Japan

[ad_1] The 225-issue Nikkei average crossed the 36,000 mark for the first time in 34 years on Monday, powered by shippers and financials, with a retreat in U.S. bond yields and a stabilization in the yen exchange rate buoying sentiment.The Nikkei finished the day nearly 1% higher at 35,901.73, after touching the highest since February 1990 at 36,008.23.Value shares outperformed after lagging growth stocks last week when the Nikkei index […]

[ad_1] With national security in mind, the government on Monday added six U.S. military and other key facilities to its list of locations where the acquisition and use of land in nearby areas is subject to tighter regulations. For the first time, U.S. military bases have been added to the list of sites, which now totals 399 under the land use regulation law enacted in 2021. The six sites, including […]

[ad_1] On Jan. 15, 2020, a male resident of Kanagawa Prefecture in his 30s who had returned from a trip to the city of Wuhan, China, was found to be infected with the coronavirus, becoming the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Japan.This marked the beginning of Japan’s four-year battle with the viral disease, which had killed over 95,000 people in the country as of last summer and is confirmed […]

[ad_1] SEOUL – Coffee prices have soared in recent years, owing to unfavorable weather conditions and supply shortages in major producing countries like Brazil, India and Vietnam. But even if consumers are paying more for their daily cup, coffee farmers are seeing little of the gain because they lack sufficient bargaining power.Since the 1950s, coffee has been among the world’s most-traded commodities — at one point, it ranked second behind […]

[ad_1] Manila – The Philippines will develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, Manila's military chief Romeo Brawner told reporters Monday. The plans come amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, both of whom claim territory in the South China Sea and have traded accusations of aggressive behavior in the strategic waterway. Apart from the […]

[ad_1] Japan and Australia are discussing potential military cooperation in case of simultaneous contingencies in their nearby regions, government sources said Monday, apparently with China's growing maritime assertiveness in mind.Through the discussion and the development of examples of collaboration between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military, Tokyo envisions establishing bilateral defense cooperation guidelines with Canberra to clarify their role-sharing, the sources added.Increasing the sophistication and frequency of joint […]

[ad_1] The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan in 2023 hit an eight-year high, a survey by Tokyo Shoko Research showed Monday. Business failures rose in all 10 surveyed sectors for the first time in 31 years, due to rising prices, deepening labor shortages and the full-fledged start of repayments of relief loans extended to help companies weather the COVID-19 crisis. Corporate bankruptcies with liabilities of at least ¥10 million […]

[ad_1] Melbourne – Naomi Osaka fell at the first hurdle in her Grand Slam comeback on Monday, losing 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) to Caroline Garcia in the first round of the Australian Open.A single break proved enough for the French 16th seed to win the opening set against her rusty opponent and she dominated the second set tie-break to progress in Melbourne.Japanese star Osaka, who has won four Grand Slams, stepped […]

[ad_1] Most Japanese companies in China cut investment or kept it flat last year, and a majority don’t have a positive outlook for 2024, with only a quarter saying they expect the economy to improve.More than 400 companies said they cut investment in China last year, according to a survey of 1,713 firms by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China. That was slightly worse than the previous […]