Japan Financial News

Oil prices dipped for a second session on Monday after Libya resumed production over the weekend while China, the world's largest crude importer, is expected to release economic data showing that its post-pandemic recovery is fizzling out. Brent crude futures fell 57 cents, or 0.7%, to $79.30 a barrel by 0055 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $74.90 a barrel, down 52 cents, or 0.7%.

US Federal Reserve continued to sound cautious, with Governor Christopher Waller Thursday saying that he expected two more rate hikes this year to bring inflation down to the 2% goal, though more good data on prices could obviate the need for the second hike.  Also Read: Q1 earnings, global cues & more: Key triggers for stock markets this week Japanese markets are closed for a holiday. China's Shanghai Composite Index declined 0.58% to 3,219.02, while the Shenzhen Composite Index dropped 0.34% to 2,051.13. South Korea’s Kospi dipped 0.43%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index futures were trading around 100 points lower at 19,319.

By Wayne Cole

global warming. Asia, Europe, and the United States are grappling with record-breaking temperatures, fueling wildfires and posing a severe threat to the affected regions. In Europe, Italy is bracing itself for an unprecedented heatwave, described as one of the most intense in history.

Mainichi, a national news site. The trial will focus on patients affected by anodontia, a genetic condition resulting in the absence of teeth, or partial anodontia, where individuals are missing some teeth, as described by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). Scheduled to commence in July 2024, the clinical trials will take place in Japan. Should the results prove successful, regulatory approval for the medicine is anticipated by 2030, offering potential revolutionary advancements in the field of dentistry.

Google Doodle in the US and other countries, Zarina Hashmi is known globally for her minimalist art. Recognised as one of the most significant artists associated with the minimalist movement, Zarina Hashmi, the late Indian American artist and printmaker, left an indelible mark on the art world. Through collaboration with guest artist Tara Anand from New York, the doodle artwork honouring Hashmi beautifully captures Hashmi's exploration of concepts such as home, displacement, borders, and memory, employing minimalist abstract and geometric shapes.

oarfish, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest fish with a bony skeleton, has made headlines as a group of divers encountered this unique creature near the east coast of Taiwan. Known in Japanese mythology as a harbinger of earthquakes, the appearance of this rare fish with bite marks on its body has sparked concerns of potential seismic activity in Taiwan. The captivating video, which swiftly went viral, was initially shared on the Instagram page «Wealth.» It showcases a group of divers encircling the radiant silver fish in the picturesque Ruifang region of Taipei County.

Climate change and its effects are no surprise to humankind, these extreme conditions might spell doom for civilisation.  In the latest turn of events, a rapidly developing El Nino threatens Earth's climate activity.  In northern India, relentless monsoon rains have reportedly killed at least 90 people, following burning heat. Major flooding and landslides are common during India's monsoons, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. A man died as torrential rains lashed northern Japan on Sunday, a week after seven people were killed in similar weather in the country's southwest.

BJP on Sunday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to France and the UAE «successful» and said they were not just «high on optics» but also «high on substantive outcomes». Prime Minister Modi on Saturday returned after «successful» visits to France and the United Arab Emirates.

By Kevin Buckland

China and Vietnam in India's 4.84 LMT steel import basket during June 2023 has increased on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, according to official data. At 4.84 lakh metric tonne (LMT), India's overall steel import registered a 5.9 per cent increase on a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis and 7.6 per cent over June 2022, the Ministry of Steel said. «Share of China, Japan, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nepal and the USA increased in total steel imports of India in June '23 as compared to June 22,» it said. In June 2022, the import from China was 26.1 per cent and Vietnam was 1 per cent. However, in June 2023, the import from China contributed 37.1 per cent and Vietnam's share was 4.8 per cent in India's steel import basket. The development assumes significance as India has set an ambitious target to increase its steel making capacity to 300 million tonnes and Indian players eyeing for a significant share in the global steel markets.

US predicts that the country is set to witness an “extremely hot and dangerous weekend". The prediction indicates that the heat could remain concentrated on the West Coast this weekend, things could get hotter in the South by early next week. The US weather agency noted that Phoenix is likely to record its hottest week on record, based on the 7-day temperature average.

India will push its Group of 20 partners at a meeting it is hosting to support its proposal to raise the share of taxes multinational companies pay to countries where they earn «excess profits», government officials said. India's proposal, which has not been previously reported, could temper optimism among G20 members such as Australia and Japan that the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers in Gujarat would make progress on a long-awaited overhaul of global corporate taxation. More than 140 countries were supposed to start implementing next year a 2021 deal overhauling decades-old rules on how governments tax multinationals.

By Lucy Craymer

By Shivangi Acharya, Sarita Chaganti Singh and Nikunj Ohri

North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, the South's navy said. This came after the North launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).  North Korea fired its latest Hwasong-18 missile, which Pyongyang describes as the core of its nuclear strike force, off the east coast on Wednesday in what it said was a ‘strong practical warning’ to the adversaries, according to Reuters reports.  The navy stated that Sunday's trilateral drill was conducted in international waters between South Korea and Japan that brought together destroyers equipped with Aegis radar systems from the three countries.  Washington and its Asian allies have been working to improve their information-sharing system on North Korea's missiles, while South Korea and Japan are independently linked to US radar systems but not to each other's.

Today, Google Doodle commemorates the birthday of Zarina Hashmi, an influential Indian American artist who would have turned 86 today. The doodle, designed by guest illustrator Tara Anand from New York, pays homage to Hashmi's artistic style by incorporating her signature geometric and minimalist abstract shapes. As per media reports, Hashmi was known for her remarkable sculptures, prints, and drawings.

Honkai Star Rail is set in a universe where humanity is threatened by the Honkai, an energy that corrupts and destroys all it touches. The player takes on the role of a young man or woman who is chosen to become a Star Railer, a warrior who fights to protect humanity from the Honkai. Now, if you are a game-fan already, why not indulge in knowing the names behind the voice? Here, we have compiled both English and Japanese voice actors.

Europe and Japan, in the latest example of the threat from global warming. Italy faces weekend predictions of historic highs with the health ministry issuing a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence. The meteo centre warned Italians to prepare for «the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time».

New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 will boost space startups and space entrepreneurs. Addressing the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Summit, the minister said that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had made history in November last year by launching successfully India’s maiden private Vikram-suborbital (VKS) rocket.

TOKYO—American and Japanese military officials have been working on a plan for a conflict over Taiwan for more than a year, but the talks have yet to resolve a central question: Would Japan join the fight? Washington has nudged Tokyo to consider roles for the Japanese military such as hunting for Chinese submarines around Taiwan, said people familiar with the discussions, without getting any commitment. The planning is one of the most important aspects of the U.S. response to Beijing’s threats to capture Taiwan by force.