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Olympics 2028 after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member states unanimously voted for it during the governing body's 144th session here. When IOC president Thomas Bach asked for a show of hands from all in favour of boxing's inclusion in the LA Games all the members duly obliged with no one abstaining or voting against. «I thank you for the approval of having boxing back in the Olympic programme. We can look forward to a great boxing tournament,» Bach said. «It doesn't happen often that the proposal for programmes happen unanimously but this commission is breaking record after record.» Boxing was not included on the LA 28 initial sports programme approved by the IOC Session in February 2022 because of the concerns that had gripped the then federation, the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IOC had suspended the IBA following long-running disputes over governance, its finances and the integrity of bouts and judging.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.It was 2-3 hours into my bus journey from Tokyo to Takayama when I opened my eyes and looked out of the window. The landscape had changed. The tall buildings of the city were nowhere to be seen and instead the bus was slowly driving past hills packed with alpine cedar, the trees covered in fresh snow.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.It has been almost two decades since the late Shinzo Abe [former prime minister of Japan] stood in India’s parliament and told the assembled legislators that “it is incumbent upon us two democracies, Japan and India, to carry out the pursuit of freedom and prosperity in the region.” Abe defined their task as protecting freedom of navigation in what he was perhaps the first to call the Indo-Pacific. That task has gotten only more urgent as America withdraws—or, more recently, imposes blockades on crucial straits—and China pushes harder against the first island chain.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Japan has decided to ease restrictions on its sale of weapons to other countries, although this would be limited to the 17 with which it has defence tie-ups. As India is part of the four-nation Quad—with Japan, the US and Australia as other members—Tokyo’s move opens up a possibility worth close consideration by New Delhi. We could diversify our set of high-tech arms suppliers to include a non-hegemonic power with which we have had good relations for eight decades.

For the emerging megacities of Asia, the oil crisis that spread out from the Strait of Hormuz is like the acute phase of a chronic condition. The largest migration in human history is filling their streets and alleyways to bursting point.Urbanization and births will add a billion more people between now and 2050. Jakarta and Dhaka, with 42 million and 37 million people respectively, have overtaken Tokyo at 33 million as the world’s biggest metropolises.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The streets of Tokyo were dusted with a rare snowfall as election day broke on Sunday as a blizzard gripped much of Japan. But bad weather couldn’t deter the electorate, which turned out in greater numbers than in the last vote in 2024.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was on track to lead her party to a thumping victory in parliamentary elections, handing her a powerful mandate to deepen ties with the U.S. and rev up Japan’s economy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is on course for a big election win, according to polls, propelled by a section of the electorate that political leaders worldwide struggle to reach: young people.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The sharp selloff in Japanese bonds has a message for India’s budget. If bond vigilantes could bring such turmoil to a global safe haven on the mere hint of a tax slippage, they could rip apart any sign of fiscal recklessness in a developing economy faced with a chronic shortfall of resources to create jobs and provide welfare.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. With markets from Tokyo to New York on edge this week, the warning sign flashing around a large Mumbai builder didn’t get much attention. But Indian investors were keeping a close eye.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. FOR SEVEN decades Tokyo was considered the world’s most populous city. That was 15 years too long, according to data released last month by the UN.

Japanese businesses are pivoting towards India as an investment destination promising robust returns—but also, how Tokyo, after over three decades of diplomatic efforts, is ready to walk the talk on deepening strategic relationships with New Delhi as both countries want to develop a meaningful counter to China’s might.For India’s financial sector, the deals in 2025 mark a moment worth noting. Foreign investors are returning with conviction, and Japan—long a steady but cautious partner—appears increasingly willing to deploy serious capital.It is a striking contrast to the dismissive description of India as a “dead economy” offered earlier this year by US President Donald Trump.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says her $135 billion stimulus package will prop up the world’s fourth-largest economy. Some see a danger in swelling a debt pile that is already one of the largest globally.

Humanity’s future lies in some of the most vulnerable spots on the planet. We’ve seen that in stark relief of late. A United Nations report last month concluded that the world’s population is increasingly crowded into a group of often low-lying, middle-income megacities in Asia and Africa.Jakarta and Dhaka dethroned Tokyo’s long-held status as the world’s biggest city, with 42 million, 37 million and 33 million people respectively.

Quad dynamics remain stable, as the grouping is critical for Indo-Pacific security. «Tariff per se does not impact Quad.

Nasdaq and S&P 500 futures were down 3.3% and 3%, respectively, at the time of reporting today (3 April), hours after Trump's 'Liberation Day' sent shockwaves across the ocean, according to data from MarketWatch. Markets plunge as Trump pushes ahead with global 'reciprocal' tariffs Meanwhile in Europe, Germany's DAX was down 2.1%, while the Stoxx Europe 600 index opened with an immediate 2% drop. It was a similar reaction in Japan, as the Nikkei 225 lost 2.8%, while Tokyo's Topix dropped 3.1%. «The effects of ‘Liberation Day' are being felt far and wide, with Asian markets down ...

Here is what some governments said about what they would — and would not — do in response. EUROPEAN UNION European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is finalising a package of measures in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and is «now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail». Trump targeted the EU with a 20% reciprocal tariff. CHINA

Here is what some governments said about what they would — and would not — do in response. Read More:Trump's 26% tariffs put pressure on India. Is New Delhi ready for the impact? CHINA China's commerce ministry said Beijing «firmly opposes» the reciprocal tariffs and «will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,» after Trump imposed a 34% reciprocal tariff on the country. JAPAN

STATE OF THE MARKETS GIFT Nifty (Earlier SGX Nifty) signals a gap-down start GIFT Nifty on the NSE IX traded lower by 301 points, or 1.28 per cent, at 23,129.50, signaling that Dalal Street was headed for gap-down start on Thursday.

The comments came after the three countries held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as the Asian export powers brace against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Japan and South Korea are seeking to import semiconductor raw materials from China, and China is also interested in purchasing chip products from Japan and South Korea, the account, Yuyuan Tantian, said in a post on Weibo. All three sides agreed to strengthen supply chain cooperation and engage in more dialogue on export controls, the post said. During Sunday's meeting, the countries' trade ministers agreed to «closely cooperate for comprehensive and high-level» talks on a South Korea-Japan-China free trade agreement deal to promote «regional and global trade», according to a statement released after the meeting.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. When actor Kareena Kapoor Khan took the stage on 30 March in Mumbai to close the five-day Lakme Fashion Week, in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India and Reliance, she made it point to pay tribute to everyone behind the scenes. "The real icons are fashion stylists, make-up artists, hair stylists, choreographers and the 60 smashingly hot fashion models who are backstage...

Pete Hegseth called Japan on Sunday an «indispensable partner» in deterring growing Chinese assertiveness in the region and announced upgrading the US military command in Japan to a new «war-fighting headquarters.» Hegseth, who is on his first Asia trip with Japan as his second stop, also stressed the need for both countries to do more to accelerate the strengthening of their military capability as the region faces China's assertive military actions and a possible Taiwan emergency. «Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression,» Hegseth said at the beginning of his talks with Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo. «The US is moving fast, as you know, to reestablish deterrence in this region and around the world.» His comments come as an assurance at a time when Japan has been worried about how US engagement in the region may change under President Donald Trump's «America First» policy, Japanese defence officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. ALSO READ:'I am almost done...': Elon Musk to step down from DOGE and quit Washington DC after $1 trillion in US govt cuts