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    Trending

    1 November 2026
    David Sowerby, co-CEO of Arbitr Group, says traditional dubbing has not always captured a speaker's passion and nuance. (Photo by Minako Yamashita)
    Indonesia, including the capital Jakarta, has been wrestling with the health and economic impacts of fires and haze.
    Your Week in Asia

    Indonesia GDP, US midterm elections, Hong Kong financial summit

    Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

    1 November 2026
    Cnergyico Pk's refinery plant in Balochistan province, Pakistan. The country's refineries are enjoying unusually strong profits, but the industry faces big hurdles ahead.
    Energy

    Pakistan refineries report 1,860% jump in profit amid war windfall

    Islamabad introduces cap on refinery margins as retail prices hit consumers hard

    1 November 2026
    Supporters cheer on U.S. President Donald Trump at an Oct. 27 rally in Lubbock, Texas.
    Comment

    After US midterms, democracy will face test of ability to self-correct

    Two years until post-Trump presidential race mark crossroads for growing global divisions

    1 November 2026
    A worker climbs up a giant crane at the construction site of the Yongin semiconductor cluster in Yongin, South Korea in July. The country's economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter on strong semiconductor exports and investments.
    Trade

    South Korea exports nearly double in October on AI investment boom

    Total exports for January-October period reach $930bn

    1 November 2026
    Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said on X, "Our users will not bear the financial impact of this incident."
    Cryptocurrencies

    Binance says it has covered 90% of losses from $6.3bn hack

    FBI blames North Korean-backed TraderTraitor for the theft

    1 November 2026
    Hyperscalers are conducting global fundraising to finance AI buildouts. (Source photos Nikkei and Reuters)
    Bonds

    Yen bond offerings hit record $16bn as AI funding race reaches Japan

    Alphabet raises funds in May, followed by Hon Hai and Zurich Insurance

    1 November 2026
    The tech sell-off picked up pace after Amazon and Intel results fueled worries around AI.
    Markets

    Wall Street closes sharply lower as AI cash burn fears spark tech sell-off

    Crypto firms slide after reports that hackers stole $6.3bn from Binance

    31 October 2026
    The new Model K can be configured as a delivery van when fitted with a cargo compartment. (Photo by Ryosuke Eguchi)
    Electric vehicles

    Foxconn unveils 3 EVs to grow contract manufacturing business

    New models include commercial vehicle similar to Japan's kei minitrucks

    31 October 2026
    Nittetsu Mining is working toward autonomous driving for large dump trucks at its Torigatayama Quarry Complex. (Photo by Arata Shigeno)
    Technology

    Japan miner to address labor crunch with self-driving dump trucks

    Nittetsu Mining to introduce autonomous vehicles at limestone quarry by 2033

    31 October 2026
    Data center-linked demand for MLCCs is surging, but some worry about the sustainability of the AI boom. (Source photos Nikkei)
    Supply Chain

    Japan's Murata to invest $6.3bn in capacitor production for AI over 5 years

    Investments in MLCC capacity to be at home, Philippines, China and Thailand

    31 October 2026
    Yttrium is a rare earth-element used in semiconductor-manufacturing machinery. (Illustration by Reuters)
    Supply Chain

    Japan's Sojitz to import rare earth yttrium from Malaysia

    Plant expansion by Australian partner Lynas making progress, trading house president says

    31 October 2026
    A Micron memory chip. Strong investment in data centers has seen profits at memory makers soar. (Photo by Shintaro Ino)
    Semiconductors

    Memory chip makers outearn Alphabet, other tech giants on AI demand

    Kioxia, Samsung reap benefits of spending surge, but investors start to doubt staying power

    31 October 2026
    Binance said it could freeze additional funds as it works with law enforcement agencies, token issuers, blockchain intelligence firms and other industry partners to trace and freeze additional assets.
    Cryptocurrencies

    Binance suspends withdrawals and freezes funds after $6.3bn hack

    Bitcoin price tumbles on what may be biggest cryptocurrency theft ever

    31 October 2026
    Through the partnership, the companies plan to deploy a fleet of electric SUVs with Waymo driving technologies in addition to taxi specifications typical for Japan. (Toyota Motor)
    Transportation

    Toyota and Waymo to roll out driverless robotaxis in Japan in 2027

    Next phase of partnership to be base for large-scale commercial deployment

    31 October 2026
    The government has urged top U.S. AI developers to provide expanded access to their advanced cybersecurity models. (Source photos by Reuters)
    Artificial intelligence

    Japan asks Anthropic, OpenAI for more access to advanced models

    Tokyo moves to bolster nation's cyber defenses as attacks mount

    31 October 2026
    A COSCO container ship at the port of San Antonio in Chile. The company's profit jumped 80% in the third quarter, thanks in part to higher freight rates.
    Companies

    Chinese shipping, coal stocks outperform AI as earnings outlooks diverge

    Gains fueled partly by Iran war side effects offer contrast to tech rout

    30 October 2026
    Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda, speaking at a news conference on Oct. 30, says the bank's 2% inflation target has been achieved, but not yet on a stable basis. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama)
    Bank of Japan

    BOJ chief Ueda says 2% inflation goal not yet sustainably achieved

    Japan central bank keeps rates steady, will pick up pace of ETF disposal

    30 October 2026
    Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, right, told attendees at its annual tech day that the company is not just an assembler "moving boxes around" but can build state-of-the-art equipment such as Nvidia's DSX POD (left), a modular container-sized AI factory. (Source photos by Lauly Li)
    Technology

    Foxconn chief downplays AI bubble concerns, sees strong 2027 growth

    Leading contract manufacturer plans major supply chain expansion in Texas

    30 October 2026
    U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, speaks to media at the White House, following the Supreme Court's ruling that Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs. 
    U.S. midterm elections

    Trump holds off overcapacity tariffs as US midterms near

    Administration weighs voter concerns over prices against fragile China trade truce

    30 October 2026
    As of Oct. 20, the Bank of Japan held exchange-traded funds with a book value of $228.3 billion. (Nikkei photo)
    Bank of Japan

    BOJ to accelerate ETF sales, more than doubling pace from January

    Faster pace means BOJ would unwind its holdings in 43 years rather than 112

    30 October 2026
    Historically, the party of the sitting president tends to lose seats in the midterms, which take place roughly halfway into a president's four-year term. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Yuki Nakao and Reuters)
    Editor-in-Chief’s Picks

    Editor's Choice: What the US midterms mean for Asia

    Akito Tanaka shares his weekly reflections and recommendations

    30 October 2026
    Marubeni, one of Japan's five big trading houses, sees physical constraints for energy and resources arising from the AI boom as an opportunity for growth. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
    Interview

    Japan's Marubeni looks to profit from bottlenecks arising from AI boom

    CEO says energy, resource constraints can be source of growth for trading house

    30 October 2026
    One remote pilot can monitor the surroundings and positions of multiple drones. (Aeronext)
    Aerospace & Defense Industries

    Japan prepares for commercial drone flocks after operating limit lifted

    Rule change expected to expand rural logistics, infrastructure inspection

    30 October 2026
    Intel issued weaker-than-expected guidance for the fourth quarter, with revenue expected to be in the range of $15 billion to $16 billion. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
    Semiconductors

    Intel shares sink more than 20% as PC slowdown stretches into 2027

    Weak outlook overshadows 21% revenue growth driven by data centers and AI

    30 October 2026
    One Nation supporters in Albury, Australia, celebrate the party's winning its first federal House of Representatives election victory on May 9.
    Policy Asia

    Australia's One Nation basks in attention of 'left behind' voters

    Election in second-biggest state will test whether right-wing party can vie for power

    30 October 2026
    A KDDI data center in the city of Sakai, Japan, is seen from above. The company operates data centers in 10 countries. (Photo by Yo Inoue)
    Artificial intelligence

    Japan's KDDI to build another data center in London

    Group spends nearly $300m to acquire land for latest project

    30 October 2026
    The Vietnamese government's massive public investments are also a factor behind the country's growth.
    Economy

    Vietnam to overtake Indonesia in per capita GDP in 2026: IMF

    Country draws Foxconn, Samsung high-tech manufacturing as alternative to China

    30 October 2026
    Christine Lagarde has resigned and will step down on as ECB president in February 2027, the central bank says.
    Economy

    ECB keeps December rate hike on table amid mounting inflation risks

    Rates left unchanged after Christine Lagarde steps down as central bank chief

    30 October 2026
    Export prices for both DRAM and NAND memory chips have soared. (Photo by Shintaro Ino) 
    Semiconductors

    AI boom, soaring memory prices lift Japan's chip exports 41%

    Semiconductor demand helps blunt trade deficit fueled by high crude prices

    30 October 2026