AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

Park Sujeong
  • Vietnam Festival 2026 Set for Late May at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, Featuring Water Puppetry
    Vietnam Festival 2026 Set for Late May at Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, Featuring Water Puppetry The Vietnam Festival 2026 executive committee said April 21 that “Vietnam Festival 2026” will be held in late May at Yoyogi Park in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. The two-day event is scheduled for May 30-31 at the park’s event plaza. Organizers said it will feature 120 booths and is expected to draw 180,000 visitors. With “immersive festival” as its theme, the event will expand hands-on content and include performances of Vietnam’s traditional water puppet theater, along with concerts by popular Vietnamese artists. Organizers said a mobile ordering system will be introduced for the first time, allowing visitors to order and pay by smartphone via QR codes at the venue, in an effort to reduce wait times and improve the overall experience. The water puppet shows, typically staged in theaters, will be performed several times a day in the festival’s open-air setting. Concerts will feature ERIK and Ngô Lan Hương, organizers said. The Vietnam Festival has been held annually since 2008 and is Japan’s largest Japan-Vietnam exchange event, drawing more than 100,000 visitors each year. In 2025, it attracted 140,000 visitors.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 11:35:11
  • China’s March Power Use Rises 3.5% as EV Charging Demand Jumps
    China’s March Power Use Rises 3.5% as EV Charging Demand Jumps China’s National Energy Administration said on the 20th that nationwide electricity consumption in March 2026 rose 3.5% from a year earlier to 859.5 billion kilowatt-hours. Demand for power used in charging and battery-swap services for electric vehicles and other “new energy vehicles” increased sharply. By sector, primary industry consumption rose 6.7% to 11.3 billion kWh, while secondary industry use increased 2.0% to 570.8 billion kWh. Tertiary industry consumption climbed 7.7% to 160.1 billion kWh. Within secondary industry, power use by high-tech and equipment manufacturing rose 5.6%. In the service sector, electricity used for charging and battery-swap services surged 51.3% to 13.0 billion kWh. Power consumption for internet data services also jumped 40.1% to 8.0 billion kWh. Household electricity use rose 5.2% to 117.2 billion kWh. For January through March, electricity consumption increased 5.2% from the same period a year earlier to 2.5141 trillion kWh. Primary industry use rose 7.1% to 33.6 billion kWh, secondary industry use increased 4.7% to 1.5987 trillion kWh, and tertiary industry use climbed 8.1% to 483.3 billion kWh. Household consumption rose 3.4% to 398.5 billion kWh.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 11:29:25
  • Thailand’s PTT Oil and Retail Launches Self-Service Fueling With App Discounts
    Thailand’s PTT Oil and Retail Launches Self-Service Fueling With App Discounts Thailand’s PTT Oil and Retail (PTTOR), the retail arm of state-owned oil company PTT, said it has begun offering self-service fueling, combining the rollout with digital technology and discounts. Customers use an app to operate the service, which the company said is intended to cut wait times and improve the efficiency of fueling-bay operations. The discount for self-service is 0.40 baht per liter (about 1.98 yen), with no minimum purchase required. PTTOR said the self-service option has already started at some stations. Participating locations can be checked through the app or on Facebook. 2026-04-21 18:00:33
  • Philippine Airlines Limits Carry-On Power Banks to Two Per Passenger
    Philippine Airlines Limits Carry-On Power Banks to Two Per Passenger Philippine Airlines (PAL) said on the 17th that it is limiting carry-on power banks to two per passenger, in line with the latest guidance from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The airline said power banks are prohibited in checked baggage and may not be stored in overhead bins. Passengers must keep them on their person or place them in the seat pocket or under the seat in front of them. PAL set a maximum capacity of 100 watt-hours (Wh) and said the capacity must be clearly shown on the device label for it to be allowed on board. To prevent short circuits, the airline also requires each power bank to be individually packed, such as by covering the terminals or placing it in an accessory case, plastic bag or protective pouch. Charging a power bank itself during a flight is strictly prohibited. Using a power bank to charge electronic devices is allowed, but not while the aircraft is taxiing or during takeoff and landing. 2026-04-21 17:37:23
  • Mitsuuroko Unit Opens New Lock+Store Facility in Kuala Lumpur
    Mitsuuroko Unit Opens New Lock+Store Facility in Kuala Lumpur Mitsuuroko Group Holdings of Japan said on the 20th that its consolidated subsidiary LOCK and STORE Glenmarie (LSGM), which operates a rental storage business in Malaysia, has opened a new facility in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. It is the brand’s fourth site in the country. The new facility, Lock+Store Ampang, has about 6,000 square feet (about 557 square meters) of net leasable area. The company said it will offer air-conditioned storage units to meet rising demand in the surrounding area. LSGM also operates facilities in Petaling Jaya and the Glenmarie district of Shah Alam in Selangor state, as well as Sri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur. 2026-04-21 17:35:41
  • Cambodia’s Royal Group Partners With Singapore’s Greenlyzer on Green Hydrogen in Southeast Asia
    Cambodia’s Royal Group Partners With Singapore’s Greenlyzer on Green Hydrogen in Southeast Asia Singapore deep-tech company Greenlyzer and Cambodia conglomerate Royal Group have formed a partnership to introduce and expand green hydrogen energy solutions in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia. The two sides recently signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on wider adoption of green hydrogen energy. In an April 17 announcement, Greenlyzer said the signing ceremony was attended by Bo Bai, chairman of Alpha Ladder Group, Greenlyzer’s parent company, and Kith Meng, chairman and CEO of Royal Group, among others. Greenlyzer develops next-generation energy systems using artificial intelligence and is working to deploy power-supply technology based on green hydrogen. Under the partnership, the companies will consider pilot deployments of Greenlyzer’s “Green Moving Grid (GMG)” energy system and aim to make practical use of green hydrogen produced in the region. Alpha Ladder Group and Royal Group have previously worked together in digital finance through Alpha’s fintech firm MetaCom and Royal’s commercial lender Wing Bank, including discussions on cross-border payments between Singapore and Cambodia. 2026-04-21 16:46:43
  • Adani Enterprises sets up three airport-city units for hotels and real estate
    Adani Enterprises sets up three airport-city units for hotels and real estate Adani Enterprises, a core company of India’s Adani Group, said on April 18 that its wholly owned unit Adani Airport City has set up three subsidiaries to handle hotel and real estate development. Effective April 6, it established Adani Navi Mumbai Airport City, Adani Guwahati Airport City and Adani Ahmedabad Airport City. Each has paid-in capital of 1 million rupees (about 1.7 million yen). The companies plan to pursue real estate business using owned or leased properties, real estate construction, and hotel operations that include restaurants, banquet halls and business hubs. The Adani Group operates airports through its Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL). AAHL won operating rights for six airports in India and took over those concessions in fiscal 2020/21 (April 2020 to March 2021) and fiscal 2021/22. AAHL also acquired more than a 70% stake in Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL), which operates Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), also known as Mumbai airport, from infrastructure conglomerate GVK Group and others. It also holds management control of Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (NMIAL), a MIAL unit that operates Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). 2026-04-21 16:13:25
  • Indonesia’s Megawati urges revival of Bandung Conference amid global tensions
    Indonesia’s Megawati urges revival of Bandung Conference amid global tensions Indonesia’s former President Megawati Sukarnoputri on the 18th called for the Asia-Africa Conference, known as the Bandung Conference, to be convened again so countries can renew solidarity, marking the 71st anniversary of the meeting that helped lay the foundations of the Non-Aligned Movement. Referring to U.S. attacks on Venezuela and Iran, she said “the international order is being shaken.” She said rising geopolitical tensions are “a wake-up call to the world,” and argued that countries should return to the principle of equality among nations set out in the “10 Principles of Bandung.” The Bandung Conference was held in April 1955 in Bandung, West Java, with 29 countries taking part. A joint statement issued afterward set out principles including respect for national sovereignty, noninterference in internal affairs and equality among states. Megawati is the eldest daughter of Sukarno, Indonesia’s first president and a “father of the nation.” She is chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), the largest party in parliament. 2026-04-21 15:57:15
  • Anabuki-Backed JV to Manage Housing Complex at New Ho Chi Minh City Resort
    Anabuki-Backed JV to Manage Housing Complex at New Ho Chi Minh City Resort Condominium management firm Anabuki Housing Service said its Vietnam joint venture, Anabuki NL Housing Service Vietnam, in which it holds a 69% stake, signed an operations and management contract on the 18th with local company MDS for a housing complex being developed at a new resort in southern Ho Chi Minh City. The complex, LumiAn Village, is in the heart of the Dat Do resort area in the former Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. It will include townhouses and villas and feature gated shared amenities totaling 4,000 square meters, including a swimming pool, clubhouse, restaurant, pickleball courts, a golf practice range and an outdoor theater. Anabuki NL Housing Service Vietnam began managing LumiAn Village on the 10th of this month, covering 6.3 hectares. As of now, only the clubhouse, model home and swimming pool have been completed, and the residential area will be developed later. 2026-04-21 15:49:47
  • Hong Kong Luxury Home Sales Value Hits 18-Quarter High in Q1
    Hong Kong Luxury Home Sales Value Hits 18-Quarter High in Q1 Hong Kong real estate brokerage Centaline Property said luxury single-family home deals totaled 164 in the first quarter (January-March), with a combined contract value of HK$9.056 billion (about 184 billion yen). The number of deals fell 9.4% from the previous quarter, but total value rose 6.0% to the highest level in 18 quarters. New-home transactions rose 5.3% to 20 deals, and their value jumped 27.9% to HK$3.661 billion. Resale deals fell 11.1% to 144, and value slipped 5.0% to HK$5.395 billion. Centaline said resale activity has been weakening, but noted that deal volume has stayed above 100 for six straight quarters, indicating demand from buyers and investors remains solid. Ultra-luxury homes priced above HK$100 million accounted for 22 deals, up 4.8%, while their value increased 14.6% to HK$6.006 billion. Both measures rose for a fourth consecutive quarter. The priciest deal was a resale unit at Mount Nicholson on Hong Kong Island’s Victoria Peak, at HK$1.039 billion. A new unit at Plantation Blue Pearl, also on Victoria Peak, followed at HK$557.9 million. Yang Mingyi, senior associate director in Centaline’s research department, said improving market conditions and rising asking prices have continued to draw capital from wealthy buyers, signaling a recovery in the luxury single-family home segment. Yang also said second-quarter (April-June) activity could cool, citing the Hong Kong government’s February increase in stamp duty rates on home transactions above HK$100 million, Middle East turmoil and continued price gains in the resale market. 2026-04-21 12:03:17