Japan
Japan’s largest rice shortage in years is exacerbated by sushi-hungry tourists, weather
A plate of nigiri sushi. Newsday Llc | Newsday | Getty Images Sushi, onigiri and yakitori don — Japanese rice is a key staple in many of its iconic dishes, but the country is facing its biggest shortfall in decades. Japan has been contending with a rice shortage in recent months due to a mix […]
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European markets flat as French and German PMIs point to renewed downturn
Customers sit outside at a cafe terrace in Paris, France, on Nov. 10, 2021. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images LONDON — European stocks were flat in early trade Monday morning as German and French business activity data pointed to renewed declines in the region’s two largest economies. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index opened modestly […]
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Japan’s exports slow sharply, machinery orders shrink in blow to economic recovery
Employees work at an Asahi Tekko Co. factory in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s export growth slowed sharply in August as shipments to the U.S. dropped for the first time in three years, while machinery orders unexpectedly shrank in July in a worrying sign for an economy struggling to mount a […]
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European stocks higher with central bank decisions in focus; Commerzbank shares hit 12-year high
Tourists are visiting the center of Munich in Munich, Germany, on July 21, 2024. Nurphoto | Getty Images LONDON — European stocks were higher Tuesday, as upcoming central bank meetings remain in focus. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index was 0.75% by 11:10 a.m., with all major bourses and virtually all sectors in the green. Banks […]
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It’s a big week for central banks around the world, with a slew of rate moves on the table
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announces interest rates will remain unchanged during a news conference at the Federal Reserves’ William McChesney Martin Building in Washington, D.C., on June 12, 2024. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images A flurry of major central banks will hold monetary policy meetings this week, with investors bracing for interest rate moves […]
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Tokyo says it ‘lodged a protest’ after North Korea fired missiles toward Sea of Japan
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a train station in Seoul on Sept. 12, 2024. North Korea fired multiple short range ballistic missiles into waters east of the Korean peninsula on September 12, Seoul’s military reported, days after the nuclear-armed North marked […]
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U.S. supports two permanent UN Security Council seats for Africa, Reuters reports
The United States supports creating two permanent United Nations Security Council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing states, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield will announce on Thursday. Eduardo Munoz | Reuters The United States supports creating two permanent United Nations Security Council seats for African states and one seat to be rotated among small island developing […]
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Japanese wage growth to surpass inflation for the first time in over 30 years, says asset management firm
Japanese girls hanging out on Shibuya streets of Tokyo, Japan. Ferrantraite | E+ | Getty Images Japanese wages are expected to grow in real terms in the second half of 2024 for the first time in more than three decades, according to Asset Management One. Wages in Japan are rising more rapidly than they did […]
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Japan nominates ex-currency diplomat Kanda to head Asian Development Bank
Masato Kanda, vice-minister of finance for international affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Finance, during a press conference after the Group of 20 (G-20) finance ministers and central bank governors meeting. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan will nominate Masato Kanda, the country’s former top currency diplomat, as its candidate to become next head of the Asian Development Bank, Finance Minister […]
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Deep divisions in battleground Pennsylvania over proposed sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese company
A water tower at the United States Steel Corp. Edgar Thomson Works steel mill in Braddock, Pennsylvania, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Justin Merriman | Bloomberg | Getty Images WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — It’s one the few things Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump agree on: opposing the sale of U.S. Steel to the Japanese […]
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