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☆ Dollar steady, yen soft as BOJ policy shift beckons
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, a person is seen holding 100, 50, and 5 U.S. dollar bills in his hand. Tom Kenny, senior international economist at ANZ, said an end to negative interest rate policy is likely to reflect a 10-basis-point hike taking the current policy rate from -0.1% to 0.0%. "We expect this to be a dovish hike with the BOJ unlikely to signal its intention to hike again soon." The focus has shifted to whether the policymakers will make any changes to their projections of rate cuts, or dot plots for this year. The Fed in December projected 75 basis points, or three rate cuts, of easing in 2024.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Tom Kenny, Powell, bitcoin Organizations: U.S, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, ANZ, Beyond, Reuters, New Zealand, Bank of England, Fed, NatWest Locations: Japan, United States, England, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, Asia, Beyond Japan, Australia's, U.S, cryptocurrencies

☆ Lolita style, explained: Why the Japanese-born, Victorian-inspired street style enchants women around the world
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Her youthful obsession realized in front of her, Ella was inspired to buy her first piece of Lolita fashion in 2015, from the popular Lolita e-tailer Angel Pretty. While Lolita style is named after Vladimir Nabokov’s eponymous teen in the controversial 1955 novel, the overlap ends there. Even 1950s-style American prom dresses, with their extravagant skirts and bodices, influence contemporary Lolita fashion, he said. The skirt's fullness, achieved through the use of a petticoat, is a key characteristic of Lolita fashion. Ella says her personal Lolita style is a blend of classic and sweet, with a healthy dose of prints and patterns.

Persons: Ella hadn’t, waltzed, ”, Ella, Lauren, Shelby Knowles, Pretty, ” —, She’s, it’s, Michelle Liu Carriger, Bianca, Kandace, Vladimir Nabokov’s, Masafumi, Monden, accessorized, Lolitas, Marie Antoinette, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin, ” Monden, ” Liu Carriger, lacy Lolita, Kei, don’t, Liu Carriger, Nghi, Mary, Jane heels, substyles Organizations: CNN, American, UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, Television, University of Sydney, New, Asahi Shimbun, Pink House Locations: California’s Bay, Japan, America, San Francisco , California, US, Oakland , California, Australia, British, Otaru, Hokkaido, Tokyo, Lolitas, California

The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2017. The company currently connects more than 17 million vehicles and Napier said Cubic can update the car from the assembly all the way through its lifetime. "We can update the car in the production line, we can update the car on the ship, we can update the car when it arrives anywhere," Napier said. Cubic will become a consolidated subsidiary of SoftBank Corp, and the deal is set to close in the first half of 2024. Jefferies served as lead financial adviser to Cubic on the deal, while PJT Partners acted as lead financial adviser to SoftBank.

Persons: Issei Kato, Junichi Miyakawa, Barry Napier, SoftBank, Napier, Jefferies, Nick Carey, Nick Zieminski Organizations: SoftBank, REUTERS, SoftBank Corp, Cubic Telecom, Japan, Volkswagen, Qualcomm, Consulting, McKinsey, Co, Reuters, Napier, SoftBank Group, Vision Fund, PJT, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Dublin, Irish

[1/2] A man walks in front of the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 12 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. They now expect the central bank's 'yield curve control' policy to end in October, compared with April 2024, and for the negative interest rate policy to end in January 2024, versus December 2024. Beyond the Japanese policy drama, investors will also have the latest Indian inflation and industrial production data, and Australian business and consumer sentiment figures to digest on Tuesday. The currency is getting little support from the interest rate outlook - economists currently expect the RBI to keep rates on hold then start easing policy the second quarter of next year.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Kazuo Ueda, Josie Kao Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, of, Government Bond, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Reserve Bank of India's, Bank, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Indonesian, Philippine, India, Australia, Korea

☆ ‘Boys Love’ genre finds new audiences in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Jake Kwon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Not only was the TV series part of a genre — Boys’ Love, or BL for short — that was lesser-known in South Korea, it depicted something rarely seen on the country’s screens: same-sex romance. “Semantic Error,” which was based on a popular web novel of the same name, tells the story of two male college students who fall in love. And the risk paid off: “Semantic Error” became a hit upon its release in 2022. There are currently more than 20 BL shows being produced in South Korea. The on-screen adaptation of "Semantic Error" stars Park Seo-ham as Jang Jae-young and Jaechan as Chu Sang-woo.

Persons: Park Jae, chan, ” Jaechan, Jaechan, Chu Sang, “, ”, —, Kim Hyo, Jeong Areum, Kakao, Kim, Jennifer Konig, J, Kim Hye, ” Kim, Jang Jae, Thomas Baudinette, Jeong, South Korea’s, Go Tae, Holland, ” Holland, “ That’s Organizations: CNN, Elle, Cosmopolitan, BL, Seoul National University . Local, Sydney’s Macquarie University, South Locations: South Korean, South Korea, Japan, Seoul, Asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Korean

☆ Fukushima wastewater: South Korean shoppers hoard salt, seafood ahead of Japan's release of treated radioactive water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The government has said the wastewater release will begin this summer, though it has not specified a date. The shortages were so acute that the government was forced to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have soared more than 40% since April, according to the country’s salt manufacturing association. After a thorough safety review, it concluded in a report last week that the wastewater release would have “negligible” impact on people or the environment. The South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEA’s findings. Photos show protesters holding banners that lambasted the IAEA and the Japanese government and condemned the wastewater release.

Persons: There’s, Chung Sung, Jung Yeon, ”, Lee Gi, I’m, ” Lee, Rafael Grossi, “, Lee, I’ve, … I’ve Organizations: Seoul CNN —, United Nations, CNN, Shoppers, Ministry of, Fisheries, Reuters, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Gallup, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fukushima, Japan, United States, China, Gallup Korea

☆ Japan stocks are on fire this year. Here are 3 reasons why the rally could have 'staying power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Since then, Japanese equities have rallied. Even so, Strategas Securities' Chris Verrone has remained optimistic on Japanese equities, saying this week that the rally is not yet overbought. Meanwhile, JPMorgan chief market strategist Marko Kolanovic said in a note, also on Tuesday, that the rally in Japan still has "staying power." For international investors, those remarks signaled that Japanese companies may be more transparent with shareholders in the future. Investors can also take a company-specific approach, according to Diamond Hill's Mohanraj, who favors Japanese companies that boast differentiated products.

Japan's Nikkei (.N225) fell 0.4% and the yen, which surged 2.7% against the dollar overnight, kept going and rose about 0.2% further to 128.65 per dollar. "No change in policy this month would be a setback for the yen," said Rabobank FX strategist Jane Foley. "However, we would look to buy the yen against the dollar on dips on anticipation of another (policy) move ... in the spring." INFLATION IN RETREATBeyond Japan, market sentiment was dominated by overnight U.S. December inflation data that landed more or less on consensus expectations. The U.S. dollar dropped 0.9% to a nine-month low of $1.0868 per euro and the risk-sensitive Australian dollar rose to a roughly five-month high at $0.6984.

In March and November, North Korea sent ballistic missiles soaring more than 6,000 km (3,700 miles) into space. Although long-range weapons get more attention, North Korea has been pouring resources into shorter-range systems too, analysts say. South Korea and the United States have warned since early 2022 that North Korea may resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. More mundane technology such as rocket fuel is also undergoing intense testing in North Korea. On Dec. 16, scientists in North Korea tested what they called a “high-thrust” solid-fuel motor that appeared aimed at perfecting a large engine for an ICBM.

☆ Why North Korea’s missile tests are going higher and further
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

North Korea missiles Stronger, faster, higher North Korea has made steady progress in expanding its missile programme, developing weapons that can strike across the globe - or hit critical targets closer to home. North Korea has forged ahead in developing ballistic missiles, testing new capabilities, honing existing weapons and putting them into service. Like most North Korean long-range ballistic missile tests, both ICBMs were fired on lofted trajectories. Trajectories of some of North Korea’s long-range missile testsNuclear warheads South Korea and the United States have warned since early 2022 that North Korea may resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. Same missiles, different locationsAmong North Korea's ballistic missiles, SRBMs appear to be the most likely to be deployed, Panda said.

☆ The Asian nation where 35% of people say they’ll 'never travel' again
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Yet, no country came close to the travel reluctance shown in Japan, where some 35% of respondents said they don't intend to travel again. The survey asked about "any leisure travel" and did not differentiate between domestic or international travel plans, said Lindsey Roeschke, a travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult. The number of people who say they'll "never travel" again is nearly six times greater in Japan (35%) than in Germany (6%), according to Morning Consult's "The State of Travel & Hospitality" report. We expect to see a return to the pre-2020 demand for international travel sooner rather than later. The British artist known as Miles Takes told CNBC Travel that "international travel still seems a while away" for him.

☆ People are paying $12 to go on VR tours of turtle nesting in Costa Rica or India's Holi festival from their couches. Meet a tour guide who's cashing in on this travel niche.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ligia Morera, based in Costa Rica, leads virtual tours on the Japanese platform Dokodemo Door Trip. A VR tour guide needs AI software to reach a worldwide audienceMorera filming a VR tour. In other words, these VR tours are as much a marketing program for its core business as a standalone revenue stream. Another source of referrals is other VR tour guides. "In Costa Rica, sometimes we get little problems with that," she said.

☆ The 40-year evolution from :-) to 😂 emojis
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The evolution from : - ) to 😂It didn’t take long for the original emoticon and its many variations to spread beyond Carnegie Mellon. This emoji remains the favorite among US users, according to an Adobe study released this month. The consortium relies on subcommittee members and emoji users to push the keyboard forward. Daniel, the first woman to run Unicode’s Emoji Subcommittee and a designer at Google, has been a champion for more inclusive emojis. While there are now thousands of emoji options, the main usage remains loyal to the original goal 40 years ago of adding a smile and some levity.

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