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A customer shops for tomatoes at the vegetable section of a supermarket in Beijing on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 18, 2024

China's third-quarter GDP hits weakest pace since early 2023

Authorities have sharply ramped up policy stimulus, but markets are waiting for a clearer road map to put the economy back on a solid longer-term footing.
A battery charge technology display at the Engie pavilion at the Paris Motor Show on Tuesday. Japan's EV market share remains significantly lower than in other countries, with only 2.2% of cars sold being battery EVs, compared to 18% in France and 25% in China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 18, 2024

Japan hopes electric cars are just a bad dream

Automakers face many setbacks in electrification, but Japan uniquely argues that the shift is not only logistically challenging but fundamentally misconceived.
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.
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.
Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 22, 2024

A designer moves easily from royal gowns to Uniqlo

Clare Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
The headquarters of HSBC in the Canary Wharf financial district in London
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 23, 2024

HSBC revamp by new CEO Elhedery stumps staffers and investors alike

The firm's new CEO just unveiled the biggest overhaul of the company in at least a decade, but it was missing some key details for employees and investors.
Trump has threatened blanket 60% tariffs on China, forcing some companies to consider shifting their supply chains to Southeast Asia.
BUSINESS
Oct 23, 2024

China's exporters run for cover as U.S. election nears

A Trump trade war 2.0 would be a moment of reckoning for many Chinese exporters, whose profits are dwindling under heavy deflationary pressure.
Taiwanese chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has halted shipments to a client after discovering semiconductors delivered to them found their way into Huawei products.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 24, 2024

TSMC cuts off client after discovering chips sent to Huawei

It’s unclear whether the TSMC client was acting on Huawei’s behalf, or where it’s based.
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.
Japanese fans are signing up for expensive travel packages to watch the World Series, which will see the Los Angeles Dodgers — including Japanese players Yoshinobu Yamamoto (center) and Shohei Ohtani (right) — take on the New York Yankees.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 25, 2024

World Series sparks travel frenzy among fans in Japan

Travel agencies are having a hard time keeping up with demand from baseball fans fired up by “Ohtanimania.”
When Italy’s Cavour aircraft carrier visited Japan in August, it was the latest in a string of other ports of call by European nations such as Britain, Germany and France, all of whom are engaging in military and defense industry partnerships in East Asia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Longform
Oct 25, 2024

Will Europe's pivot to Asia have any teeth?

Deals are being made and carriers are making visits, but it is yet to be seen if nations on the other side of the world will come when a crisis hits.
Rare bottles of Suntory’s Hibiki 100th anniversary whisky can only be purchased duty-free in-flight on ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines are highly sought-after items among whiskey aficionados.
BUSINESS
Oct 26, 2024

Rare whisky on sale duty free for first-class fliers in Japan

The rare bottles are highly sought-after items among whiskey aficionados and often sell for a lot more in liquor shops and online stores.
A public screen displays financial figures in Shanghai on Sept. 12.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 28, 2024

Stimulus matters more than U.S. election for Chinese stocks

Whether it be Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as the new U.S. leader, global money managers expect escalated hostility toward China.
Koichi Hagiuda thanks his supporters early Monday in Tokyo after his victory in Sunday's general election became certain.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

60% of 'slush fund' candidates lose in Japan Lower House poll

The severe outcome reflected renewed criticism against the LDP that arose in the final stage of the election campaign.
Singapore's Marina Bay Sands at dusk on Sept. 17
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 28, 2024

AI boom and wild weather take spotlight in Southeast Asian earnings

Stronger currencies, driven in part by the Federal Reserve’s pivot to interest-rate cuts, also buoyed stocks.
"Nenaiko Dareda," a picture book written by author Keiko Sena, in which a night-owl child is spirited away to a world of ghosts, became a bestseller, with cumulative sales exceeding 3 million copies.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 28, 2024

Japanese picture book author Keiko Sena dies at 92

Sena, creator of works such as "Nenaiko Dareda," was popular for her collages that portray characters in an expressive way.
Shopify, whose key selling point is lower prices for its suite of e-commerce services, has been cheekily calling out Salesforce’s penchant for wining and dining potential clients.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 30, 2024

Shopify is winning Salesforce clients, stoking e-commerce rivalry

The Canadian company — for years the go-to for mom-and-pop businesses looking to set up shop online — is setting its sights on larger companies in a dramatic shift.
Samsung’s stock has plunged 32% from July’s peak as it lags behind rivals in AI memory and chipmaking, shedding $122 billion in market value and investor confidence.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2024

Samsung’s sudden $122 billion wipeout shows the cost of sleeping on AI

South Korea’s biggest company has become a stark example of how quickly fortunes can turn in the AI and chipmaking industries.
Maruti Suzuki, which is majority-owned by Suzuki Motor, will begin production of a new EV from spring 2025 at its plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2024

Toyota to get Suzuki's first-ever EV as partnership expands

Maruti Suzuki, which is majority-owned by Suzuki, will begin production of the EV from spring 2025 in Gujarat, India.
FamilyMart has introduced discount stickers with teary-eyed characters and the plea "Please help me" on near-expiration rice balls, sandwiches and bento boxes.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2024

FamilyMart trials sobbing discount stickers to help prevent food waste

The convenience store chain hopes the stickers will tug on customers’ heartstrings and encourage them to purchase items nearing their expiration dates.
A mourner attends the funeral of a commander from Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah armed group in Baghdad on Sept. 22
WORLD / Politics
Nov 1, 2024

Iraq tries to avoid regional fight as militias fire at Israel

Two visits to Iran by Iraq's top security officials, seeking Tehran's help to rein in its allied Iraqi factions, failed, sources said.
Disinformation researchers analyzed over 300 groups on Facebook that masquerade as pro-Harris pages while misleading the Democratic contender's supporters with abusive, hateful posts or capitalize on her popularity to promote merchandise.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 1, 2024

Deceptive 'bait-and-switch' Facebook groups snare U.S. voters

The tactic seems to target actors across the political spectrum, including Trump, but researchers have noticed an "explosion" of groups focused on Harris.
Cream-filled 'maritozzo' buns are just one of the many sweet treats on offer at Japanese convenience stores.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Nov 3, 2024

Exploring the ‘B-gourmet wonderland’ of Japanese convenience stores

Tourists who obsess over 7-Eleven and FamilyMart can seem a bit absurd, but there's no denying the integral role these stores have in daily life in Japan.
The Tokyo Hydrogen Museum in the capital's Koto Ward on Thursday. The capital is targeting the “full use” of hydrogen produced using renewable energy “in all fields” by 2050 as part of its decarbonization drive.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Nov 3, 2024

Tokyo's climate goals rely on a fuel that is falling out of favor

The metropolitan government is targeting the widespread use of hydrogen, but strong competition and its physical properties are limiting its applications.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a live interview with U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson in the finale of the Tucker Carlson Live Tour at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2024

Election falsehoods take off on Youtube as it looks the other way

The largest video platform has become a home for election conspiracy theories, half-truths and lies, which provide it with revenue.
Seiji Izumisawa, the CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, said at a briefing that while currency fluctuations and inflation make the future unpredictable, strong order intakes are encouraging.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 5, 2024

Mitsubishi Heavy net income falls, but orders still solid

Shares in the company fell 2.5% Tuesday after it reported that net income for the June-September period failed to meet analysts’ average estimate.
The topics nominated for this year’s buzzwords of the year ranged from new banknotes and Olympian quips to political scandals and rice shortages.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 5, 2024

From cat memes to Olympians with too much rizz, these are Japan's 2024 buzzword nominations

The buzzword of the year, along with the top 10 picks, will be decided from the 30 nominated terms on Dec. 2.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks during the launch of the supercomputer Gefion in Kastrup, Denmark, on Oct. 23. Nvidia's recent strength has come as the company calmed investor concerns about issues involving its Blackwell chip, which was delayed due to engineering snags, as well as its long-term growth prospects.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2024

Nvidia rides AI wave to surpass Apple as world’s largest company

Its share price rose 2.9% to $139.93 on Tuesday, taking its market capitalization to $3.43 trillion, ahead of Apple's $3.38 trillion.
Workers unload a large marble Buddha statue from a truck in Mandalay, Myanmar.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 6, 2024

The marble 'living Buddhas' trapped by Myanmar's civil war

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has been mired in bloody conflict since the military toppled the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
Rizwan Gondal, the head police officer in Rahim Yar Khan distric, says that his detectives have a dossier proving the "heinous criminal activities" of Pakistani gangster Shahid Lund Baloch, who broadcasts on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram defiant messages delivered gun-in-hand, romanticizing his rural lifestyle and cultivating a reputation as a champion of the people.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Nov 6, 2024

TikTok bandits terrorize and transfix Pakistan riverlands

In riverine terrain in central Punjab that has long offered them refuge, bandits use the internet to enthrall citizens even as they prey on them.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat