 6.
Ukraine war

U.K. received Russian oil in June despite claims of 'zero' imports: analysis

Ship-to-ship transfers undermine efforts to squeeze Moscow over Ukraine war

8 September 2022
Oil tanks at a petroleum depot in the port of Vladivostok, Russia. Myanmar starts importing Russian fuel oil as early as September.
Ukraine war

Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar deepen Russia ties to blunt economic woes

Southeast Asia nations seen giving Moscow breathing room on sanctions

6 September 2022
Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arifin Tasrif, right, shakes hands with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura in Bali on Sept. 2.
International relations

G-20 fails to adopt energy communique amid supply scramble

Rifts over Ukraine war hinder green transition among major economies

3 September 2022
Oil tanks near Nakhodka, Russia, on Aug. 12. G-7 ministers are seeking a broader coalition of oil importing countries to purchase Russian products at or below a price cap.
Ukraine war

G-7 finance chiefs agree on Russian oil price cap

Statement leaves out key details of plan, including upper limit level

2 September 2022
Great Wall Motor boosted its market share of its core brand Haval to 3.7% in Russia as Western rivals pull out of the country.
Automobiles

China's Great Wall Motor posts profit surge on Russia business

SUV maker records gains as Western rivals wind down operations

31 August 2022
The LNG terminal at Sakhalin-2 in 2009: Decisions by Japanese companies on the project will have wider consequences.
Opinion

Japan should stick with Russia's Sakhalin-2 gas project

Tokyo must give priority to ensuring energy security

31 August 2022
Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas project in 2009: Japan's policy toward Russia is equivocal.
Opinion

Japan must put its money where its mouth is on Russia

EU has shown its seriousness in stemming gas purchases but Tokyo has not

31 August 2022
Chinese and Russian national guards take part in a joint drill in China in 2017. Beijing's troops will participate in the Vostok 2022 drills hosted by Russia.
International relations

Russia drills set stage for China, India troops to meet amid tension

Neighbors in Himalayan standoff expected to participate; start pushed to Thursday

30 August 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting in New Delhi on Dec. 6. 2021.
Comment

India attempts to diversify energy sources with cheap Russian oil

Despite Western pressure, New Delhi says more imports from Moscow are best for nation

29 August 2022
Inflation is forcing many households in Pakistan to cut back on meals. 
Your Week in Asia

IMF decision on Pakistan, China PMI, Macao junket king's trial

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

28 August 2022
China, which describes itself as a "near-Arctic" state, also has ambitions in the Arctic and has said it intended to build a "Polar Silk Road." 
International relations

U.S. to name ambassador-at-large for the Arctic

Importance grows as shrinking ice opens new sea lanes and resources

28 August 2022
Bangladesh, where consumers are feeling the pain at the pump, is looking for cheaper fuel options. (Photo by Shahru Nayef)
International relations

Bangladesh eyes cheap Russian fuel oil to lower import bills

Dhaka wary of antagonizing West but desperate to ease inflation, forex pressure

27 August 2022
A Russian oil field. China, along with India, has been known to be a major buyer of Russian crude.
Commodities

Chinese refiner admits buying Russian oil for 'risk control' and 'price'

Shanghai Petrochemical under pressure from rising procurement costs

26 August 2022
A woman holding a doll belonging to her granddaughter stands outside her destroyed house in Potashnya, on the outskirts of Kyiv. 
The Nikkei View

Russia must pull out of Ukraine and restore international order

6 months into war, Putin's recklessness has disrupted global food, energy supply

24 August 2022
Facade lights have been turned off at the Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, to save energy in Dresden, Germany on Aug. 22. 
Indo-Pacific

China throws Europe an energy lifeline with LNG resales

Surplus gas eases Russia's stranglehold, but gives Beijing outsize influence

24 August 2022
Russian politologist Alexander Dugin addresses the rally "Battle for Donbas" in support of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, in Moscow, on Oct. 18, 2014. 
Comment

A Moscow car bomb threatens to further radicalize nationalists

Assassination of daughter of 'Putin's brain' triggers conspiracy claims

23 August 2022
East Asia has continued to import fossil fuels from Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Ukraine war

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan buy $5.5bn of Russian fuel: think tank

East Asian powerhouses keep importing even as others shun Russian oil and gas

23 August 2022
People attend an exhibition displaying destroyed Russian military vehicles in central Kyiv.
22 August 2022
Vladimir Putin in Osaka in June 2019: One crucial name appears to be missing from the guest list.
Opinion

Japan must not leave Putin off the guest list for Abe's funeral

Kishida should seize chance for talks as West lacks strategy to end Ukraine war

22 August 2022
People in some Western countries have become more receptive to Russian propaganda as their focus shifts from the war in Ukraine to daily struggles with inflation.
Datawatch

Russia gains ground in information war against Ukraine

Social media data shows Moscow winning more backers in Western countries

21 August 2022