Japan

[ad_1] Japan's supermarket sales in 2023 rose 2.4% from the previous year on a same-store basis, increasing for the fourth consecutive year on price hikes for food items and post-pandemic rises in travel and outdoor goods demand, an industry body said Tuesday. Sales at all supermarkets totaled ¥13.56 trillion ($91.9 billion), with price hikes in food items boosting overall sales despite shoppers buying fewer items, according to the Japan Chain […]

[ad_1] Popular Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto on Monday sued Bungei Shunju, the publisher of the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine, seeking ¥550 million for defamation over a report concerning sexual assault allegations against him. According to Matsumoto’s lawyer, he is suing the publisher and Shukan Bunshun's editor in chief over an article that was published in the magazine and online on Dec. 27. The article detailed sexual assault allegations brought forward […]

[ad_1] Promotion-chasing sekiwake Kotonowaka claimed the outright lead Tuesday, the 10th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, moving ahead of his five closest rivals by a single win.Kotonowaka (9-1) cruised in his highly-anticipated bout against top-tier makuuchi-division debutant and fellow joint overnight leader Onosato (8-2), helped by the No. 15 maegashira's tepid opening charge and failure to make use of his big frame at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.A powerful […]

[ad_1] With only a few days left before the opening of the next session of parliament on Friday, the debate over the future of Liberal Democratic Party factions is reaching a peak this week with no sign of a broad consensus.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge to expedite the discussion and outline the party’s stance on political reform before the start of the assembly will likely leave some disgruntled.At the moment, […]

[ad_1] World Bank President Ajay Banga is not short on ambition when it comes to his vision for growing the global financial institution in order to realize its new climate-focused agenda.“We're going to need to become a bigger bank to be able to meet some of the challenges ahead of us,” he said Monday during his first official visit to Japan since assuming the position in June 2023.The bank’s mission […]

[ad_1] The United States has promised to consult with Japan before it resumes Osprey flights after suspending them following a deadly crash of one of the tilt-rotor aircraft late last year, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said Tuesday. Kihara stated at a news conference that he understands U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has instructed the U.S. forces and relevant departments not to operate Ospreys in Japan without advance coordination with […]

[ad_1] No political deepfake has alarmed the world’s disinformation experts more than the doctored audio message of U.S. President Joe Biden that began circulating over the weekend.In the phone message, a voice edited to sound like Biden urged voters in New Hampshire not to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic primary."Save your vote for the November election,” the phone message went. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Melbourne – U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff came through a huge test at the hands of Ukrainian world number 37 Marta Kostyuk 7-6(6) 6-7(3) 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time on Tuesday.The fourth-seeded American will rarely play as badly and still progress but prevailed after more than three hours on a blistering hot Rod Laver Arena to fulfill her coach Brad Gilbert's […]

[ad_1] Sompo Holdings' Kengo Sakurada is planning to step down as CEO at the end of March, over automobile insurance fraud at used-car dealer Bigmotor, informed sources said Tuesday.The Financial Services Agency is expected to issue business improvement orders to the holding company and subsidiary Sompo Japan Insurance as soon as Thursday regarding their responses to wrongdoing by Bigmotor. The FSA ended its on-site inspections of Sompo Holdings and Sompo […]