alt

May 5th, 2022

Walking a tightrope

Japan's energy security on thin ice as Ukraine war continues

View all editions

The Big Story

Walking a tightrope: Ukraine war puts Japan's energy security on thin ice

As Western sanctions on Russia pile up, Tokyo weighs pulling out of Sakhalin projects

Western energy companies have started pulling out of the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 (pictured) oil and gas projects in Russia's Far East. Japan's international reputation could be on the line if it does not follow suit.
(Source photos by AP, Getty Images and courtesy of Waymo) 
Business Spotlight

Ditch the driver: U.S. and China race to make self-driving taxis a reality

As Baidu takes to Beijing streets, Waymo and Cruise fear falling behind

South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol faces growing concern at the state of the economy. In the background, the banners at an April protest in Seoul read "Secure better jobs and the right to work without discrimination."
Asia Insight

Yoon Suk-yeol: Self-styled crusader for justice vows South Korea shake-up

Prosecutor-turned-president's pious upbringing instilled sense of good versus evil

As Singaporeans grow comfortable living with the virus, the Clarke Quay nighttime social scene has blossomed.
Coronavirus

Southeast Asia's COVID-hit economies scramble for tourists

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand throw caution to wind; Indonesia a bit more careful

Commuters in Tokyo: Japan is known for its long working hours, but some companies are looking to implement shorter workweeks. (Photo by Makoto Okada)
Business trends

From Japan to Indonesia, Asia weighs four-day workweeks

Long hours and low productivity plague the region, but change is still slow

China has stepped up activity in strategic chokepoints like Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, the Panama Canal and Ushuaia, Argentina. (Source photo by Reuters)
Indo-Pacific

Strategic chokepoints: the new U.S.-China battlegrounds

Washington wary of Beijing's advances in Solomon Islands, Panama Canal

Sanitation workers spray disinfectant at Shanghai's historic district The Bund. The city of 25 million has been locked down since late March after it was hit by its worst COVID-19 outbreak.  
Coronavirus

Shanghai lockdown 'disaster' prompts Chinese to eye move overseas

Online searches on how to emigrate surge as draconian virus measures take toll

Stubbornly high cooking oil prices in Indonesia have frustrated President Joko Widodo's administration.
Commodities

Indonesia's policy flip-flop on palm oil export ban: 5 things to know

Total embargo may cost $3bn in foreign reserves monthly, warns economist

Wang Yi meets with Sergei Lavrov in Tunxi, China, on March 30: China and Russia have embarked on a diplomatic offense.
Opinion

Xi Jinping has better options than to stand by Vladimir Putin

China's tacit support for the war in Ukraine harms its national interests

Yen and dollar notes: An attractive and developed economy earns a strong currency.
Opinion

Global indifference to plunging yen should alarm Tokyo

Weak currency says more than you think about Japan's economic plight

Members of the LGBT community and supporters march in Tokyo's Shibuya district during the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade on April 24. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Life

Less talk, more action: Tokyo Rainbow Pride's call to arms

Defiant marchers express dismay over lack of progress on LGBT rights

In one shop’s hodgepodge display of merchandise that spills onto the sidewalk, a plush creature lounges among dishes and old-movie DVDs. (Photo by Edward M. Gomez)
Tea Leaves

Japan's flea markets offer more treasure than trash

Unassuming secondhand stalls are ready for their breakthrough moment