AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

Park Sujeong
  • Miura Co. Establishes Philippine Subsidiary to Expand Boiler Sales and Service
    Miura Co. Establishes Philippine Subsidiary to Expand Boiler Sales and Service Industrial boiler maker Miura Co. said April 23 that it has established a local subsidiary in the Philippines, Miura Philippines, to strengthen sales and maintenance as demand rises with economic growth. The company set up the unit effective March 25 through its group’s Southeast Asia headquarters in Singapore. It will begin operations May 1. Capital is 18 million pesos (about 47 million yen). The subsidiary will handle sales and rentals of boilers and water treatment equipment, as well as maintenance. In the Philippine market, Miura Singapore has conducted boiler sales and maintenance since opening a branch in 2018.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 12:00:14
  • EU to Spend 15 Million Euros to Support Myanmar Refugees in Thai Border Camps
    EU to Spend 15 Million Euros to Support Myanmar Refugees in Thai Border Camps The European Union said on the 20th it will launch a 15 million euro (about 2.8 billion yen) support program for Myanmar refugees living in nine camps in Thailand along the Myanmar border, as well as refugees living outside camps in Thailand’s northern Tak province, for 2026-28. The EU said the program is intended to help shift support away from reliance on humanitarian aid and toward self-reliance. The program will be carried out in cooperation with the EU, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee, and Expertise France, an agency under the French Development Agency. The target areas include refugee camps in four provinces: Mae Hong Son and Tak in the north, and Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi in the west. Funding will be allocated as follows: 10.5 million euros for essential supplies and employment support through the IRC; 2 million euros to improve health services in Tak province through EF and local medical institutions; and 2.5 million euros for child protection and broader support for refugees within Thailand’s systems led by UNHCR. The EU increased the funding from the originally planned 12 million euros to 15 million euros. The IRC had served for 30 years as a main provider of medical support in northern refugee camps, but ended that assistance in late July last year after U.S. foreign aid was halted.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 11:54:37
  • HiteJinro Promotes Chamisul at Manila Culture Festival to Reach Young Consumers
    HiteJinro Promotes Chamisul at Manila Culture Festival to Reach Young Consumers South Korean liquor maker HiteJinro said it took part in “2026 Round in the Philippines,” a cultural exchange festival between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held in Manila, promoting its brands to younger local consumers. The company set up a tasting booth inside the Araneta Coliseum, featuring its flagship soju brand Chamisul and five fruit liqueur products. It also ran a pop-up store at a nearby shopping mall with hands-on promotions. HiteJinro established its Philippine unit in 2019 and has been working to expand the market through collaborations with local brands. Distribution sales volume in the Philippines in January-March rose about 23% from a year earlier, it said. The company said it plans to keep using music and cultural events for locally focused marketing as it seeks to raise brand awareness across Southeast Asia.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 11:48:14
  • India’s Haryana Plans Toy-Focused Industrial Cluster Under 2026 Industry Policy
    India’s Haryana Plans Toy-Focused Industrial Cluster Under 2026 Industry Policy India’s northern state of Haryana plans to develop an industrial cluster specializing in toys, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on the 23rd, according to PTI. Saini made the remarks after a high-level meeting to review the final draft of the “Haryana Industrial Policy 2026.” He said the state aims to build a toy industry cluster on a 250- to 350-acre site (about 101 to 141 hectares). He said the cluster would help diversify industry in the state and could also strengthen India’s economy by boosting exports. The Haryana Industrial Policy 2026 is expected to focus on emerging sectors including electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) and IT, as well as animation, visual effects (VFX) and gaming. The policy is also expected to target investment attraction, large-scale job creation and faster technological innovation.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 11:42:15
  • Jakarta’s Plaza Senayan Marks 30th Anniversary With Ceremony
    Jakarta’s Plaza Senayan Marks 30th Anniversary With Ceremony Plaza Senayan, a shopping mall in South Jakarta, has marked its 30th anniversary. SENAYAN TRIKARYA SEMPANA (STS), the mall operator and a unit of Kajima Development, Kajima Construction’s Southeast Asia development arm, held a ceremony on April 24. Plaza Senayan opened on April 26, 1996. The mall has one basement level and three floors above ground, with net leasable area of about 70,000 square meters. It has about 200 tenants and an occupancy rate of about 90%. It draws about 30,000 visitors on weekdays and about 40,000 to 50,000 on weekends. Japanese brands have been increasing in recent years. Kurasu, a coffee shop that started in Kyoto, opened on April 25. Kooma, which bills itself as a Japanese artisan bakery, opened its second Indonesia location in mid-April, and stretching studio Dr.stretch opened its first Indonesia location in December. Balcony by 6th, a restaurant from Azabudai Hills, is also scheduled to open in the mall within the year. A banquet hall is also planned for the fifth floor near the parking area, with an opening targeted for August. Capacity is 1,600 in theater style and 900 in dining style. Kajima Construction signed a 40-year build-operate-transfer contract in 1989 with the Indonesian government for the Senayan Square district, covering about 19 hectares. In addition to Plaza Senayan, STS has developed the five-star Fairmont Jakarta, four apartment towers and three office buildings. Under the agreement, Plaza Senayan will be operated for 40 years from its opening through 2036, after which ownership will be transferred to the Indonesian government at no cost. Ten years remain until that deadline.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 11:36:41
  • Cathay Pacific Issues HK$2.08 Billion in First Hong Kong Dollar Public Bond Sale
    Cathay Pacific Issues HK$2.08 Billion in First Hong Kong Dollar Public Bond Sale Hong Kong's largest airline, Cathay Pacific, said on the 24th it will issue its first Hong Kong dollar-denominated public bond, raising HK$2.08 billion (about 42.3 billion yen). The three-year bond will carry a coupon rate of 3.78%. The company said it is the largest Hong Kong dollar public bond ever issued by a Hong Kong private-sector company, adding that demand was strong from a broad range of investors, including asset managers, banks and private banks. Cathay Pacific said the offering is a good opportunity to further diversify its funding sources. Proceeds will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Sharpe said it was "evidence of our continued commitment to our home in Hong Kong."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-27 11:22:36
  • TSMC Says It Will Begin Mass Production of A13 Chip Process in 2029
    TSMC Says It Will Begin Mass Production of A13 Chip Process in 2029 The world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., said it plans to begin mass production of its A13 advanced manufacturing process in 2029. TSMC made the announcement at its North America Technology Symposium, which opened April 22 in Santa Clara, California. The company described A13 as an improved version of A14, its next-generation process technology now under development. TSMC previously unveiled A14 in 2025 as the successor to the current leading-edge 2-nanometer process. The company said A13 uses A14’s circuit structure to increase density and reduces area by 6% compared with A14. It said the process is aimed at smaller, more efficient designs for next-generation artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and mobile devices, and offers improved power efficiency. TSMC plans to start mass production of A14 in 2028.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 16:19:08
  • TotalEnergies ENEOS Signs 15-Year Solar Power Purchase Deal With Thailand’s Jintana
    TotalEnergies ENEOS Signs 15-Year Solar Power Purchase Deal With Thailand’s Jintana French energy company TotalEnergies and Japanese petroleum distributor ENEOS said their joint venture, TotalEnergies ENEOS Renewables Distributed Generation Asia Pte. Ltd., signed a 15-year power purchase agreement on the 22nd with Thai apparel manufacturer Jintana Intertrade. Under the deal, Jintana will install a 650-kilowatt-peak rooftop solar system at its factory in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeastern Thailand. About 1,000 panels are expected to generate 1,000 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, covering roughly 55% of the plant’s power demand. The project is projected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 480 tons annually. TotalEnergies ENEOS will handle the system’s design, installation, operation and maintenance, while Jintana will purchase the electricity produced during the contract period. TotalEnergies ENEOS was established in 2022 and is based in Singapore, developing distributed solar projects for corporate customers across Asia.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 16:12:18
  • Manila LRT-1 Opens Air-Conditioned Waiting Area at Baclaran Station
    Manila LRT-1 Opens Air-Conditioned Waiting Area at Baclaran Station Light Rail Manila Corp., the operator of Manila’s LRT Line 1, began operating an air-conditioned waiting area on the platform at Baclaran Station in Pasay City on the 23rd. The room is equipped with three household air conditioners. The 46.5-square-meter space can accommodate more than 30 people. It was created by renovating an existing room. Two five-seat benches are in place, and LRMC plans to add more. At the opening ceremony, LRMC President and CEO Enrico R. Benipayo said the company wants to improve the passenger experience and signaled interest in expanding the installation to other stations. The air conditioners were provided by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries - Mahajak Air Conditioners Co., Ltd. (MACO), a Thailand-based joint venture of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The company aims to promote its products through the installation and by placing indoor and outdoor advertising. Aoki Taro, a senior manager in charge of marketing and sales at the company, noted that window-type air conditioners are the mainstream in the Philippines. He said he hopes people will recognize the efficiency and quiet operation of inverter air conditioners as electricity rates rise. The company plans to strengthen sales in the Philippine market through dealers. LRMC’s investors include local conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), as well as Sumitomo Corp., Hankyu Corp. and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 15:54:24
  • Myanmar Fishery Exports Top 326,300 Tons in FY2025
    Myanmar Fishery Exports Top 326,300 Tons in FY2025 Myanmar exported more than 326,300 tons of fishery products in fiscal 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026), with export earnings topping $404 million (about 64.4 billion yen), the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported on the 23rd, citing the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation. By transport route, seaborne shipments exceeded 150,000 tons worth $240.48 million, while overland exports totaled 176,000 tons valued at $163.5 million. Myanmar continues to export seafood to more than 40 countries, including South Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and Bangladesh. The Myanmar Fisheries Federation said key export items include hilsa, rohu, catfish, seabass, eel, shrimp and crab. It also said more than 140 upgraded frozen and refrigerated storage facilities nationwide must renew annual permits through the Fisheries Department. In fiscal 2024, Myanmar exported about 400,000 tons of fishery products worth $421 million.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-24 15:39:38