Asia Economy
Asia-Pacific markets set to fall as Trump extends Iran ceasefire but uncertainty drags on
A pedestrian looks at an electronic quotation board showing numbers of the Nikkei 225 index in Tokyo on September 11, 2020. Kazuhiro Nogi | AFP | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to open broadly lower Wednesday as concerns grew that the Middle East conflict could drag on, after President Donald Trump extended a U.S. ceasefire […]
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India, South Korea aim to deepen ties amid geopolitical uncertainty. Here is what’s holding them back.
NEW DELHI, INDIA – 2026/04/20: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung heads into talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House, aiming for a big boost in economic cooperation, particularly in areas such as enhancing cooperation in semiconductors, shipbuilding, AI, defense, and securing supply chains nearly doubling bilateral trade to $50 billion by […]
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Japan scraps ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on April 15 2026. Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images The Japanese government has announced plans to lift a ban on lethal weapons exports, marking the latest shift away from the country’s post-war pacifist policy. In a statement […]
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‘New cards on the battlefield’: U.S., Iran ratchet up rhetoric with peace talks in limbo
The front page of the Javan newspaper (L) and the front page of the Jam Jam newspaper, which features a cartoon of US President Donald Trump drowning in the Strait of Hormuz with the headline “Marine Bluff,” are on sale at a newsstand in Tehran on April 13, 2026. Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty […]
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Asia markets open higher as hopes for Iran peace talks offset Trump threat of escalation
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in January 2022. Toru Hanai | Bloomberg | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened higher Tuesday amid hopes for a resolution to the Middle East conflict, even as tensions between Iran and the U.S. continue to simmer. “Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table— […]
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Major 7.5-magnitude quake hits off Japan, triggers tsunami warnings
This photo shows a warning message on a screen from a live feed on NHK with tsunami alert after an earthquake hit northern Japan, in Tokyo on April 20, 2026. Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, prompting authorities to urge residents […]
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China calls for ‘concerted’ industry efforts to tackle excess solar production
Workers check solar panels installed on a lake in Tianchang, east China’s Anhui province on January 12, 2026. – | Afp | Getty Images China has called for “concerted efforts” to ease its solar power industry’s severe overcapacity crisis, as part of Beijing’s campaign to end a fierce price war. The proposed measures include capacity […]
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‘Resumption of hostilities’: seized ship, vessel attacks push U.S.-Iran ceasefire toward brink
A person points at a page on the Marinetraffic website that shows commercial boats traffic on the edge of the Strait of Hormuz near the Iranian coast, in Paris on March 4, 2026. Julien De Rosa | Afp | Getty Images Fifty days into the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, tensions escalated again after clashes in […]
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Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries sees shares jump nearly 4% on first ever warship export deal
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (L) and Japan’s Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro (R) pose for a photo with Eisaku Ito, Pesident and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, before the signing of the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. […]
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China keeps benchmark lending rates unchanged as economic growth revs up, Mideast risks loom
BEIJING, CHINA – DECEMBER 22: A woman walks by the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) on December 22, 2025 in Beijing, China. Zhang Xiangyi | China News Service | Getty Images China held its benchmark lending rates unchanged for an 11th straight month, keeping its powder dry as policymakers weigh the economic […]
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