Nikkei Asia

Japanese authorities spent 15.4 trillion yen ($96.5 billion) intervening in foreign exchange markets from July 30 to August 26, marking a record single-round total according to Finance Ministry data released August 28. This amount forms part of $170 billion in support measures deployed this year. The intervention occurred as the yen approached 40-year lows near 164 per dollar.

President Lai Ching-te inspected the Mighty Hornet III unmanned aerial vehicle on July 17 while the legislature considered competing drone procurement bills. Opposition lawmakers rejected the executive's special $6.6 billion budget and approved their own alternative plan. The events highlight divisions over defense spending scale and legislative oversight.

BYD posted second-quarter results on August 28 showing net profit of 8.2 billion yuan, up 29.8% year-on-year, ending four consecutive quarters of profit declines. Revenue fell 3.2% to 194.6 billion yuan, marking the fourth straight quarter of year-on-year revenue contraction. Overseas sales gains in Europe and Southeast Asia offset weaker domestic performance while the company retained its position as the world's largest EV maker by shipments.

Monitoring stations along the Trishuli and Bhote Koshi rivers recorded sharp rises of up to nine metres within 30 minutes on August 27, with several stations damaged or offline. Local residents used whistles and shouts for downstream warnings after automated systems failed to transmit, while over 600,000 SMS alerts were sent to four districts. Officials acknowledged a complete failure to issue timely alerts in Rasuwa.

Official data show Japan's nursery school waiting lists increased to 2,435 children as of April 1, up 181 from the prior year and marking the first rise in nine years. The increase was concentrated in urban areas, particularly Tokyo, which reported 1,113 children on lists after implementing free childcare for first-born children. National capacity stood at 3,016,417 slots against 2,646,756 users, while first-half births rose 0.8 percent to 342,068.

SK Hynix held a ceremonial groundbreaking on August 27, 2026, for a $4 billion advanced packaging facility at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, attended by Governor Mike Braun. CEO Kwak Noh-Jung stated the site will serve as a U.S. HBM production base by 2030 and projected no oversupply signals through the end of the decade. The company is leading the HBM market while conducting the majority of its $720 billion expansion in South Korea.

South Korea, the United States, and Japan will conduct annual trilateral military exercises named Freedom Edge from September 7-11 in international waters east and south of Jeju Island. The drills focus on real-time data sharing, air defense, maritime interdiction, and multi-domain operations to address North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Coverage of the exercises originates primarily from right-center and right-leaning outlets.