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Nintendo courts non-gamers in 'about-turn' strategy
Once confined to rectangular screens, chirpy plumber Mario and pointy-eared Princess Zelda are popping up in theme parks and toy stores as Nintendo goes all out to win non-gamer fans. It wasn't always this way: for many years, the Japanese company shied away from promoting products or creating media other… Read
U.S. farmers brace for trade wars on Trump tariff pledges
Donald Trump's first White House term saw a bruising trade war with China that left a lingering impact on farmers -- and many are bracing for further fallout as the President-elect threatens higher levies on Beijing. Trump tariffs since 2018 hit some $300 billion of Chinese imports, sparking retaliation that… Read
Australia moves to keep its banks in the Pacific
Australia will move to stem the exodus of its banks from the Pacific Islands, the country's top economic official said, as concerns mount that China could bolster its influence by filling in the gaps. For years, Western banks have been shuttering branches throughout the South Pacific, citing political turmoil, wafer-thin… Read
Asian shares mostly decline, shrugging off Wall Street's overnight rally
Asian shares mostly fell Tuesday, despite a rally on Wall Street in stocks seen as benefiting the most from Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 reversed early gains to decline 0.6% in afternoon trading to 39,289.14, weighed down by uncertainty about how Trump's policies, including tariffs, may affect… Read
Trump victory poses challenges for Fed's independence
Donald Trump's return to the White House could put the independence of the U.S. Federal Reserve under strain, potentially weakening its ability to fight against inflation and unemployment free from political interference. The Fed has a dual mandate from Congress to act independently to tackle both inflation and unemployment --… Read
Japan logs record ¥15 tril current account surplus in April-Sept
Japan posted a record 15.82 trillion yen current account surplus in the first half of fiscal 2024, boosted by increased returns on foreign investments amid a weaker yen, government data showed Monday. In the April-September period, the surplus in the current account balance, one of the widest gauges of international… Read
Bitcoin has topped $87,000 for new record high
As money continues to pour into crypto following Donald Trump's victory last week, bitcoin has climbed to yet another record high. The world's largest cryptocurrency topped $87,000 for the first time on Monday. As of around 3:45 p.m. ET, bitcoin's price stood at $87,083, per CoinDesk, up over 28% in… Read
The Singles' Day shopping festival loses its shine under China's lagging economy
Merchants and consumers alike found the Singles' Day shopping festival Monday less shiny than in years past as e-commerce firms look abroad for growth. The annual event named by the numeric form of its Nov. 11 date was started by e-commerce platform Alibaba, which offered attractive discounts to entice shoppers… Read
Honda to end production of Super Cub 50 motorcycle in May 2025
Honda Motor Co plans to end production of its iconic Super Cub 50 motorcycle in May 2025 ahead of the introduction of stricter vehicle emissions standards in Japan later that year. Honda will begin selling the "Final Edition" model of the 50 cc engine motorcycle on Dec 12 at a… Read
Climate change poses multiple risks for banks
Climate change poses risks to banks on several levels: it can directly impact their finances, tarnish their image and land them in the courtroom. Non-governmental organizations regularly criticize banks for the glacial speed at which they are moving to take climate change into account. The latest was Reclaim Finance, which… Read
