Politics

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, and Nepalese counterpart Narayan Khadka, right, met in Kathmandu on Saturday.
International relations

China launches diplomatic blitz with Russia ties in balance

Beijing wary of pariah status as Moscow grows more isolated

31 March 2022
An analysis of Russian President Vladimir Putin's speech on the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea indicated lower stress levels but an inward-looking mindset. (Source photo by Getty Images)
Ukraine war

Is Putin cracking? Voice analysis belies steely exterior

Russian leader's initial optimism of conflict gave way to high stress, audio indicates

31 March 2022
A Great Wall electric vehicle is displayed at the Bangkok International Motor Show on March 22: The Chinese carmaker plans to keep operating in Russia, where it has its only overseas plant.
Automobiles

China's Great Wall Motor staying in Russia 'for time being'

CNOOC says it's 'too early' to consider stepping in where Western peers leave

30 March 2022
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivers a speech during a festival in Almaty on March 21.
Politics

Kazakhstan reforms meet skepticism in shadow of Russia's war

Amid 'cosmetic' changes, critics say Tokayev missing chance to break Kremlin's grip

30 March 2022
The Taliban's U-turn last week on allowing girls to attend public high schools has sparked international condemnation.
Afghanistan turmoil

China, U.S., Russia and Pakistan to hold talks on Afghanistan

Gathering comes after Taliban makes U-turn on girls attending schools

30 March 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, presents a medal to Valery Gergiev in 2016. The two are known to be friends.
Politics

Sudden disharmony: Pro-Putin maestros get the boot in Europe

Ukraine invasion poses moral dilemma for Russian musicians abroad

29 March 2022
Nayara Energy owns India's second-largest single-location refinery, as well as a power generation business, all-weather port and 6,500 retail outlets.
Ukraine war

Russian-owned Indian refinery faces funding squeeze

Nayara Energy debt rating under review as sanctions hit major shareholder Rosneft

29 March 2022
Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Mar. 18: he looks and sounds increasingly like the pitiless Kremlin dictator. (Handout photo from Kremlin Press Office)
Opinion

Vladimir Putin turns to the Stalin playbook

The Great Terror continues to haunt Russia

29 March 2022
Country risks in Russia have come into focus for Japanese banks with the sanctions imposed in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Finance

Japan's top banks face hefty losses on $8bn Russia exposure

Rising country risk requires reserves despite uninterrupted loan repayments

29 March 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar meet before a Quad gathering in Australia during February.
International relations

U.S. to hold '2-plus-2' talks with India, targeting Russia ties

Exclusive: New Delhi seeks sanctions waiver for arms deal with Moscow

29 March 2022
Russia plays a critical role in the International Space Station. (Photo courtesy of JAXA/NASA)
Science

Russia grows isolated in scientific community after Ukraine invasion

International Space Station and vaccine research face potential blow from severed ties

29 March 2022
A logo for a fast-food restaurant "Uncle Vanya" from a Russian patent filing, left; A closed McDonald's restaurant in the Moscow region. (McDonald's photo by Reuters)
Business trends

From McDonald's to IKEA, Western brands' Russia exit breeds copycats

Threat to seize assets hangs over companies' decision to distance themselves

29 March 2022
Sinopec is involved in two major projects in Russia, a production joint venture with Rosneft and development of a chemical and processing complex with Sibur. 
Ukraine war

China's Sinopec to keep buying Russian oil and gas, exec says

President calls purchases 'normal trading cooperation'

28 March 2022
A musician plays guitar March 9 outside a currency exchange office that halted operations in St. Petersburg, Russia. China has little interest in undertaking an adventurous rescue operation of the Russian economy.
Opinion

China will not abandon Russia, but it will not be much help either

Adventurous operation to rescue Moscow not high on Beijing's agenda

28 March 2022
As the conflict in Ukraine rages, war insurance can give shippers some peace of mind as their freight travels via the China-Europe Railway Express.
Supply Chain

China opens wallet to keep trans-Eurasian express moving

Operators cover 'war insurance' and slash rates

28 March 2022
A containership off Singapore: Europe accounts for 9% of ASEAN exports, according to Maybank.
Ukraine war

ASEAN faces 'collateral damage' from Ukraine war's Europe impact

From Singapore to Thailand, spillover threatens COVID-hit economies anew

27 March 2022
Geopolitics will, at some stage, force banks to choose between the dollar framework and a rival yuan system.
Opinion

The risks of a global financial schism are mounting

Precedent set by Russian sanctions dramatically increases geopolitical instability

27 March 2022
Russia's membership in the G-20 is at risk after its invasion of Ukraine. 
Ukraine war

Debate over Russia's G-20 seat creates headache for Indonesia

Summit host nation says Putin already invited, worries over development-focused agenda

27 March 2022
A woman cries as she comforts her son outside the main train station in Lviv, Ukraine, on March 5. At right, a destroyed armored vehicle in the southern city of Mariupol. (Source photos by AP)
Ukraine war

Ukrainians' daily lives: The first casualty of Russia's invasion

Displaced people tell tales of hardship and coping during wartime

26 March 2022
NATO headquarters in Brussels. Japan is the only Group of Seven member that does not belong to the alliance.
International relations

Eyeing Asia flashpoints, Kishida warms Japan's ties with NATO

First talk by leaders since 2017 come as Tokyo faces assertive China, Russia

26 March 2022
If conventional methods stall in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has two options, analysts say: humiliating retreat or escalation to weapons of mass destruction. (Source photos by Reuters and AP) 
Ukraine war

Why chemical weapons constitute a red line: 5 things to know

Russia thought to have sarin, VX, mustard gas and others in arsenal

25 March 2022
A freeze in financing for Arctic LNG 2, a $23 billion development project in Russia, may delay the start of its operations, which had been slated for 2023. (Photo by Yohei Ishikawa).
Ukraine war

Japan and France freeze investment in Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project

Start of $23bn plan could be delayed as sanctions keep banks from sending money

25 March 2022
Joe Biden listens as Narendra Modi speaks during a Quad nations meeting at the White House in September 2021: it is a safe bet that Biden and Modi are envisioning very different world orders.
Opinion

Ukraine war gives developing economies a chance to dislodge U.S.

Joe Biden is unlikely to get the new world he is hoping for

25 March 2022
A large display shows the results of a vote during a special session of the U.N. General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine on March 24.
Ukraine war

U.N. General Assembly blames Russia for Ukraine humanitarian crisis

China and India among 38 abstentions in overwhelming 140-5 vote

25 March 2022
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and his army ousted Myanmar's elected government in a military takeover on Feb. 1 last year, and Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 this year. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images/PTTEP）
25 March 2022