Politics

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
Palladium and copper prices both hit all-time highs on Monday. (Source photos by Reuters)
Commodities

Palladium, copper and nickel hit historic highs on Russia sanctions

Manufacturers scramble for supplies of crucial metals in cars, batteries

8 March 2022
A crude oil tanker at Qingdao Port. Crude is one of China's key imports from Russia.
Trade

Chinese trade with Russia jumps 38% in January-February

Beijing seen extending economic hand to Moscow before Ukraine invasion

8 March 2022
Oil prices touched $130 a barrel on Monday for the first time since 2008.
Ukraine war

Oil soars over question of who can replace Russia

OPEC sticks to gradual output increase while U.S. shale hardly moves

8 March 2022
Uniqlo does not plan to shut its 50 locations in Russia for now. 
Ukraine war

Uniqlo to continue selling clothes in Russia

'Clothing is a necessity,' says Yanai, CEO of parent Fast Retailing

8 March 2022
The guided-missile destroyer USS Carney transits the Bosporus Strait in August 2018. Warships of outside countries like the U.S. cannot stay more than 21 days in the Black Sea. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy)
Ukraine war

Why can Turkey block the Bosporus? 5 things to know

1936 Montreux Convention and geography give it leverage over Russia

7 March 2022
Migrant workers from Uzbekistan collect potatoes at a agrarian field in Beryozovka near Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk: their remittances to their families back home are a crucial source of income.
Opinion

Central Asia braces for economic catastrophe

Sanctions aimed at Russia will have serious knock-on effects

7 March 2022
Major economies are looking to ensure cryptocurrencies are not used as a tool for dodging financial sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine war

Russia sanctions put spotlight on crypto: 5 things to know

Authorities, industry consider ways to limit use in dodging financial sanctions

7 March 2022
Brent was quoted $12.73 higher at $130.84, while U.S. crude rose $9.92 to $125.60.
Markets

Brent crude hits $130 a barrel; Nikkei plunges

U.S., Europe ban on Russian products and delayed Iran nuclear talks spark fears

7 March 2022
Nearly 300,000 people have joined Ukraine's IT army, according to Alex Bornyakov, deputy minister for digital transformation. (Image from online interview)
Ukraine war

Ukraine urges 70 tech firms to help in digital fight against Russia

'More and more' companies joining besieged country daily, deputy minister says

7 March 2022
One Southeast Asia scholar says China may take advantage of a U.S. distracted by events in Ukraine to cement its grip on the South China Sea. (Source photos by Rie Ishii, AP and Reuters) 
Ukraine war

Ukraine crisis leaves ASEAN jittery over South China Sea

Russian, Chinese moves seen as unilateral attempts to change status quo

6 March 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

Ukraine war exposes limit of India's strategic independence

Timid response from New Delhi threatens its delicate balancing act

6 March 2022
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russia's Vladimir Putin meet in Moscow on Feb. 10, two weeks before the invasion of Ukraine. 
International relations

Ukraine war casts Kazakhstan's reliance on Russia in harsher light

Tokayev struggles to avoid angering 'unpredictable' ally -- and his own people

6 March 2022
An Ocean Network Express container vessel. The Japanese shipper has stopped taking orders to ship goods to Russian ports such as St. Petersburg. (Photo by Kazuto Shimada)
6 March 2022
Demonstrators hold a giant European Union flag as they attend an anti-war rally, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the Czech Republic capital of in Prague.
6 March 2022
Singapore has announced details of its sanctions on Russia -- aligning itself with many other countries.
Ukraine war

Singapore sanctions 4 Russian banks, blocks crypto loophole

Asia financial hub calls Ukraine invasion 'clear violation of international law'

5 March 2022
Komatsu will stop shipping its products to Russia.
Ukraine war

Komatsu and Hitachi Construction halt shipments to Russia

Duo join Panasonic in ceasing operations, citing supply chain issues

5 March 2022