Ukraine war

A coal depot at a coal-fired power plant in Japan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Market Spotlight

Russian sanctions threaten to make coal dirtier, more costly

Global trade reshuffle adds up to more inefficient and expensive coal transport

1 August 2022
An oil platform at the Kravtsovskoye oilfield in the Baltic Sea, Russia, in September 2021: China and India helped prevent a major squeeze on global supplies and took some heat out of price pressures.
Opinion

China and India should reject West's Russia oil-price cap plan

Latest sanction effort likely to backfire and cause market turmoil

1 August 2022
Japan imports 10% of its LNG yearly from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia's Far East. An LNG port at Sakhalin-2 is shown here.
Energy

Japan's Sakhalin-2 LNG buyers told to pay bank inside Russia

Russian-owned operator apparently aims to shield funds from Western sanctions

30 July 2022
It is time for Fumio Kishida to recognize that the sanctions are not working well.
Opinion

Kishida should tell Biden to get real about Russia sanctions

With Abe as model, prime minister must seek end to economically ruinous approach

29 July 2022
The price of Asia's main food has not been anything like the wild ride of other staples. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Market Spotlight

Thailand export earnings threatened by rice glut

Opinions diverge over outlook as fertilizer shortages loom

25 July 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin; President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo of Indonesia, this year's Group of 20 president; and U.S. President Joe Biden. Divisions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine could doom a joint communique at the G-20 summit in November, observers say. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
International relations

Ukraine war casts long shadow over G-20's economic cooperation

Meeting host Indonesia tries to paper over dysfunction by issuing chair's summary

24 July 2022
Japan's imports of Beaujolais Nouveau have been dropping since 2012 and fell 5% in 2021. Steep cost increases in 2022 will deepen the trend. 
Food & Beverage

Beaujolais Nouveau prices expected to nearly double in Japan

Weak yen, Russian airspace detours add to cost of popular early wine

23 July 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin called former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe an "outstanding statesman" in a condolence message.
Shinzo Abe

Japan to bar Putin from attending Shinzo Abe state funeral

Tokyo to convey schedule to Taiwan and others that sent condolences

22 July 2022
Indian workers carry sacks of food grains and vegetables onto a supply truck at a wholesale market in Kolkata on July 19.
Economy

ADB cuts Asia's growth forecast to 4.6%, lifts inflation outlook

Ukraine war crimps growth, spurs price rises in emerging Asia

21 July 2022
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, right, shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on July 18. (Official website of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan/Handout via Reuters) 
Energy

Azerbaijan eager to supply more gas to Europe in Russia's stead

Deal to double exports offers much-needed relief to South Europe and Balkans

19 July 2022
A nuclear power plant in France. Paris has given nuclear energy a second look in the interest of carbon reduction.
Energy

Russia's nuclear fuel dominance impedes Western energy independence

U.S. and Europe source 20% of enriched uranium from Russia

19 July 2022
Imports of Russian palladium have plunged as more companies look for other suppliers.
Ukraine war

Battery makers seek price hikes on lack of Russia rare metals

Ukraine war disruption pushes lithium, titanium, palladium to new highs

18 July 2022
Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati delivers a speech during the G-20 Finance Ministers' Meeting in Bali on July 15.
International relations

G-20 finance chiefs fail to reach consensus on global inflation

Indonesia gives up on wringing out joint communique from premier economic bloc

16 July 2022
A tanker is loaded with liquefied natural gas at the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia. The project supplies roughly 10% of Japan's LNG imports.
Energy

Japan tells Mitsui, Mitsubishi to hang on to Sakhalin-2 stakes

Putin move on key LNG project threatens G-7 unity on Ukraine sanctions

16 July 2022
Russia's Anton Siluanov, left, the U.S.'s Janet Yellen, Indonesia's Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Japan's Shunichi Suzuki and others have a wide divide to bridge if the G-20 is to help solve the world's food shortages and price increases. (Source photos by Reuters)
International relations

G-20 finance chiefs meet in Bali as Ukraine war tests unity

U.S.'s Yellen scolds Russian peers for 'their continued support of Putin regime'

15 July 2022
Russian crude oil is believed to have been refined in India and exported to the West. 
Energy

India under spotlight for 'laundering' Russian oil

Reliance faces allegations of exploiting loophole to refine sanctioned crude

14 July 2022
Kawasaki Heavy's Suiso Frontier delivered the world's first cargo of liquefied hydrogen from Australia to Japan earlier this year. (Photo by Atsushi Ooka)
Energy

Quad members agree to promote hydrogen, ammonia fuel tech

Ukraine war underscores importance of clean energy security

14 July 2022
Auto rickshaw drivers line up to buy gas near a fuel station in Colombo on April 13: A forewarning that more vulnerable countries could go bust.
Opinion

Ukraine war hastens Sri Lanka's economic meltdown

Impact of Russian sanctions likely to be felt by a string of poorer nations

13 July 2022
Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, left, greets his U.S. counterpart, Janet Yellen, in Tokyo on July 12: They agreed to address rising food and energy prices worsened by the Ukraine war.
International relations

U.S., Japan to address currency, economic impact of Ukraine war

Top finance officials Yellen, Suzuki vow to cooperate in Tokyo meeting

12 July 2022
Amazon Web Services is an early mover in seeking data-center customers in Vietnam. Local players account for less that 20% of the market but the Vietnamese government wants to increase this to 70%. (Source photo by Getty Images) 
Technology

Amazon woos cloud clients as Vietnam floats onshore data rules

AWS pause in Russia amid Ukraine war shows risk of offshore data centers: analysts

11 July 2022
A child helps cast a ballot during the upper house election at a polling station in Tokyo on July 10.
Japan election

Japan voters go to polls two days after Abe assassination

Shocked nation should know results of upper house race Sunday night

10 July 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G-20 ministerial meeting in Bali on July 9. 
International relations

U.S., China foreign ministers meet for first time since October

Blinken talks with Wang amid tensions on human rights, Taiwan issue

9 July 2022
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivers her opening speech during the G-20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali.
International relations

G-20 ministers debate food, energy prices as global divide worsens

Russia's invasion of Ukraine casts pall over international cooperation

8 July 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in remarks to Russian lawmakers on July 7, said the West was welcome to try to beat Russia militarily, but that this would harm Ukraine. (Kremlin via Reuters)
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from June 14 to July 8: Putin warns West that Ukraine is headed for 'tragedy'

Indonesia urges G-20 to help end war as Lavrov looks on; Biden to talk energy security with Gulf leaders

8 July 2022
Xi Jinping hosts the 14th BRICS summit via video link in Beijing on June 23: Countries including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Argentina have expressed interest in joining the club of five.
Opinion

Ukraine war divides Western alliance from the Global South

BRICS nations have long aspired to a new world order

8 July 2022