Business

Semiconductors Chipmaking materials are now its cash cow, but stock market remains unimpressed Toto manufactures three core products for chipmaking equipment: electrostatic chucks, upper left, aerosol deposition components, lower left, and durable structural parts used in equipment for producing large LCD panels. (Toto) TOKYO — Japan’s Toto may be best known for churning out toilets, bathtubs […]

An Indian Army officer displays a cutting-edge surveillance drone in Kargil, India, on July 26, 2025. India’s military drone manufacturers have ambitions to increase overseas shipments of the weapons, which likely made up less than 5% of total defense exports in the fiscal year that ended in March. (Photo by Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MUMBAI — The Indian military […]

Economy Central bank leaves room for future cuts amid Middle East uncertainties Economists expected the Bank of Thailand to leave its policy rate unchanged at its meeting on April 28. © Reuters APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT BANGKOK — Thailand’s central bank on Wednesday kept its policy rate unchanged at 1%, leaving room for future cuts amid economic uncertainties posed […]

Electric vehicles About 200 robotaxis suddenly stopped in Wuhan in March; licensing halt fogs outlook A robotaxi from Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing platform Apollo Go runs past blooming cherry blossoms in the Chinese city of Wuhan in March. (VCG via Getty Images) HONG KONG — The Chinese government has suspended issuances of new robotaxi licenses, after a recent […]

Economy Spy agency elevates anti-consumerist trend as matter of national security A job fair in Beijing in March: Chinese authorities are accusing foreign forces of brainwashing youth against having ambition, while the country struggles to provide enough high-quality jobs. © Reuters HONG KONG — China has accused foreign forces of systematically brainwashing the country’s youth […]

Defense India set to gain from technology transfer, but critics question its values Defense Ministers Boris Pistorius and Rajnath Singh visit the shipyard of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Kiel, as Germany and India draw closer to signing a submarine deal. (Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defense) HAMBURG, Germany — Germany’s plan to sell six diesel-electric submarines to India is […]

Homegrown AI powers China’s ambitions, from classroom to home

Peet’s Coffee, a chain from California, brings in about 50 yuan per customer in China, where cafes selling brews for just 9.9 yuan have proliferated. (Photo by Wataru Suzuki) HANGZHOU, China — International coffee chains are trying new store formats and venturing into less saturated regions of China as they seek to expand while avoiding an aggressive […]

Markets Honda and BYD shares lag South Korean company’s as EVs, prices struggle South Korea’s Hyundai Motor is not the world’s largest automaker, but its stock price gains are outpacing those of its competitors. (Source photos by Reuters, Masaki Ishihara, Yuki Nakao and Getty Images) TOKYO — Shares in Hyundai Motor have soared this year despite the […]

Trade Middle East turmoil spurs soaring imports of polyethylene and paint thinner xylene Japanese chemical companies are grappling with shortages of feedstocks that had been sourced mainly from the Middle East. (Photo by Kai Fujii) TOKYO/DALIAN/BEIJING — As the turmoil in the Middle East throttles Japan’s supply of the key petrochemical feedstock naphtha, Japanese manufacturers […]