Aozora Bank Widens Net Loss Forecast to 49.8 B. Yen
Thursday, May 2,2024,04:47
Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Aozora Bank has widened its consolidated net loss forecast to 49.8 billion yen from 28 billion yen for fiscal 2023, which ended in March. The downward revision, announced Wednesday, came as tax expenses increased due to a reversal of deferred tax assets. The bank explained that this is part of accounting procedures related to tax losses caused by the dis... .. read more..
Japan firms reach pain threshold as yen keeps testing lows against the dollar
Thursday, May 2,2024,04:06
Japan’s companies are expressing unusual discomfort with the weak yen, just as the country’s government appears to be stepping in to prop up the tumbling currency. .. read more..
Saudi Arabia cracks down on online speech, jailing critics for decades
Thursday, May 2,2024,03:55
A Saudi court's decision to sentence fitness influencer Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison highlights what activists describe as a fierce crackdown on even vaguely critical online speech. .. read more..
Biden blames Japan, China and India's economic woes on 'xenophobia'
Thursday, May 2,2024,03:55
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that "xenophobia" from China to Japan and India is hobbling their growth, as he argued that migration has been good for the U.S. economy. .. read more..
Japan, 49 Others Urge N. Korea to Comply with Sanctions
Thursday, May 2,2024,03:44
New York, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Japan, 48 other countries and the European Union issued a joint statement Wednesday calling on North Korea to comply with international sanctions and abandon its weapons of mass destruction. The statement was announced at the U.N. headquarters in New York. The move came after an expert panel to check the implementation of U.N. resolutions on sanctions suspen... .. read more..
USADA slams WADA for making 'half-truths' in China doping case
Thursday, May 2,2024,03:16
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) criticized the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday for "doubling down on half-truths," after the global body published a document outlining its handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers. .. read more..
Sales slump and shares dive at Starbucks as inflation cuts thirst for treats
Thursday, May 2,2024,03:05
Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who officially took over the coffee behemoth just over a year ago, cut annual guidance for a third straight quarter Tuesday after the company’s worst performance since the pandemic. Each of Starbucks’ geographic segments posted a decline — including all-important China, where comparable sales fell 11%. .. read more..
Yen swings stir talk that Japan is in the FX market once again
Thursday, May 2,2024,02:45
A late yen surge in New York fueled speculation that Japanese authorities intervened for a second time this week, before the currency began to weaken again in Tokyo trading, paring much of the move. .. read more..
Pianist Fuzjko Hemming Dies at 92
Thursday, May 2,2024,02:44
Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)--Renowned pianist Fuzjko Hemming, known for her human touch in her performances, died of pancreatic cancer on April 21, the Fujiko Hemming Foundation said Thursday. She was 92. Born in Berlin to a Swedish architect father and a Japanese pianist mother who was studying in Germany, Hemming, whose full name is Ingrid Fuzjko Georgii-Hemming, moved to Tokyo in her early... .. read more..
Cubs' Shota Imanaga shuts down Mets to continue strong start to MLB career
Thursday, May 2,2024,02:22
Shota Imanaga had another strong start, and Pete Crow-Armstrong had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth inning as the visiting Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets 1-0 on Wednesday. .. read more..
Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza arrests as Israel ties edge closer
Thursday, May 2,2024,02:05
Saudi Arabia has stepped up the arrest of citizens for social media posts related to the Israel-Hamas war as the kingdom signals a readiness to agree to diplomatic relations with the Jewish state — if it commits to Palestinian statehood. .. read more..
Travis Kelce 'extremely grateful' for new deal with Chiefs
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:47
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce wanted more money but was not interested in executing a leverage play as a means to get it. .. read more..
BOJ saw need to let markets drive yields upon March exit: minutes
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:42
Many Bank of Japan (BOJ) board members agreed that the country's long-term interest rates should be set by markets, with some saying the central bank should at some point slow the pace of bond buying, minutes of their March policy meeting showed on Thursday. .. read more..
Local Info Magazine in Quake-Hit Noto Region Set for Revival
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:30
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., May 2 (Jiji Press)--A quarterly magazine that had informed readers about the unknown attractions of the Noto Peninsula in central Japan for over 13 years is set for revival this month, after being halted following a powerful earthquake that struck four months ago. Yukio Tsunezuka, the 70-year-old chief editor of the "Noto" magazine, who undertakes almost all of the... .. read more..
Kishida and Attal vow to expand Japan-France ties
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:20
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Wednesday agreed to expand bilateral ties in various fields, including the economy, security and culture. .. read more..
Japan, France Vow to Cooperate More in Critical Mineral Supply
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:15
Paris, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese economy minister Ken Saito and his French counterpart, Bruno Le Maire, on Wednesday agreed that the two countries will strengthen cooperation over supply of critical minerals including rare earths. Under the agreement, Japan and France will share information on supply chains and mining and smelting technologies and advance collaboration with companies and... .. read more..
U.K. begins detaining migrants set to be deported to Rwanda
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:12
British authorities have started to detain migrants in preparation for them to be sent to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks, the government said on Wednesday, laying the groundwork for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's flagship immigration policy. .. read more..
Dortmund expects tougher challenge after upsetting PSG in first leg
Thursday, May 2,2024,01:07
Borussia Dortmund's disciplined performance against favored Paris St. Germain earned it a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, but coach Edin Terzic said the return encounter next week will be far tougher. .. read more..
‘Swimming in a Sand Pool’ takes rare dive into gender issues
Thursday, May 2,2024,00:45
The seishun eiga (youth film) has long been a major genre in Japan, but films based on works by actual teenagers are rare. .. read more..
Japan suspects firms are evading disclosure of cross-shareholdings
Thursday, May 2,2024,00:25
Japan is increasing pressure on companies with extensive cross-shareholdings. .. read more..
Major Japanese Department Stores Post Bullish Sales in April
Thursday, May 2,2024,00:17
Tokyo, May 2 (Jiji Press)--Three major Japanese department store operators on Wednesday logged sharply higher same-store sales for April, driven by increased purchases of luxury brand goods by foreign visitors amid a weak yen. Takashimaya Co. saw its sales rise 16.3 pct from a year before. Sales at Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. climbed 13.5 pct, and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd... .. read more..
Japan aims to attract more vegetarian and Muslim visitors
Thursday, May 2,2024,00:06
Japan will begin a model project during the current fiscal year to help regional communities attract more foreign visitors with diverse dietary and cultural habits, such as vegetarians and Muslims. .. read more..
Kishida, Attal Vow to Expand Japan-France Ties
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:45
Paris, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his French counterpart, Gabriel Attal, on Wednesday agreed to expand bilateral ties in various fields including the economy, security and culture. In their meeting in Paris, the two leaders shared hopes for increased people-to-people exchanges through this summer's Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and the 2025 World Expo... .. read more..
AI hardware stocks get pummeled even as big tech keeps spending
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:38
The good news for makers of semiconductors and other artificial intelligence computing hardware: Tech giants plan to continue heavily spending. .. read more..
Could Israel keep the lights on, water running during regional war?
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:37
Israeli utilities have deployed backup generators, filled water reservoirs to the brim and stepped up cyberdefenses in case the Gaza conflict triggers war against Israel on multiple fronts. .. read more..
U.S. surgeon in Gaza: Nothing prepared me for scale of injuries
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:37
A U.S. vascular surgeon who left Gaza after a stint as a volunteer said on Wednesday nothing had prepared him for the scale of injuries he had faced there. .. read more..
Solomon Islands lawmakers to elect PM, with consequences for China
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:36
China's growing sway in Solomon Islands will face a major test Thursday, when newly elected lawmakers gather to pick the Pacific nation's next prime minister. .. read more..
Constraints on Canada's Trans Mountain pipeline may crimp oil exports
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:36
Logistical constraints at the Port of Vancouver mean waterborne oil exports from the highly anticipated Trans Mountain pipeline expansion (TMX) may only be around half what the Canadian government-owned corporation has forecast, traders and shipping sources said. .. read more..
Violence flares at UCLA as police end protests at New York's Columbia
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:35
Mounting tensions on U.S. campuses boiled over on Wednesday when pro-Israel supporters attacked an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), hours after police arrested activists who occupied a building at Columbia University and flattened a tent city on its campus. .. read more..
U.S. issues hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, takes aim at Chinese comp...
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:35
The United States on Wednesday issued hundreds of fresh sanctions targeting Russia over the war in Ukraine in an action that took aim at Moscow's circumvention of Western measures, including through China. .. read more..
Yen climbs against U.S. dollar amid signs of intervention
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:18
The yen soared against the U.S dollar late on Wednesday, as market participants suspected Japan's monetary authorities were in the market to prop up the beleaguered currency. .. read more..
Japan steps up measures against 'customer harassment'
Wednesday, May 1,2024,23:00
An irritated customer queuing up at a store complains nonstop to a cash clerk for 10 minutes straight over how long the line is. A passenger on a bus throws a fit after the driver says prepaid IC cards can’t be used. A resident points a camera at a city hall employee and threatens to post their face and name online. .. read more..
U.S. and Saudis near defense pact meant to reshape Middle East
Wednesday, May 1,2024,22:51
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are nearing a historic pact that would offer the kingdom security guarantees and lay out a possible pathway to diplomatic ties with Israel if its government brings the war in the Gaza Strip to an end, people familiar with the matter said. .. read more..
Love of family behind return of historic sumo ring name
Wednesday, May 1,2024,22:00
Kotozakura — a sumo ring name unused for half a century — reappeared on the latest banzuke (rankings), which were released this week. .. read more..
INTERVIEW: Onward to Increase Stores with Online Features
Wednesday, May 1,2024,13:59
Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese apparel group Onward Holdings Co. will sharply increase physical outlets with features of online shops, President and CEO Michinobu Yasumoto has said. At key subsidiary Onward Kashiyama Co., the number of such outlets topped 130 three years after the first one opened. They account for 20 pct of the company's total physical stores. "We feel confident" ab... .. read more..
Tsukiji Redevelopment Expected to Boost Tokyo's Competitiveness
Wednesday, May 1,2024,13:34
Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Mitsui Fudosan Co. and other companies on Wednesday unveiled an outline of their redevelopment project for the site of the former Tsukiji wholesale market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward. At the 19-hectare site, a multipurpose stadium will be built, along with an international convention center, a hotel and a facility to promote Japanese food culture. Some facilities are sch... .. read more..
Tsukiji Redevelopment Expected to Boost Tokyo’s Competitiveness
Wednesday, May 1,2024,13:34
Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Mitsui Fudosan Co. and other companies on Wednesday unveiled an outline of their redevelopment project for the site of the former Tsukiji wholesale market in Tokyo's Chuo Ward. At the 19-hectare site, a multipurpose stadium will be built, along with an international convention center, a hotel and a facility to promote Japanese food culture. Some facilities are sche... .. read more..
'No objection' from U.S. to Japan ending sanctions if abductees return
Wednesday, May 1,2024,12:40
U.S. foreign policy figures have not opposed the idea of Japan lifting its own sanctions against North Korea if the reclusive state returns all Japanese nationals it abducted decades ago, the head of the abductee family group said Tuesday. .. read more..
Bic Camera Adopts System to Prevent Resale of Duty-Free Goods
Wednesday, May 1,2024,12:29
Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)--Electronics retailer Bic Camera Inc. said Wednesday that it has introduced an alert system in all of its stores to prevent the controversial resale of duty-free products. The system, which has been installed in all cash registers at a total of about 200 Bic Camera, Kojima and Sofmap stores, allows for the sharing of shoppers' passport numbers to prevent bulk purcha... .. read more..
30 years after his death, Senna's bond with Japan remains strong
Wednesday, May 1,2024,12:16
One commentator wept. Another seemed to be at a loss for words. .. read more..