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The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles in 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. movie industry is dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries are offering to draw American filmmakers.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2025

Saying Hollywood is dying, Trump orders 100% tariff on non-U.S. movies to save it

No details were provided on how the tariffs would be implemented.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato (right) speaks during a news conference in Milan on Sunday.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2025

Finance chief Kato walks back idea of U.S. Treasury sales as trade chip

Japan held roughly $1.13 trillion in Treasury Securities at the end of February — making it the biggest overseas holder of U.S. debt.
Several Europe-based carmakers have withdrawn or cut guidance in response to the trade war, including Jeep-owner Stellantis, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz Group.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 5, 2025

European firms fare better than expected through early trade pain

Companies on the MSCI Europe index are averaging earnings growth of 3.8% so far, outpacing preseason estimates of a 1.4% decline.
With the June 1 reform of imprisonment penalties, Japan will shift the main objective of imprisonment from punishment to preventing repeat offenses.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 5, 2025

Japanese prisons prepare for imprisonment penalty reform

Japan will shift the main objective of imprisonment from punishment to preventing repeat offenses.
Victims of scam centers who were tricked or trafficked into working in Myanmar on the border with Thailand-Myanmar after a multinational crackdown on the compounds run by criminal gangs, operated by the Karen National Army in Myawaddy, Myanmar, on Feb. 26.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 6, 2025

U.S. puts sanctions on Myanmar warlord and militia linked to online scams

Saw Chit Thu is a central figure in a network of illicit and highly lucrative internet scam operations targeting Americans, the U.S. Treasury says.
The U.S. dollar weakened further on Monday against most major currencies, as pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs continued.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 6, 2025

Dollar’s fall in Asia stuns investors and spreads across globe

U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade talk has rattled macro markets, undermining the dollar’s traditional haven role in times of stress.
Japan's Rui Hachimura walks off the court after being disqualified for a second unsportsmanlike foul against France at the Paris Olympics in July last year.
BASKETBALL / B. League
May 6, 2025

Basketball bust-ups threaten ambitious Japan's hoop dreams

A row involving star player Rui Hachimura and disagreements over the domestic league's direction mean the path ahead is full of hurdles.
U.S. citizen Chrishan Wright from New York after an interview in Lisbon on April 9
WORLD / Politics
May 6, 2025

Fearing Trump's policies, some Americans start new lives in Europe

Relocation firms said there has been a spike in interest since Trump returned to the White House, with clients expressing concern over policy and social issues.
For Japan, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins indicated the possibility of asking for market-opening measures for agricultural products.
BUSINESS
May 6, 2025

U.S. agriculture secretary to visit Japan for trade talks

The U.S. agriculture secretary indicated the possibility of asking for market-opening measures for agricultural products.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint news conference at the White House in Washington in February.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 6, 2025

India offers zero-for-zero tariffs on auto parts and steel from U.S.

New Delhi has proposed zero tariffs on steel, auto components and pharmaceuticals on a reciprocal basis up to a certain quantity of imports in trade negotiations with Washington.
A potential offer for a stake in India’s Yes Bank will likely be determined by market prices, according to people familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 6, 2025

SMFG in talks to buy minority stake in India’s Yes Bank

Japan’s aging population and slow growth have been encouraging companies to look elsewhere for expansion, leading to a surge in outbound transactions.
The U.S. dollar struggled to make headway as an unprecedented two-day surge in its Taiwanese counterpart spilled over to other regional peers.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 6, 2025

Dollar under pressure as Asian counterparts charge higher

The Taiwan dollar on Monday surged to a three-year high of 29.59 per dollar, having leapt 8% in two days.
Designated German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union following a session of the German lower house of parliament to elect the new German chancellor, in Berlin on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
May 6, 2025

Germany's Friedrich Merz faces new vote for chancellor after surprise loss

The initial shock defeat dealt a heavy blow to Merz, who has vowed to restore stability in Berlin after half a year of political turmoil.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before a House Appropriations subcommittee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 7, 2025

U.S.-China trade talks to start this week focused on de-escalation

The meeting will be the first confirmed trade talks between the countries since U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Beijing.
Newly elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks as his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, listens during a handover ceremony at the Chancellery in Berlin on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2025

Friedrich Merz becomes German chancellor after surviving shock defeat

The win — on his second try — paves the way for him to take charge of Europe’s biggest economy but with his authority considerably diminished.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 7, 2025

Trade barriers to China's AI market a 'tremendous loss,' NVidia CEO says

Jensen Huang has argued that tightening restrictions on his company that limit access to China, the biggest market for semiconductors, will hurt U.S. national security.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro waves to supporters during a May Day (Labor Day) rally in Bogota on May 1.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2025

Colombia moves to join China's Belt and Road

Until now, Colombia has been one of the United States' closest and most steadfast trade and security partners in Latin America.
Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of Ispace, says his primary interest in space development is not to abandon Earth, but to protect it.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 7, 2025

'Big picture thinker': Ispace CEO Hakamada on reaching the moon and dreaming of starships

CEO Takeshi Hakamada envisions a distant future where humans live and work on the moon — just don't ask him to visit.
The global shipping industry is also contending with U.S. measures beyond the barrage of levies.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 7, 2025

World’s trade superhighway feels strain from U.S.-China decoupling

Among signs of disruption are plunging fees, fewer services and a pall of uncertainty over what for decades has been one the main maritime highways of the global economy.
Former sekiwake Toyonoshima and Airi Hisano train at Tachihi Sumo Club on May 1.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
May 7, 2025

Former sekiwake Toyonoshima is new head coach at innovative women’s club

Detailing how she struggled with injury over the past few years, Airi Hisano said she had considered retirement before being approached to join the club.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is planning to set up an online bank to lure younger customers heavily relying on smartphones.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 7, 2025

Mitsubishi UFJ to set up online bank in fiscal 2026

The major Japanese financial group aims to lure younger customers who heavily rely on smartphones.
In South Korea, where presidents are increasingly investigated, impeached or imprisoned, the judiciary has become a well-known pathway to political power.
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2025

Is the judiciary the weakest link in South Korea’s democracy?

It’s not unusual for lawyers to pursue personal political ambitions during their careers in democracies. But in South Korea, this has reached a level not seen elsewhere.
Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks to the press upon his arrival at Haneda Airport on April 18. He has said that all tariffs need to be reconsidered by the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 7, 2025

U.S. and Japan remain far apart on tariffs

While both sides have said they will aim for a deal as soon as possible, they have also indicated that they aren't in a rush for a swift settlement.
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda speaks during an interview in Tokyo on April 28.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 7, 2025

Ex-BOJ Gov. Kuroda urges calm response to Trump tariffs

"It's better not to be worked up by every little thing, but to sit down and respond," Kuroda said, referring to frequent changes in U.S. tariff policy.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo. Recent market turmoil drove investors to the yen as a haven asset, meaning foreign investors that put money into shares of Japanese importers will reap two benefits at once: yen gains and improved earnings at these businesses.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 7, 2025

Top-performing Orbis fund doubles holdings in Japanese stocks

Japanese stocks made up 24% of the $3 billion Orbis International Equity fund as of end-April, up from just 10% four months earlier.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House, the greenback is down more than 9% against a basket of major currencies as investors pull back from owning U.S. assets.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 8, 2025

Ukraine considers shift from dollar to euro amid geopolitical realignments

"This work is complex and requires high-quality, versatile preparation," Central Bank Gov. Andriy Pyshnyi said.
A semiconductor wafer is magnified through the lens of a microscope in Seoul on April 30. A rule introduced by former U.S. President Joe Biden to restrict the export of sophisticated chips has been described as "unenforceable."
BUSINESS / Tech
May 8, 2025

Trump administration to rescind and replace Biden's AI chip export curbs

A spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce said the rule is "overly complex" and "unenforceable."
The number of passengers on shinkansen and other express trains during Golden Week increased 3% from a year earlier to over 13 million, data from six Japan Railways group companies showed Wednesday.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2025

JR express train passengers during Golden Week up 3%

The result is believed to reflect the impact of the 2025 World Exposition in the city of Osaka, as well as demand from foreign visitors.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions from the media at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2025

Trump administration to announce trade deal with Britain

The agreement would be the first deal announced since Trump imposed stiff tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners.
Akio Toyoda’s $42 billion plan to buy Toyota Industries is one of the examples in a recent wave of management buyout ambitions in Japan.
BUSINESS
May 8, 2025

Japan’s tycoon families seek buyouts to evade investor pressure

The desire to delist stems from mounting pressure public companies face from investors and the threat of being acquired.

Longform

Tetsuzo Shiraishi, speaking at The Center of the Tokyo Raids and War Damage, uses a thermos to explain how he experienced the U.S. firebombing of March 1945, when he was just 7 years old.
From ashes to high-rises: A survivor’s account of Tokyo’s postwar past