Search - 2023

 
 
Rakuten Group's Rakuten Point is the most frequently used reward point service, according to a survey.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Mar 25, 2024

Race to expand corporate economic blocs heats up in Japan

Corporate groups are enticing customers with a variety of services, often bolstered by reward points, primarily geared toward shopping purposes.
Globally, the area covered by mines has doubled over the past three years, driven by demand for critical minerals, according to a 2023 study.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

For mineral-rich Philippines, green metals rush is a balancing act

The county has the world's fourth-largest copper reserves, fifth-biggest nickel deposits and is also rich in cobalt — which are important for clean energy.
BASEBALL / MLB / EXPLAINER
Mar 25, 2024

Ohtani’s former interpreter’s gambling scandal: What we know so far

Here is a breakdown of events leading to the interpreter’s firing ahead of the baseball superstar's plan to speak to the media about the scandal.
Visitors view a BYD Dolphin EV car at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024

Chinese EV makers to take center stage at Bangkok motor show

The popularity of Chinese EVs in Thailand underscores the growing challenge Japanese auto giants face in a vehicle market they have long dominated.
Nissan Motor will launch 30 new models over the next three years, including 16 electrified models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024

Nissan to launch 30 new models by 2027 and boost global sales volumes

Nissan was a pioneer in EVs but the carmaker has been eclipsed by the likes of U.S. rival Tesla and Chinese leader BYD.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among anti-graft probes into Hanoi’s top leadership.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2024

Vietnam could lose its 'China +1' appeal among political turmoil

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among a wider probe. This could compromise Hanoi's image as an economic alternative to Beijing.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani delivers a statement during a news conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 26, 2024

Ohtani denies betting on baseball and accuses ex-interpreter of lying and theft

The baseball star expressed shock over the gambling scandal involving his long-time ex-interpreter, in his first public comments on the matter.
Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei on May 29, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 26, 2024

Google, Qualcomm and Intel launch bid to break Nvidia’s grip on AI

Almost as important to Nvidia as its hardware is its CUDA software platform, relied on by more than 4 million global developers to build AI and other apps.
A Russian law enforcement officer walks near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a shooting incident, outside Moscow, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 26, 2024

The leader of Islamic State group linked to Moscow attack has global ambitions

The leader of the Afghan branch of the group has overseen its transformation into one of the most fearsome branches of the global Islamist network.
A view of the Dali cargo vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Mar 26, 2024

Baltimore bridge collision sends vehicles tumbling into water

Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in a "very serious condition," and were searching for more after the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell into the water.
The combined number of new AIDS patients and other HIV carriers came to 960, according to preliminary data released by the health ministry on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024

New HIV carriers in Japan up for the first time in seven years

The health ministry attributed the rise to a recovery in the number of HIV test takers after a drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024

Concerns mount after two deaths linked to Kobayashi Pharma supplement

A government probe is being conducted to establish whether the supplement, which contains beni kо̄ji red fermented rice, led to the deaths.
The Tokyo District Court on Tuesday sentenced a former teacher at a Tokyo cram school to two years in prison, suspended for five years, for secretly filming the girls attending the school.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 27, 2024

Ex-teacher at Tokyo cram school found guilty of secret filming

The teacher also sent some of the images to another former teacher from the same cram school, and posted the pictures on an online chat forum.
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's administration has made LGBT marriage a signature issue.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 27, 2024

Bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Thailand heads to parliament

Taiwan and Nepal are the only places in Asia that currently recognize same-sex marriage, and efforts elsewhere in the region have had mixed results.
Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Adm. Ryo Sakai during a news conference at the Defense Ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN / Society
Mar 27, 2024

Japan MSDF punishes two officers for 'power harassment'

One was hit with a three-month suspension, while the other will see his pay cut by one-sixth for one month.
Those who are planning to move to new homes are finding themselves either struggling to make a reservation or facing increasingly higher costs.
BUSINESS
Mar 27, 2024

Japan's moving companies struggle to meet demand amid driver shortage

Charges have increased, even doubled, during the March-April peak moving season as a regulation capping overtime hours for drivers kicks in.
Tesla Model 3 assembly line at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California, in 2018. Before the Shanghai plant opened, Fremont was Tesla’s principal factory.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2024

A pivot to China saved Elon Musk. It also binds him to Beijing.

Musk is now treading a fine line, sounding the alarm about Chinese rivals, even as he remains reliant on the Chinese market.
Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), speaks at an election night party in The Hague, Netherlands, on Nov. 22, 2023. The resounding victory of far-right ideologue illustrates the shift in public opinion in the Netherlands since 2022.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 27, 2024

Populism is scaring away big businesses in the Netherlands

Among the various firms uneasy with the current state of affairs in the Netherlands, tech companies are the most influential.
Joel Vaudreuil's "When Adam Changes" won the grand prix at this year's Niigata International Animation Film Festival, the largest festival devoted to feature-length animation in Asia.
CULTURE / Film / CULTURE SMASH
Mar 28, 2024

Niigata film festival showcases cutting-edge overseas talent

The six-day event dedicated to feature-length animation presented a lineup of stories that were psychologically rich and emotionally dark.
Thailand's parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill on Wednesday, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognize LGBTQ marriage equality.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

Thailand passes bill to legalize same-sex marriage

Legalizing same-sex marriage could also have positive impact on tourism, which contributes about 12% to the nation’s $500 billion economy.
A Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle on display at one of the company's stores in Shanghai on Tuesday. Xiaomi declared its ambition for the SU7 to become one of China's three best-selling luxury electric vehicle models, sounding a challenge to Tesla and other rivals in an increasingly crowded market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2024

Xiaomi stakes growth on debut in China’s cut-throat EV market

Reception for the SU7 vehicle will likely dictate Xiaomi’s stock momentum after a 22% gain since a February low.
A ban on propositional betting in collegiate sports isn’t expected to have a material impact on DraftKings’ financial performance.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 28, 2024

DraftKings shares slump after NCAA proposes college prop bet ban

The NCAA says it is "drawing the line on sports betting to protect student-athletes and to protect the integrity of the game.”
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga (left) and Yuichiro Tamaki (right), leader of the Democratic Party for the People, hold a party leaders' debate in June 2021.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

Is Japan-style 'question time' facing abolition in parliament?

Both ruling and opposition parties have shown a lack of enthusiasm for holding such events, with some forces even advocating for its abolition.
Kelly Zong Fuli
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2024

China's ‘Princess of Wahaha’ to lead beverage empire fighting for relevance

Sales at Hangzhou Wahaha Group have fallen in an increasingly competitive market as the firm has proven slow to adapt to consumers’ changing tastes.
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the German parliament's defense committee, argues that the security of Europe is inseparable from that of the Indo-Pacific.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

German MP warns of complacency amid growing Indo-Pacific threats

Closer attention need to be paid to the often-belligerent rhetoric coming from places such as China and North Korea, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said.
A Palestinian boy walks on the site of an Israeli strike in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 2, 2024

How the Israel-Hamas war is changing the international security order

The divide within the international community over the conflict is set to become even more serious.
An installation titled "Ukiyo-e" by Atsushi Kaga is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

Art Basel Hong Kong’s full-scale return tests city’s events appeal

The art fair will serve as a test of the city’s ability to stage major events, in the wake of several big-name controversies and cancellations.
A real estate sign advertises powered data center land for sale in Johnstown, Ohio, on March 23.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 29, 2024

Amazon bets $150 billion on data centers required for AI boom

In addition to meeting demand for corporate services, they will provide the massive computing power needed for an expected boom in generative AI.
Williams' Alexander Albon drives during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 29, 2024

Williams will have two cars but still no spare in Japan

Team principal James Vowles said that both Williams drivers would be racing at Suzuka.
Prices excluding fresh food rose 2.4% in March in Tokyo, slowing slightly from 2.5% in February.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 29, 2024

Tokyo inflation slows but stays above BOJ target

Prices excluding fresh food rose 2.4% in March from a year before, slowing slightly from 2.5% in February.

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