91²Ö¿â

author

 
Menu
Search
 
December 07, 2025
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Sudarshan Varadhan
Power cuts and tariff hikes have pushed Pakistan's 250 million people to accelerate solar adoption and made it the world's third-largest panel importer.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Nov 24, 2025
Pakistan says rooftop solar output to exceed grid demand in some hubs next year
Pakistan would be among the first major emerging markets where rooftop generation could exceed grid-linked demand in major areas entirely for lengthy periods.
Chimney and cooling towers stand next to cranes at the construction site of Shenmu Shenxin power station, a coal-fired power plant, in Shenmu, Shaanxi province, China November 20, 2023.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Nov 20, 2025
Decades-long contracts chain Asia to coal-fired power
Rising dependence on coal for power generation in countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam is a major obstacle to global efforts to combat climate change.
Empty seats of the United States delegation during the High-Level Segment (HLS) at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 18, 2025
COP30 delegates dig into toughest issues as climate talks enter final week
China, India and other developing nations are flexing more muscle, with EU influence hobbled and the U.S. altogether absent.
An employee works on a solar panel production line at a factory in China. Myanmar gets most of its solar panels from China.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Nov 14, 2025
War-torn Myanmar embraces solar power due to necessity, not climate goals
The Southeast Asian country's electricity supply has deteriorated since a 2021 military coup and the ensuing civil war, exposing millions to chronic blackouts.
Men load solar panels on a rickshaw at a market in Karachi, Pakistan, on March 26.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 30, 2025
Pakistan's solar revolution leaves its middle class behind
Solar made up over 14% of Pakistan's power supply last year, up from 4% in 2021.
Workers install solar panels at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park of Adani Green Energy in the village of Khavda, in India, on April 12.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 28, 2024
Adani allegations cast light on barriers to India's ambitious solar drive
India's states are unprepared for a rapid rise in renewable generating capacity, lack adequate transmission infrastructure and storage.
The Baihetan hydropower plant on the border between Qiaojia county of Yunnan province and Ningnan county of Sichuan province, China
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 24, 2023
China and India lead Asia's biggest hydropower crunch in decades
Intense heat, low rainfall and other extreme weather conditions have left many major Asian economies facing shortages of renewable power.
Workers unload coal from a supply truck at a yard on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 4, 2023
India steps up coal use amid unusually dry weather
The driest August in more than a century has resulted in power generation surging to a record 162.7 billion kilowatt hours.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 23, 2023
Heat waves put Asia's renewable power fleet to the test
Temperatures in parts of the region rose above 40 degrees Celsius in late April, earlier than usual, causing widespread infrastructure damage and power outages.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 10, 2023
SMBC to end corporate finance for coal mining by 2040, but trade finance remains
Critics have previously pointed to the ambiguity on corporate financing, potentially providing a loophole for banks lending to pure-play coal miners.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2022
War and energy crisis fires global hunt for coal, sparking investment in polluting fuel
Buyers in Europe and beyond are now vying to pay top dollar for coal, often from remote places that until now hardly even shipped the fuel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 8, 2022
How an Indian cement maker bought Russian coal using yuan
The move shows one way in which Russia could continue to sell commodities abroad without settling in U.S. dollars despite restrictions aimed at freezing it out of financial markets.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 20, 2022
Why is India facing its worst power crisis in over six years?
New hybrid work models adopted since COVID-19 struck in 2020 have resulted in millions of Indians working from home, boosting residential daytime power use.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
May 20, 2022
India's power grid creaks under hybrid work model and heat wave
The country has traditionally seen peak demand late in the evening when people head back home but that has shifted to mid-afternoon when temperatures are hottest.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 30, 2021
Women force change at Indian iPhone plant after enduring bad food and crowded dorms
Workers reached their boiling point when tainted food sickened over 250 people, leading to a protest that shut down a plant where 17,000 had been working.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 19, 2021
Despite climate concerns, India may build new coal plants due to low cost
Coal's contribution to electricity generation in India fell for the second straight year in 2020, yet the fuel accounts for nearly three-quarters of its annual power output.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 9, 2018
India's aluminum producers increase sales to Japan amid industry shake-up
Indian aluminum producers including Hindalco Industries and Vedanta Ltd. are boosting sales to Japan as U.S. sanctions against Russia's Rusal and import tariffs shake up traditional supply routes.
Trump security strategy demands more from Japan while unveiling ¡®burden-sharing network¡¯
U.S. President Donald Trump makes a speech aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during his visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Oct. 28.
Spotlight shines on humanoid robots at Tokyo show
A representative from Noitom Robotics demonstraties remote robot operation at the iREX International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo on Friday.
Japan¡¯s bear-related casualties hit record on escalating attacks
Bear bells are displayed for sale at a souvenir shop at Shirakawa-go, a popular tourist spot and one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage sites, in the village of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, on Nov. 15.
Suspected ³Ù´Ç°ì³Ü°ù²â¨± masterminds in Tokyo-area robberies arrested
Takuya Saito, 26, is one of four men arrested by Japanese police on Friday on suspicion of masterminding a series of robberies in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
Average price of rice in Japan hits new record high
In the week ended last Sunday, the average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets across Japan rose by ?23 from the previous week to ?4,335 per 5 kilograms.
Trump security strategy demands more from Japan while unveiling ¡®burden-sharing network¡¯
U.S. President Donald Trump makes a speech aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier during his visit to the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Oct. 28.
Will Takaichi bank on her high approval ratings to call a snap election?
While media polls show a high support rate for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s Cabinet, the support for the LDP is not as great, meaning there¡¯s no guarantee of a coattail effect if a snap poll is called.
¡®Black Box Diaries¡¯ is Shiori Ito¡¯s unflinching case for the truth
¡°Black Box Diaries¡± documents Shiori Ito¡¯s legal case, while also showing her thoughts and feelings through journal style videos she recorded herself.
Kashima or Kashiwa: J. League title chase goes down to the wire
Kashima's Yuma Suzuki (center) takes a shot during a game against Kashiwa in March.
2025 was the year Japan¡¯s box office returned
In 2025, ¡°Demon Slayer¡± and ¡°Kokuho¡± broke box-office records, while films such as ¡°Renoir,¡± A Pale View of the Hills¡± and ¡°Two Strangers, Two Seasons¡± garnered acclaim on the international film festival circuit. The year¡¯s biggest loss was the death of Tatsuya Nakadai, an highly regarded actor who had worked with nearly all of the top directors of Japanese cinema¡¯s postwar golden age.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Yumi Matsutoya began her decades-long career under her maiden name, Yumi Arai, but Japanese fans might know her better as ¡°Yuming.¡±
Yumi Matsutoya¡¯s human touch in an AI age
By Patrick St. Michel

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER