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Elon Musk has changed Twitter's logo, replacing its signature blue bird with a stylized X as part of the billionaire's vision of transforming the 17-year-old service into an "everything app."
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2023

Twitter turning into X is set to kill billions in brand value

Musk’s move wiped out anywhere between $4 billion and $20 billion in value, according to analysts and brand agencies.
Jamaica earned a historic draw against France in their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup opener in Sydney on Sunday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 25, 2023

No more small teams? Women's World Cup minnows closing the gap

The tournament's growth reflects the growing interest in women's soccer around the world which has seen bumper crowds at club level and big attendances so far in Australia and New Zealand.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda has repeatedly pushed back against the idea that a major pivot on policy is looming by emphasizing his doubts about the sustainability of price rises.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023

BOJ set to stick with easing as markets see clock ticking on yield control

Since taking the helm in April, Gov. Kazuo Ueda has repeatedly pushed back against the idea that a major pivot on policy is looming.
The Kiyomizu temple in Kyoto. Tourists are flocking to Kyoto and other popular spots in Japan, highlighting the country's severe shortage of hotel staff.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2023

As tourism booms, Japan struggles with labor shortages and weary locals

The return of tourists has given the country a boost, but it has also highlighted several issues, including a severe lack of hotel staff.
Visitors crowd around a water fountain during a heat wave in Rome, Italy, on July 17.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 25, 2023

Climate change role in July heat waves 'overwhelming,' scientists say

Extreme weather has caused havoc across the planet this month, with record-breaking temperatures causing forest fires, water shortages and more hospital admissions.
Philippines midfielder Sarina Bolden celebrates after scoring against New Zealand in their 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup group-stage match in Wellington on Tuesday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Jul 25, 2023

Philippines stuns New Zealand for historic first World Cup win

The minnows stunned the Football Ferns thanks to a first-half Sarina Bolden header in front of 32,357 in Wellington.
A man plays video games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday. As AI platforms advance at breakneck speeds, hundreds of thousands of jobs in the gaming sector become at risk of being replaced by the technology.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2023

AI is rewriting the rules of $200 billion games industry

One major Japanese studio believes that half of the company’s programmers and designers could become redundant within the next five years.
Osaka Organic Chemical Industry President Masayuki Ando talks about their strategy at the company office in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Jul 26, 2023

Japanese chemicals company sees potential niche in EUV chipmaking materials

Little known even in its home country, Osaka Organic has carved out a critical niche in the semiconductor industry by supplying companies that make photoresists.
A man watches as Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen speaks during a special statement on television at a restaurant in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, said he will resign and hand power to his son, after almost four decades of hardline rule.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 26, 2023

Cambodia’s leader of four decades signals retirement after vote

Hun Sen is widely expected to hand over power to his son after indicating on Chinese TV that his succession will take place within weeks.
The population of Japanese nationals fell 801,000 in 2022 from a year earlier to 122,423,038, marking the largest drop since the survey began in 1968, government data showed Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 26, 2023

Number of Japanese drops in all 47 prefectures for first time as foreign population surges

As of Jan. 1, Japan's population, including foreign residents, stood at 125,416,877, down around 511,000 from a year earlier.
Then-Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds a copy of China's constitution during a news conference at the National People's Congress in Beijing in March.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 26, 2023

China ousts foreign minister as world grasps for clues as to why

There are still several questions over Qin Gang's fate and whether he will continue to serve in the government as a state councilor.
Hoshoryu (right), joined by Tatsunami stablemaster, participates in a news conference following his promotion to ozeki in Nagoya on Wednesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jul 27, 2023

Hoshoryu's Nagoya triumph shows enduring power of Mongolian rikishi

Kirishima and Hoshoryu’s promotions to ozeki have shown that the Mongolian era of sumo dominance isn’t close to concluding just yet.
A building under construction in Osaka. Singapore investors are snapping up Japanese real estate, particularly in Osaka where a large casino resort is set to open.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 27, 2023

Singapore property investors bet on Osaka casino

International property agent FM Investment said it has seen a fivefold increase in inquiries since Japan opened its borders in October.
Many obstacles stand in the way of effectively combating corruption globally. Reaching an agreement on international regulations would be a good starting point.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 6, 2023

A world engulfed in corruption and cronyism

In today’s interconnected world, the consequences of cronyism and corruption often extend beyond national borders.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (left) and Papua New Guinea Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki walk to their meeting in Port Moresby on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 27, 2023

Austin visit signals Papua New Guinea's growing strategic importance

Topping the agenda were discussions with Prime Minister James Marape on the implementation of two landmark security pacts that Washington and Port Moresby negotiated in May.
Officials discuss preventing sexual abuse of minors in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 27, 2023

Japan unveils new measures to stop sexual assault against minors

As a part of the measures, the government plans to set up a hotline for male victims of sexual assault so that they can seek psychological support if needed.
Migrants are seen on a metal boat as members of the Tunisian coastguard try to stop them at sea during their attempt to cross to Italy, off Sfax, Tunisia, on April 27.
WORLD
Jul 28, 2023

Tunisia says 900 migrants drowned off its coast this year

Tunisia has become a major gateway for irregular migrants and asylum-seekers attempting the perilous sea voyages in often rickety boats in the hopes of a better life in Europe.
People gather in the center of the capital city of Thimphu, Bhutan, in December 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Bhutan's employment woes drive exodus to Australia

Student migration to Australia from Bhutan has soared, with over 12,000 long-term arrivals moving there in the 11 months to May alone.
In the international market, a larger number of airlines went bankrupt compared to domestic fliers due to the pandemic, with low-cost, long-haul carriers getting hit particularly hard.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2023

Post-pandemic travel boom is running out of steam

Fare promotions and other signs of weakening domestic demand show business is leveling out for airlines after post-COVID-19 boom.
Activists dressed as debt collectors call for finance action during a demonstration outside the IMF-World Bank headquarters in Washington in October 2021.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2023

The World Bank reflects our ambition

In an environment of intertwined challenges, such as an existential climate crisis, pandemic recovery and a crippling European war, the World Bank has never been more relevant.
Members of a labor ministry panel on wages meet in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 28, 2023

Japan’s average minimum wage set to top ¥1,000

With the government eager to create a healthy cycle of pay and price increases, the minimum wage panel suggested a record 4.3% hike from the current average of ¥961.
Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo on Friday. The Japanese yen is on a bumpy path toward strengthening after Friday's central bank policy change, threatening to upend the carry trade, one of this year's most popular strategies, as the currency inevitably becomes more expensive.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jul 29, 2023

Bank of Japan's opaque policy shift means stronger and wilder yen

The Japanese yen is on a bumpy path toward strengthening after Friday's central bank policy change, threatening to upend the carry trade.
Taiwanese soldiers fire an ML154 Mine Clearance Launcher during the annual Han Guang anti-landing drill at Bali beach, New Taipei City, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 29, 2023

U.S. to give Taiwan $345 million in arms aid over China’s protest

The U.S. will supply Taiwan with $345 million in defense equipment, services and training, using the fast-track authority that it has relied on to speed arms to Ukraine.
Pan Gongsheng
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 29, 2023

China’s central bank chief is taskmaster Xi couldn’t let retire

Pan Gongsheng is expected to turn around growth slowdown for the world's second largest economy and safeguard the $60 trillion domestic financial system.
Yevgeny Prigozhin
WORLD
Jul 29, 2023

Wagner chief’s exile is anything but as he visits St. Petersburg

As Vladimir Putin was welcoming African heads of state to a summit in St. Petersburg, renegade warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin stole the limelight in the president’s home city.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Sri Lanka counterpart, Ali Sabry, during a joint news conference in Colombo on Saturday
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2023

Crisis-hit Sri Lanka invites Japan to resume investment

The South Asian island nation is working to restructure its massive debt to continue a $2.9 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Customers visit a grilled eel store in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2023

People line up for grilled eel on the Day of the Ox in Japan

Japan has a tradition of eating nutritious grilled eels, believed to be good for restoring energy, on the midsummer Day of the Ox.
Military personnel patrol a street outside a branch of Ukraine's Sense Bank in central Kyiv in June.
WORLD
Jul 30, 2023

Banks are untold story of Ukraine’s survival, even state banks

Oschadbank CEO says Ukrainian state should keep control of some banks after the war because they’ll be helpful if Russia attacks again
While the pace of deploying clean-energy solutions is faster than it has ever been, with climate change, the world overall is racing in the wrong direction.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2023

What the climate fight is really about

Now that a future of higher average global temperatures is inevitable, managing the problem well requires that we cut off the tail end of the extreme-weather distribution.
Japan's industrial production in June climbed 2% from the previous month, led by brisk output of new automobiles amid strong demand at home and abroad.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023

Japan’s production rebounds, signaling continued modest recovery

Factory output rose 2% from the previous month, rebounding from the previous month and led by increases in cars and electronic devices.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?