Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a group photo with leaders of artificial intelligence companies at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on Thursday. But analysts said the country was unlikely to have a "DeepSeek moment" -- the sort of boom China had last year with a high-performance, low-cost chatbot -- any time soon. Still, building custom AI tools could bring benefits to the world's most populous nation. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories.

On the 30th floor of the Chartered Square building in downtown Bangkok, the low-key office of Skyhub Technologies serves as a nexus for a burgeoning and contentious trade. The space, rented out by a serviced office provider, is visited only rarely by the company's sole director and occasionally by Chinese nationals, according to building staff who asked not to be identified speaking about clients. No contact number is listed on its online registration documents. No one was available during a visit in late January. Despite the appearance of inactivity, this is a busy conduit for advanced drones. Trade documents show that Skyhub Technologies is Thailand's second-biggest importer of unmanned aerial vehicles from China.

U.S. philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates attends an event in New Delhi on March 19, 2025. NEW DELHI - Bill Gates pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on Thursday, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organizational lapses, a robot bungle and delegate complaints over traffic disruptions. The Gates Foundation said the billionaire would not deliver his address to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities. Only days ago, the foundation had dismissed rumors of his absence and insisted he was on track to attend. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

The government plans to submit a bill to revise the economic security promotion law during the current session of parliament that began on Wednesday. The Japanese government plans to revise the economic security promotion law to support companies with economic security-linked projects overseas. This will be the first revision of the law, established in 2022. The move comes amid a rapidly changing international environment, as the Ukraine-Russia war drags on and China continues to flex its economic muscle. Competition is also intensifying in the development of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies.

It's been nearly 20 years since Apple was this untethered from its tech peers, giving investors an appealing alternative to the artificial intelligence-fueled volatility that has gripped most other corners of the stock market in recent weeks. Apple's 40-day correlation to the Nasdaq 100 Index tumbled to 0.21 last week, the lowest since 2006, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its correlation with the benchmark has been on the decline since May, when it reached 0.92, as Apple's decision to mostly sit out the AI arms race has turned it into an outlier compared with many of its rivals. A correlation of 1 means the two securities are moving in perfect unison, while a reading of -1 signals they are moving opposite each other. "Apple's lack of correlation is 100% a positive right now," said Art Hogan, who helps oversee $25 billion as chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth.

Fragments of a drone lie scattered on the ground in the Muksan-ri area, Kaepung District, Kaesong City, North Korea, after North Korea said on Saturday that South Korea sent another drone into North Korean airspace on Jan. 4, according to North Korean state media KCNA, in this picture released on Jan. 10. SEOUL - South Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Wednesday that three civilians had sent drones to North Korea on four occasions since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year, harming inter-Korean ties. The trio flew the aircraft between September and January, Chung said, citing an ongoing investigation by police and the military. Drones crashed on two occasions in North Korea, in line with claims made by Pyongyang, he said. On two other attempts the drones returned to Paju, a border settlement in South Korea, after flying over Kaesong, a city in North Korea, Chung said.

From 2026, applicants in Japan without residence cards will generally be barred from taking the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in the country. Tourists visiting Japan will no longer be allowed to take the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in the country from 2026, organizations that administer the exam have announced. The administrators said applicants in Japan will, in principle, be required to hold a mid-to long-term residence status or special permanent residency under the country's residence management system, and must provide a residence card number and expiration date when applying. The JLPT is the largest scale Japanese-language test in the world. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

Deputy Tokyo Gov. Manabu Miyasaka speaks during a SusHi Tech pre-event in Tokyo on Monday. Tokyo's annual startup convention, SusHi Tech Tokyo, is growing to be Asia's largest startup event with this year's conference in April set to focus on artificial intelligence, robotics, resilience and entertainment. The fourth SusHi Tech Tokyo -- which stands for Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo -- is expected to be the largest to date, with over 700 startups in participation. It will be held from April 27 to 29, with the first two days reserved for businesses and the final day open to the public. "(SusHi Tech Tokyo) has grown into Asia's largest innovation conference," Manabu Miyasaka, Tokyo's deputy governor, said on Monday.

Activist fund Palliser Capital has taken a stake in Japanese washlet maker Toto, and is urging the company to boost promotion of its little-known chip parts business. Activist fund Palliser Capital has taken a stake in Japanese washlet maker Toto and is pushing the firm to ramp up promotion of its little-known chip parts business in a bid to unlock value from the artificial intelligence boom. The U.K.-based fund sent a letter to Toto's board last week calling for more disclosure about its advanced ceramics segment. The segment produces electrostatic chucks used in the manufacturing of NAND memory chips, and Palliser views the toilet maker as "the most undervalued and overlooked AI memory beneficiary," the documents show. A representative for Toto declined to comment. Insatiable demand for AI infrastructure has sent memory prices skyrocketing in recent months, boosting shares of chipmakers such as Kioxia Holdings to record highs.