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India’s Adani Airport to raise $1bn from BlackRock, Temasek and others
Economy

India’s Adani Airport to raise $1bn from BlackRock, Temasek and others

Funds for 5.5% stake to be used for airport upgrades, land development Adani Enterprises' airport unit already handles about a quarter of India's passenger traffic and about a third of its air cargo traffic. (Source photos by Reuters) MUMBAI -- India's largest private airports operator Adani Airport Holdings said on Wednesday it is raising 98.25 billion rupees ($1.04 billion) from a consortium of investors that includes Alpha Wave Global, Temasek and BlackRock.

Volkswagen targets India growth with JSW Group joint venture plan
Economy

Volkswagen targets India growth with JSW Group joint venture plan

German automaker taps steel-to-mobility conglomerate amid painful restructuring If a proposed joint venture with JSW Group materializes, it would bring an end to Volkswagen's search for a partner in the world's third-largest auto market. (Source photos by Reuters and Ryosuke Hanada) BENGALURU -- Volkswagen Group said on Wednesday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with India's JSW Group for a joint venture amid the German automaker's plans for a sweeping overhaul that could lead to 50,000 job cuts.

India’s Manipur vows to complete Myanmar border fence by 2028
Economy

India’s Manipur vows to complete Myanmar border fence by 2028

New Delhi's plan criticized as impractical, harmful to frontier communities A motorcyclist on the Myanmar side of the border with India is seen from the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram in 2021. © Reuters NEW DELHI -- India's two-year-old plan to fence its border with Myanmar has resurfaced with the northeastern state of Manipur declaring recently it will complete its section of the fence in two years, spurring former officials and experts to argue the plan's feasibility, effectiveness and impacts on people on the frontier.

Sumitomo partners with Sakana AI to push Japan-built AI model
Economy

Sumitomo partners with Sakana AI to push Japan-built AI model

Trading house will support AI adoption across its 100,000-client network Sakana AI has partnered with Sumitomo Corp. in a bid to sell AI solutions to Japanese businesses of all sizes. (Source photo by Akira Kodaka) TOKYO -- Major Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp. has partnered with Sakana AI to bring the startup's artificial-intelligence models to its 100,000 or so client companies, helping the Tokyo-based company sell its solutions even to small businesses and giving a huge push to Japan's homegrown technology.

Honda invests in rare-earth-free magnet startup Niron Magnetics
Economy

Honda invests in rare-earth-free magnet startup Niron Magnetics

US company is building a bigger facility to complement existing pilot factory in Minneapolis Honda Motor's investment in Niron Magnetics is the latest example of Japan-U.S. critical minerals collaboration now that China is restricting rare-earth exports. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) NEW YORK -- Japan's Honda Motor is investing in Niron Magnetics, a U.S. startup working to commercialize magnets that do not use rare earths, the latter announced on Wednesday, as both countries face supply chain friction with Beijing over the critical minerals.

Australia’s new envoy to Japan calls out China missile buildup and coercion
Economy

Australia’s new envoy to Japan calls out China missile buildup and coercion

Canberra's former spy chief counters Beijing's accusations of 'militarization' by Tokyo Chinese YJ-17 hypersonic anti-ship missiles are displayed during a military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025. © Reuters TOKYO -- Andrew Shearer, the newly appointed Australian ambassador to Japan, offered blunt assessments of China's military buildup and what he called economic coercion on Wednesday, drawing on his experience in his previous role as Canberra's spy chief.

Japan eyes employing foreign trainees as airport ground crew
Economy

Japan eyes employing foreign trainees as airport ground crew

Tokyo aims to provide more long-term support for industry facing labor shortage The aviation sector may become eligible for Japan's skill development program, designed to help foreign trainees gain skills and work in the industry for a longer period. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) TOKYO -- Japan looks to allow recruitment of foreign trainees to work as ground crew at airports, helping provide long-term manpower to a sector facing a labor shortage.

50 years after Mao’s death, Xi still draws power from ‘barrel of a gun’
Economy

50 years after Mao’s death, Xi still draws power from ‘barrel of a gun’

Chinese leader keeps ever-tighter grip on military, eyeing Taiwan as long-sought prize Both Mao Zedong, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping used control over the military to underpin their leadership. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kyodo) BEIJING -- In the 50 years since the death of Mao Zedong, one political principle has held true for the China's Communist Party even as the country has transformed into the world's second-largest economy: Power stems from control over the People's Liberation Army.

Tokyo’s Shinjuku partially bans Airbnb-style rentals in growing crackdown
Economy

Tokyo’s Shinjuku partially bans Airbnb-style rentals in growing crackdown

Districts in capital sharply limit 'minpaku' operations after widespread complaints Tourists visit Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, which is home to the highest number of minpaku rentals in Japan. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita) TOKYO -- Tokyo officials have taken steps to ban Airbnb-style rentals in the Japanese capital following a flood of complaints from residents.

Japan’s large-ship hydrogen engine cuts CO2 emissions 95%
Economy

Japan’s large-ship hydrogen engine cuts CO2 emissions 95%

Model for tankers and container ships is a world first, Japan Engine says Japan Engine's first hydrogen engine is set to be installed on a Mitsui O.S.K. Lines vessel as early as January 2027. (Mitsui O.S.K. Lines) KOBE, Japan -- Ship engine maker Japan Engine and partners have completed a new hydrogen-fueled engine for large vessels that can slash greenhouse gas emissions by more than 95% compared with conventional models, it was announced on Tuesday.

Russia’s hybrid war in Europe has repercussions in Asia: 5 things to know
Economy

Russia’s hybrid war in Europe has repercussions in Asia: 5 things to know

West's reaction to Moscow tactics watched in China and North Korea, analysts say A police officer in protective clothing and a bomb disposal robot at Leipzig/Halle Airport on Aug. 5, after a drone packed with explosives was found near a runway. © Reuters HAMBURG, Germany -- Russia's escalating hybrid attacks in Europe offer Asia lessons on how to prepare for modern warfare, analysts say.

Iran retaliates against US allies after its oil tankers destroyed
Economy

Iran retaliates against US allies after its oil tankers destroyed

An Iranian crude oil carrier burns after being struck at an unknown location in this still image taken from video released Sept. 8. U.S. Central Command says such vessels were targeted after attempted Iranian missile attacks on an American Navy warship. (Central Command/Handout via Reuters) DUBAI/CAIRO (Reuters) -- The Middle East war intensified on Tuesday with Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launching strikes on several Saudi cities, further embroiling a U.S. ally in the conflict, while U.S. forces hit multiple Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan. The Houthis attacked four cities in the south of Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the six-month-old war. As global oil markets were pricing in the Saudi attacks, the U.S. military's Central Command said it destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers on Tuesday and posted video of the strikes, which it called a response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the previous two days. No Americans were harmed, the U.S. said. "Iran continues to try to hit U.S.