The Japan Times

Traffic jams just a maths problem, says Israeli AI firm

Israel's traffic congestion ranks near the worst among developed economies but an algorithm can help, says one of the country's IT firms engaged in the auto and mobility sector.

UK companies to trial four-day workweek

Louis Bloomsfield inspects the kegs of beer at his brewery in north London, eagerly awaiting June, when he will get an extra day off every week.

Cost-of-living crisis forces more Brits to foodbanks

On an overcast morning in Bradford, northern England, a steady stream of locals arrive at a foodbank to collect produce parcels described as "a lifesaver" during the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

Despite some sharp wage rises, low-paid US workers have far to go

Fast-food employees in Manhattan demonstrating for a wage of $20 an hour: a demand unthinkable before the Covid-19 pandemic has become unexceptional, as short-handed companies offer big wage increases without, however, doing much to narrow a yawning income gap.

Biden to console Texas town reeling from school massacre

US President Joe Biden will visit Uvalde on Sunday to console residents mourning 19 children and two teachers who were gunned down at an elementary school in the small Texas town.

Harrowing new accounts emerge from Uvalde's young survivors

Fresh harrowing accounts emerged Saturday of the ordeal faced by survivors of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, fanning public fury over the massacre even as the deeply traumatized town prepared for a visit Sunday by US President Joe Biden.

Cannes set to pick Palme d'Or from 'wildly divisive' entries

The 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival draws to a close on Saturday with one of the tightest races in recent memory and critics fiercely divided over the 21 films competing for the Palme d'Or.

Freedom and fear: the foundations of America's deadly gun culture

It was 1776, the American colonies had just declared their independence from England, and as war raged the founding fathers were deep in debate: should Americans have the right to own firearms as individuals, or just as members of local militia?

Gangs, inflation and political crisis bring Haiti economy to brink

With gas sales already subsidized by the government at a loss, the Haitian economy -- fragile from incessant crime and political instability -- appears close to collapse as the war in Ukraine sends fuel prices soaring.

Global stocks push higher as US inflation shows signs of moderating

Global stocks pushed higher on Friday, with US indices snapping a slump of weekly losses, while oil prices rallied to their highest level in two months.

Deminers race to clear lake favoured by bathers near Kyiv

Deminers are racing against time to clear lake Horenka on the fringes of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv of unexploded shells and missiles before the start of the summer season to prevent any casualties.

Police 'wrong' not to breach door during Texas shooting

A top Texas security official said Friday that police were wrong to delay storming the classroom where a teen gunman was holed up with dead and wounded children -- fueling fears that police inaction cost lives in Uvalde.

Rio airport screens show porn movies in apparent hack

With its thong-covered beaches, flesh-flaunting carnival and sultry nightlife, Rio de Janeiro has a racy reputation, but it rose to a new level Friday when porn films started playing on screens at the Brazilian city's central airport.

NRA: The powerful US gun rights lobby

The National Rifle Association is the central and fiercest promoter of gun rights in America, and is again holding its annual convention days after a mass school shooting.

Iran Revolutionary Guards say seized two Greek tankers in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards seized two Greek oil tankers in the Gulf Friday, days after Athens confirmed it would deliver to Washington Iranian oil it had seized from a Russian tanker.

Italy's Catholic church orders child sex abuse study

The new head of Italy's Catholic Church announced Friday a study into clerical child sex abuse over the last 20 years, but survivors said it fell short of an independent inquiry.

Why South America's breadbasket isn't the answer to global wheat crisis

As the world faces a growing food crisis provoked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many have looked to South America's "breadbasket" -- major wheat producers Brazil and Argentina, along with Uruguay and Paraguay -- as a possible solution.

US price surge eased in April as shoppers continued to spend

The US inflation wave showed signs of waning last month, posting the smallest increase since late 2020, as rising wages supported continued spending by American shoppers, according to government data released Friday.

Global stocks push higher

Global stocks pushed higher on Friday as investors hoped that rising global interest rates would curtail sky-high inflation.

Stock markets chase Wall Street higher

Asian and European stocks rose Friday, after a strong performance on Wall Street, as investors hoped that rising global interest rates would curtail sky-high inflation.

'Finding food': Russia severs link to Ukraine's besieged east

A Ukrainian coal miner, completely starved of information, thought he might be able to reason with Russian forces blocking the last good road running out of his war-scarred city on the eastern front.

Military redeployment turns Chile's Mapuche areas into powder keg

With military troops once again patrolling their ancestral lands, members of the Mapuche indigenous community in Chile's south are angry.

Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech fuels Hong Kong rally

Asian markets climbed Friday following a strong performance on Wall Street, with Hong Kong leading the way as forecast-beating earnings reports by tech titans Alibaba and Baidu sent their shares soaring.

Asian markets track Wall St higher, tech leads Hong Kong rally

Asian markets climbed Friday following a strong performance on Wall Street, with Hong Kong leading the way as forecast-beating earnings reports by tech titans Alibaba and Baidu sent their shares soaring.

US stocks rally again as China premier warns on Covid-hit economy

Wall Street stocks rose for a second straight session Thursday on a mixed day for global equities, while China's premier offered an unusually stark warning as the country's zero-Covid strategy bites into growth.

Kinder withdraws 3,000 tonnes of products after Salmonella cases

More than 3,000 tonnes of Kinder products have been withdrawn from the market over salmonella fears leaving a dent of tens of millions of euros, a company official told France's Le Parisien daily Thursday.

War pushes Ukrainian teen towards Belgian future

Three months ago, Mykyta never would have thought he'd be hoping to study for an engineering degree at a Belgian university.

McDonald's investors reject Icahn challenge on animal welfare

McDonald's shareholders overwhelmingly rejected billionaire Carl Icahn's efforts to install two board members to remake the company's animal welfare policies, the restaurant chain said Thursday.

'Do something now:' mourners demand action after US school shooting

A distraught Texas grandmother of a girl killed in the massacre in Uvalde pleaded Thursday for urgent action by US authorities to prevent future school shootings, as the country plunges again into the roiling debate over guns.

Deforestation surges in Brazil Atlantic Forest: report

Deforestation surged 66 percent last year in Brazil's Atlantic Forest, according to a new report, compounding fears over the rampant destruction of the Amazon rainforest further north.

Stocks and oil advance, ruble retreats

European and US stock markets rose Thursday on relief about the pace of interest rate hikes, while the Russian ruble slumped following a cut in the interest rate.

BBC to axe 1,000 jobs in digital transformation

The BBC is to axe 1,000 jobs and scrap some broadcast channels in traditional form as it prioritises digital and copes with a funding freeze, the British public service broadcaster said on Thursday.

'Life imitated art', says 'Black Panther' star in Welsh twins drama

Black Panther star Letitia Wright says she got so close to co-lead Tamara Lawrance in "The Silent Twins", competing at Cannes, that both actors began to behave exactly like the siblings in the drama based on the true story of two black sisters in 1970s Wales.

Biden to receive Korean boy band BTS at White House

President Joe Biden will receive the K-pop megastars BTS next week as part of a series of events celebrating Asian-Americans and denouncing racism against them, the White House said Thursday.

Chipmaker Broadcom to buy VMware for $61 bn

Broadcom announced Thursday a $61-billion deal to purchase cloud computing firm VMware in a giant tech transaction that expands the chipmaker's software offerings.

Alibaba profit slumps nearly 60% as tech crackdown, Covid bite

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba said Thursday its profit fell 59 percent in the last fiscal year, joining other tech firms that reported lacklustre results while grappling with Covid-19 restrictions and a sector crackdown.

Stocks rise, ruble slides tracking economic unrest

European and US stock markets rose Thursday after a mixed Asian showing, as traders assessed chances of a global recession in the wake of runaway inflation.

Eleven babies die in Senegal hospital blaze

Eleven newborn babies have perished in a hospital fire blamed on an electrical short circuit in the western Senegalese city of Tivaouane, authorities said Thursday.

Louvre ex-director charged in art trafficking case

A former director of the Louvre Museum in Paris has been charged with conspiring to hide the origin of archaeological treasures that investigators suspect were smuggled out of Egypt in the chaos of the Arab Spring, a French judicial source said Thursday.

The Japan Times - Economy (English)

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