Japan

[ad_1] The Bank of Japan must immediately end its negative interest rate policy as it has allowed companies to delay efforts to boost productivity by keeping borrowing costs ultralow, ruling party heavyweight Shigeru Ishiba said in an interview Monday."It's an extreme policy that shouldn't exist in the first place," Ishiba said of negative interest rates, adding that ultralow rates can be justified only in times of crisis.When asked whether he […]

[ad_1] For Toyota, it has been a mixed start to 2024: The carmaker defended its position as the world’s top vehicle-seller for the fourth straight year in 2023, but it is also mired in a series of misconduct scandals involved its group firms, which threaten to tarnish its brand.Thanks to the reduced impact of chip shortages, on Tuesday it was reported that unit sales by Toyota and its subsidiaries climbed […]

[ad_1] Paris – France hosted last year's World Cup having won over a nation backing Fabien Galthie's team for home glory and a first-ever Webb Ellis Cup.An opening, comprehensive 27-13 victory over New Zealand set alight patriotic fervor in the belief that skipper Antoine Dupont could lead France to victory on home soil.But those hopes were cruelly dashed at the quarter-final stage, eventual winners South Africa sealing a nail-biting 29-28 […]

[ad_1] Kyodo – The government said Tuesday it will provide around ¥45 billion ($305 million) for a cutting-edge semiconductor project promoted by Japanese telecom giant NTT, major U.S. chipmaker Intel and its South Korean counterpart SK Hynix. The funding for the project to develop optical semiconductors that allow high-speed data processing with lower power consumption comes as Japan, in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, aims to gain […]

[ad_1] Nanao, Ishikawa Pref. – A beauty salon and a supermarket are among several businesses in a city in central Japan rocked by the New Year's Day earthquake turning to well water to resume operations.Such businesses are helping to restore a sense of normalcy to residents affected by the quake, many of whom are still relying on emergency water supplies at gymnasiums and elementary schools due to water outages that […]

[ad_1] Milan – Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once declared Italy's postal service a "crown jewel" that must stay in state hands, but she is now selling a stake as part of a privatization program to tackle a huge public debt.Meloni's hard-right government aims to raise €20 billion ($21.6 billion) by 2026 by selling off a stake in Poste Italiane, which turns big profits through its insurance and banking operations, […]

[ad_1] When Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun delivers the company's fourth-quarter results on Wednesday, he will be doing it while the plane-maker is in the middle of its biggest safety crisis since the two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019.The company, long a symbol of America's manufacturing prowess, is in the crosshairs of regulators, politicians and airlines following a harrowing midair cabin panel blowout on a passenger-filled 737 Max […]

[ad_1] A long, tough selection battle that lasted almost two years ended Sunday for Japan's top table tennis players as the selection process for the Paris Olympics concluded with the national championships. The Japan Table Tennis Association's new points-based selection process, which aims to ultimately end China's decadeslong dominance of the sport, saw players put in high-pressure situations as they looked to earn points from domestic and overseas competitions. The […]

[ad_1] Undisputed world super bantamweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue said Monday he would be even more motivated if he could fight at Tokyo Dome. "As a boxer, being able to fight in the main event of any given day at Tokyo Dome would provide extra motivation," the Japanese star said, following a recent U.S. media report that he will face Mexico's Luis Nery at Tokyo Dome on May 6. Inoue, […]