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The Zeekr Mix at the Beijing Auto Show
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 21, 2024

Mixing hotpot with horsepower. Have Chinese car gimmicks gone too far?

A recent Zeekr campaign underscores the lengths Chinese EV makers will go to to stand out in an ultracompetitive market.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Fall meetings signage outside the IMF headquarters in Washington on Sunday
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 21, 2024

As poor nations' default wave peaks, a cash shortage could replace it

The issue, and what to do about it when Western countries are increasingly loath to send money overseas, is a key topic at the IMF World Bank autumn meetings this week.
The emotional impact of constant news about wars and disasters is weighing heavily on many in the younger generations, causing them to seek ways to cope with their distress and anxiety.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Is the apocalypse making you too anxious to work?

A poll reveals that a significant portion of the Gen Z and millennial generations feel unable to function at work due to distress over current events.
Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, Manchester City has gone from a middling team to winning six of the last seven Premier League titles, an unprecedented success in over 130 years of English soccer.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Soccer needs to avoid a tyranny of the rich

A dispute between the Premier League and Manchester City has both sides claiming victory.
Items confiscated by police in connection with several girls bars in Tokyo that operated without authorization in violation of the adult entertainment business law
JAPAN
Oct 21, 2024

17 Vietnamese women arrested over illegal girls bars in Tokyo

The Metropolitan Police Department has received a total of 23 complaints since 2020 about the five bars where the women were arrested.
High construction costs due to rising material and labor costs continue to push up sales prices of new condominiums.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 22, 2024

Tokyo-area condo price hits new high in first half of fiscal 2024

The average price in the area, which includes Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, rose 1.5% from ¥78.36 million a year earlier.
Built by Russian energy giant Gazprom, the pipeline from Comprehensive Gas Treatment Unit No.3 runs about 3,000 kilometers from the Chayandinskoye and Kovyktinskoye gas fields in the coldest part of Siberia to Blagoveshchensk, near the Chinese border.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 22, 2024

China overtaking Europe as top market for Russia’s pipeline gas

Russia’s Gazprom exported 23.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China in January-September, compared with 22.5 billion cubic meters to European customers.
The Palletrone, an aerial transportation platform developed by Mobile Robotics Lab at Seoul National University of Science and Technology (Seoul Tech)
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 22, 2024

South Korea team showcases drone that serves as 'flying shopping cart'

The broader focus is on applications that would use a drone with reliable horizontal stability without pitching and rolling.
Equinor's bid underscores the focus some wind players are putting on Japan even as they scale back elsewhere.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 22, 2024

Norway's Equinor tries again for a Japan offshore wind lease, sources say

A latecomer to offshore wind, Japan wants to build up to 45 gigawatts of capacity by 2040, which would make it a top-five offshore wind market.
Tournament Director Stephen Farrow (far left) and others pose with United Cup trophy at the draw for the competition in Sydney on Oct. 21.
TENNIS
Oct 22, 2024

United Cup is here to stay, says tournament director

The tournament kicks off its third edition in Perth on Dec. 27, just 33 days after the Davis Cup finals conclude in Spain.
China's strategic government support has enabled it to lead in the production and supply chains for renewable technologies, including wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 22, 2024

What happens when China becomes the green tech superpower?

What should be of more concern is the “soft power” that Beijing will acquire by mastering the green tech sector.
Honda CR-V sports utility vehicles bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama in May 2022. Honda is recalling more than 720,800 vehicles in the U.S. over concerns that a high-pressure fuel pump may crack and leak fuel, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said.
BUSINESS
Oct 23, 2024

Honda recalling 780,000 vehicles in North America on fuel pump concern

The recall includes certain Accord, CR-V Hybrid and Honda Civic vehicles from model years 2023-25, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said.
A woman sits in front of the New York skyline in Hoboken, New Jersey, on June 23.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 23, 2024

U.S. remains engine of global growth in latest IMF forecasts

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF raised its 2024 and 2025 economic growth forecasts for the U.S.
The International Monetary Fund headquarters during its spring meetings together with the World Bank Group in Washington in April 2023.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 23, 2024

IMF lowers global growth forecast for 2025, warning of growing risks

Global output will expand 3.2%, 0.1 percentage point slower than a July estimate, while inflation will slow from 5.8% in 2024 to 4.3% next year.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company notified the U.S. that one of its chips had been found in a Huawei product, revealing a possible violation of export restrictions on the Chinese company.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 23, 2024

TSMC told U.S. of chip in Huawei product after TechInsights finding, source says

The revelation could show how difficult enforcing export controls can be for both companies making highly desired products and regulators.
A male employee of the Tokyo Stock Exchange is suspected of leaking undisclosed information, including on a company's takeover bid, to a relative this year, according to sources.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 23, 2024

TSE employee probed on suspicions of insider trading

The male employee is suspected of leaking undisclosed information to a relative who allegedly used the knowledge to conduct stock trades.
The Three Mile Island Nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 23, 2024

Three Mile Island nuclear plant gears up for Big Tech reboot

Giant cooling towers at the plant have sat dormant for so long that grass has sprung up in the towers' hollowed-out bases and wildlife roam inside.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. There is growing speculation that the central bank will push ahead with rate hikes in the coming months, particularly as the yen continues to weaken.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 23, 2024

Japan’s 40-year yield rises to highest since 2008 on Fed outlook

There is also growing speculation that the BOJ will push ahead with rate hikes in the coming months, particularly as the yen continues to weaken.
Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi presents his report on the future of European competitiveness to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 17.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2024

Europe’s wake-up call on innovation and competitiveness

Europe stands at a critical juncture, needing to choose between maintaining the status quo or moving toward deeper integration.
Supporters of one of the candidates running for the Oct. 27 Lower House election applaud at a gathering in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Oct. 12.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2024

LDP-CDP battle heats up in Fukushima after rezoning

The campaign is intensifying as LDP and CDP candidates vie for votes in Koriyama, the largest city in the new constituency.
People from Thailand look at used smartphones in Tokyo's Akihabara district in October 2022.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 23, 2024

Japan's secondhand smartphone market booms as households struggle

Sales of used goods in Japan have grown rapidly as households struggle to make ends meet.
Senior IMF official Vitor Gaspar speaks during an interview in Washington last Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

IMF official warns Japan of debt deterioration in event of future shock

The IMF predicts that Japan's debt will exceed 250% of its gross domestic product this year before gradually decreasing.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2024

Ueda says right-sizing BOJ normalization ‘keeps me awake 24/7’

Ueda and his fellow board members are widely expected to keep their benchmark rate unchanged at the next policy meeting, ending Oct. 31.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 24, 2024

Germany is courting India as ties with China sour: What to watch

The trip to India comes at a crucial time for Germany as it struggles to revive its economy, which has been buffeted by the war in Ukraine and competition from China.
Most economists expect the Bank of Japan to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged during their policy meeting next week.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

BOJ watchers believe rate hike unlikely now as half brace for year-end shift

Analysts will be closely watching for policy hints from a two-day meeting that ends on Oct. 31, a few days after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s first general election.
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI employee, in San Francisco on Oct. 3. Balaji helped gather and organize the enormous amounts of internet data used to train the startup’s ChatGPT chatbot.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2024

Former OpenAI researcher says the company broke copyright law

Suchi Balaji is among the first employees to leave a major AI company and speak out against the way these companies use copyrighted data to create their technologies.
General Motors CEO Mary Barrabefore an investor meeting in Spring Hill, Tennessee, on Oct. 8. Barra said that the company had fixed battery-manufacturing problems and that its electric vehicles would soon be profitable.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 24, 2024

Electric vehicles may be struggling. GM’s leader is still a believer.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra says the company is still committed to doing away with combustion engine cars in the United States by 2035.
A false claim on social media about a restaurant chain being infested with slugs led to the store's closure. The man behind the claim was sentenced to prison on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 24, 2024

Man gets prison time for false restaurant slug infestation claims

Haruomi Enya, 25, was convicted of obstruction of business by deception. His false claims ultimately led to the establishment's closure.
Ramen shop Menya Taisei's owner Taisei Hikage cooks ramen at his shop in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

Japan's rising ramen prices give election voters food for thought

The problems facing ramen shop owners reflect a cost-of-living crunch that has become a top issue for voters in the general election on Sunday.
Andrijana Cvetkovikj is the senior programmer for the Women’s Empowerment section at this year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. The former ambassador also works to promote young filmmakers in Japan’s film industry.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Oct 24, 2024

Andrijana Cvetkovikj: ‘We have to create more opportunities for women to be playing on equal ground’

The former Macedonian ambassador to Japan is also playing a part in promoting younger film directors in the country's movie industry.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building