Politics

A Japanese-made liquefied natural gas carrier anchored near an LNG plant on the Russian island of Sakhalin.
Energy

Japan fears China-Russia LNG alliance after Shell exits Sakhalin-2

Tokyo could see its import quotas reduced under new ownership

23 April 2022
A C-2 transport plane of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force was supposed to pick up relief supplies at a U.N. agency in India. (Photo courtesy of the Air Self-Defense Force) 
International relations

Japan reworks Ukraine aid plan after India blocks military plane

Rerouting of flights likely to delay relief shipments to refugees

22 April 2022
"The world’s democracies will not stand idly by in the face of continued Russian aggression and war crimes," Canadian Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, fifth from left, tweeted with this photo, explaining the walkout. (From Freeland's Twitter account)
Ukraine war

G-20 tensions mount as Western finance ministers walk out on Russia

Economic recovery from pandemic among issues on the agenda

21 April 2022
Was the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva carrying a fragment from the True Cross, the cross that Jesus Christ was crucified on?  (Source photos by Reuters) 
Indo-Pacific

Moskva flagship sinking exposes Russian Navy frailty, experts say

Failure to protect and respond to missile attack shows major operational flaws

20 April 2022
Russian carriers including Aeroflot have been barred from receiving U.S. parts or services for their planes.
Transportation

U.S. turns up heat on Chinese, Indian companies servicing Aeroflot

Washington claims violators are cashing in on Russian sanctions

20 April 2022
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov's participation in the Group of 20 meeting on April 20 likely will be divisive.
International relations

G-20 finance chiefs to meet under shadow of Russia sanctions split

Only half of group's members support isolating Russia in sharpest divide since Syrian war

20 April 2022
A journalist sees a screen of his smartphone in Pokrov, Russia, on March 22: Overly broad restrictions on the access to the internet would further isolate the embattled pro-democracy and anti-war activists.
Opinion

Cutting Russia off from the internet would be deeply problematic

Online access is increasingly being recognized as a human right

19 April 2022
Can the world's third-largest democracy buy discounted oil from Russia, maintain its foreign policy independence and come down on the right side of history?
Asia Insight

Indonesia in spotlight as it weighs buying Russia's 'blood oil'

Ukraine war and skyrocketing fuel prices strip away Jokowi's rare opportunity

19 April 2022
Stream article image
Most read in 2022

Turkish-made drones likely involved in Moskva sinking

Ukrainian official says Neptune missile was assisted by 'other equipment'

18 April 2022
The Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Moskva sails through the Bosporus in Istanbul during June, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.
Ukraine war

Turkey's grip on Black Sea access hinders Russia after Moskva sinking

Ankara will allow no replacement ships from Moscow to pass, experts say

16 April 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Experts say Beijing is evaluating Moscow's performance in Ukraine. (Source photos by Kremlin/Reuters and AP)
Comment

What the Ukraine war has taught China about designs on Taiwan

Russia's struggle both feeds and blunts Xi's ambitions for the island

16 April 2022
Britain's security support package for Ukraine at Boryspil International Airport outside Kyiv on Feb. 9: The majority of military aid has been provided by just a few European powers.
Opinion

Asia can no longer rely on Europe

Efforts to balance China's growing influence should be developed from within

16 April 2022
The Russian Embassy in Paris. France is among at least 20 countries that have expelled Russian diplomats since the war in Ukraine began.
Ukraine war

400-plus Russian diplomats expelled worldwide over Ukraine

Moscow plans tit-for-tat retaliation as nations respond to civilian death toll

15 April 2022
During an interview with Nikkei on April 13, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias defended his country's decision to sell a 67% stake in one of the Mediterranean's most important ports to a Chinese company. (Photo by Tetsuya Kitayama)
Interview

Greek foreign minister says Chinese investment adheres to EU rules

Nikos Dendias urges Beijing to involve itself more in regard to Ukraine

14 April 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Vladivostok in 2019: With global attention focused on Ukraine, North Korea has conducted more missile tests.
Comment

Did Biden embolden new 'axis of evil' by tipping his hand?

Bush's 2002 speech offers template for taming Russia and North Korea

14 April 2022
A teddy bear hangs from a tree in front of a burned-out apartment building in Borodyanka. (Photo by Vadym Petrasiuk)
Ukraine war

'Too many to count' killed: Kyiv suburb left in ruins after invasion

Residents of Ukraine's Borodyanka still counting the cost of Russian attack

14 April 2022
The Mallnow compressor station which mainly receives Russian natural gas in Brandenburg, Germany, on March 29: Gas supplies are harder to reroute.
Opinion

A ban on Russian energy will hurt Europe more than it helps Ukraine

Western governments should avoid 'act now, think later' policies

14 April 2022
Containers are stacked at the Chinese port of Qingdao. Chinese imports from Russia grew 26% in March. (Xinhua via Kyodo)
Trade

China, South Korea lift Russian energy imports, eroding sanctions

Even countries opposing Moscow take advantage of discounts

14 April 2022
People walk past the Russia Central Bank headquarters in Moscow.
Currencies

Russia boosted yuan holdings over dollar just before invasion

Shift in foreign currency reserves made to minimize fallout from sanctions

14 April 2022
The response to the war in Ukraine has highlighted how corporations are focusing more what employees and clients want, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said. (Photo by Tetsuya Kitayama)
Interview

Invasion of Ukraine will 're-imagine' globalization: BlackRock CEO

Larry Fink discusses stakeholder capitalism, energy security and Fed policy

13 April 2022
Burning buildings are seen in the east of Mariupol, Ukraine, on April 9. Maxar Technologies, which took the satellite photo seen here, says the image reveals continuous shelling. 
Ukraine war

Satellite images show Russia readying for push in eastern Ukraine

Battle for Donbas and southeast likely to intensify in 2 to 3 weeks

13 April 2022
Officials prepare flags before the G-20 summit in Rome in October 2021: Western powers are much less able to get their way.
Opinion

Indonesia's Russia dilemma raises doubts about G-20's future

Group's divisions are a symptom of dysfunctional multilateralism

13 April 2022
After seven Russian banks were banned from SWIFT following the invasion of Ukraine, China is hoping its own Cross-border Interbank Payment System, CIPS, will be enough to weather potential future sanctions from the West. 
The Big Story

China scrambles for cover from West's financial weapons

Spooked by sanctions on Russia, Beijing looks to build on its own international payments system

13 April 2022
Graves of civilians killed during the Russian invasion lie in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol on April 10.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from March 24 to April 12: Over 10,000 civilians killed in Mariupol siege, mayor says

All options on table if Russia uses chemical weapons, U.K. says; Fighting in eastern region to intensify

12 April 2022
Fishermen transport their haul at a port in northern Japan's Nemuro.
12 April 2022