Ukraine war

Hong Kong's Animoca Brands has suspended Russian accounts from its blockchain-based game "The Sandbox." (Photo courtesy of Animoca Brands)
Media & Entertainment

Ukraine war protests find virtual platforms as gamers speak out

EA and Sony halt Russia business, while Animoca shuts out players there

11 March 2022
The pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine were cited as factors delaying the opening of the Aquaverse water park for a second time. (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Travel & Leisure

Sony's Aquaverse to delay Thailand opening over tourism uncertainty

Theme park based on Columbia Pictures films faces headwinds from Ukraine, COVID

11 March 2022
Crude oil storage tanks are seen at the Cushing oil hub in in the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
Interview

U.S. will not ask Japan to limit Russian oil imports: State Dept adviser

Putin's invasion of Ukraine will 'change the entire landscape of energy'

10 March 2022
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sits in front of his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba during a tripartite meeting chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Antalya, Turkey on March 10. (Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP)
Ukraine war

Russia and Ukraine fail to agree cease-fire at meeting in Turkey

Foreign ministers blame each other after highest bilateral talks so far in war

10 March 2022
Customers shop at Moscow's first Uniqlo store after its opening in April 2010.
Ukraine war

Uniqlo suspends Russia business, reversing earlier decision

Japan retailer cites operational challenges and worsening conflict

10 March 2022
Sempra Infrastructure hopes to increase annual production at its Cameron LNG plant in Louisiana by nearly 7 million tons and to export more to Asia and Europe, which is trying to cut its dependence on Russian gas.
Energy

U.S. energy giant to boost LNG output as countries cut out Russia

Sempra plant, backed by Mitsui, to up production by 60% and export more to Europe

10 March 2022
Building of the Long Phu 1 thermal power plant has been delayed in Vietnam's Mekong Delta because of U.S. sanctions against a Russian contractor. (Photo courtesy of PetroVietnam's PTSC)
Ukraine war

SWIFT sanctions add twist to Vietnam-Russia coal plant dispute

Hanoi refrains from condemning Ukraine invasion by its old Soviet partner

10 March 2022
Joe Biden meets virtually with Xi Jinping from the White House in November 2021: Biden has sought to stabilize the geopolitical competition with China so as to focus on containing Russia.
Opinion

Ukraine war puts U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy in jeopardy

Focus on Russia will curtail efforts to limit Chinese expansionism

10 March 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Beijing Olympics in February: On social media, some Chinese users are calling him "the Great Emperor."
International relations

China's online pro-Putin fest drowns out anti-war sentiment

Nationalist netizens seem to have free rein; experts paint more nuanced picture

10 March 2022
Cryptocurrency players in Singapore are keen to show they are abiding by the city-state's financial sanctions on Russia. (Source photos by AP) 
Cryptocurrencies

Singapore's Russia sanctions pile pressure on crypto players

Digital asset platforms scour transactions as Ukraine war enters third week

10 March 2022
Although only a few countries are restricting imports of Russian oil, many companies are shying away from the fuel over logistical and ethical concerns.
10 March 2022
Thailand will keep its retail diesel price cap at 30 baht per liter as it tries to soften the blow of higher costs on consumers. 
Economy

Thailand keeps diesel price cap despite crude oil surge

Government softens blow on consumers from fuel crisis caused by Russia invasion

9 March 2022
Sushi restaurants are reviewing their menus as ingredients grow scarce and prices rise. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai) 
Food & Beverage

Japan sushi shops face seafood cost hike as Russia sanctions bite

'Scramble for crab' begins after airspace closed to Russian exports

9 March 2022
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
A truck transports a shipping container with the logo of China Shipping Group at a commercial port in the Baltic Sea town of Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region of Russia.
Ukraine war

Chinese companies confronted with quandary over Russia operations

Didi reverses course over plans to withdraw, while Tik Tok suspends service

9 March 2022
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo granted an exclusive face-to-face interview with Nikkei Asia near Patimban Port in Subang, West Java, on March 8. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Interview

Indonesia's Jokowi calls for cease-fire in Russia-Ukraine war

Sanctions are 'not the answer,' G-20 chair says in exclusive Nikkei interview

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
The invasion of Ukraine launched by President Vladimir Putin has prompted some companies to pull out of Russia in protest. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Ukraine war

Asian companies hesitate on Russia pullout as Western boycotts mount

Comments from Uniqlo boss highlight differing responses to Ukraine war

8 March 2022
The Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 drone has been exported to Ukraine, Turkmenistan and Morocco. (Photo courtesy of Baykar Defense)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Turkish drone success in Ukraine sets stage for Asia roadshow

Drone companies see potential customers in Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia

8 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