Business
Asian shares mostly lower as pandemic saps buying momentum
Shares were mostly lower in Asia on Wednesday as uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic sapped the buying enthusiasm that has been driving prices higher. The selling followed a deeper pullback on Wall Street and in France, Germany and elsewhere after the European Union’s executive arm said this year’s recession caused… Read
Supply chains need revamp as virus takes toll: Japan trade ministry
The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on global supply chains and the international community must come together to prevent such crises in the future, Japan's annual white paper on trade said Tuesday. The document, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said business activity has been hit hard… Read
Japan's household spending drops at record pace as virus hits economy
Japan’s household spending fell at the fastest pace on record in May as consumers heeded authorities’ calls to stay home to contain the coronavirus pandemic, pushing the world’s third-largest economy deeper into decline. The large spending drop will add to growing pressure on policymakers to ramp up moves to restore… Read
Fujitsu to halve office space in three years as it changes work style
Fujitsu Ltd said on Monday it would halve its office space in three years as it rewrites the way employees work under a "new normal" amid the coronavirus pandemic. The IT solutions company said its roughly 80,000 group employees in Japan would work flexible hours, and work-from-home would be standard… Read
Regeneron COVID-19 treatment enters final stage trials
The pharmaceutical firm Regeneron on Monday announced it was entering the late stages of its human clinical trials investigating a drug to both treat and prevent COVID-19. The drug, called REGN-COV2, is a combination of two antibodies that block the coronavirus' "spike protein" which it uses to invade human cells.… Read
Cash isn't king: Vulnerable short-changed by virus
Getting groceries in the coronavirus crisis has been tricky for many people, but for Eric Jones - an 89-year-old Briton who lives alone and relies on cash - it has proved particularly perplexing. Before lockdown, a volunteer drove Jones to a supermarket near his home in southern England to pick… Read
308 Japanese companies affected by U.S. work visa halt: survey
At least 308 Japanese companies and over 1,400 staff based in the United States have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to halt the issuance of certain work visas until the end of this year, according to a survey by Japan's trade promotion agency. In the survey of… Read
Government Pension Investment Fund posts record quarterly loss of ¥17.71 tril
Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the world's largest pension fund, has reported a record quarterly loss of 17.71 trillion yen in January-March after global stock markets plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic. GPIF posted a negative return of 10.71% on its overall assets during the three months, compared with a… Read
Japan's single mothers, female nonregular workers hard hit by virus
Single mothers and women with less secure jobs in Japan have seen their employment opportunities upended as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage. For many of them, maintaining their income levels while attending to their children's needs as stay-at-home moms or women living alone is proving a formidable task. Based… Read
Eyes in the sky: Investors reach for new tools to gauge climate change risk
In the twilight years of past civilizations, astrologers would scour the heavens for signs of impending calamity. In an era where climate change is eroding age-old certainties, a new cast of characters is searching for answers in the sky. A small but growing network of asset managers, academics, start-up entrepreneurs… Read
