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☆ Japan Takes Another Shot at Next-Generation H3 Rocket Launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch its second H3 on Saturday from its Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. The setbacks of the H3 and another small rocket, Epsilon, have caused widespread delays in Japanese satellite launches. Saturday's H3 launch carries a dumbbell-shaped 2.6-ton dummy mass simulating a satellite payload. Launch operator Mitsubishi Heavy hopes to launch six H3s a year once stable production is established. Another objective is to win orders from global clients, as satellite launch demands have skyrocketed thanks to affordable commercial vehicles such as SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9.

Persons: Kazuto Suzuki, Masayuki Eguchi, Lockheed Martin, Masashi Okada, Okada, Ko Ogasawara, Ogasawara, Kairos, Kantaro Komiya, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SLIM, University of Tokyo, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi, Epsilon, Canon Electronics, U.S, European Space Agency, United Launch Alliance Vulcan, Boeing, Lockheed, Tokyo University of Science, Technologies Locations: TOKYO, Japan, United States, India, Tokyo

☆ Japan asks US military to ground Osprey aircraft after fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Japan Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter conduct a search and rescue operation at the site where a U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey crashed into the sea off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan November 30, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, will suspend flights of the transport aircraft until the circumstances of the incident are clarified, another senior defence ministry official said in parliament. A spokesperson for U.S. military forces in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deployment of the aircraft in Japan has been controversial, with critics of the U.S. military presence in the southwest islands saying it is prone to accidents. The last fatal U.S. military aircraft crash in Japan was 2018, when a mid-air collision during a training exercise killed six people, according to the defence ministry.

Persons: Minoru Kihara, Witnesses, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Coast Guard, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Air Force, U.S, Ospreys, Japan Self - Defense Forces, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Marines, Navy, U.S . Marine Corps, Osprey, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Australia, Okinawa

The U.S. military said the mishap occurred during a routine training mission off the shores of Yakushima Island, about 1,040 km (650 miles) southwest of the capital Tokyo. Another Osprey thought to have been travelling with the crashed aircraft landed safely at the island's airport on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for the local government said. Japan, which also operates Osprey aircraft, said on Wednesday it had asked the U.S. military to investigate the crash. The deployment of the hybrid aircraft in Japan has been controversial, with critics saying it is prone to accidents. In August, a U.S. Osprey crashed off the coast of northern Australia while transporting troops during a routine military exercise, killing three U.S. Marines.

Persons: Kiyoshi Takenaka, Tim Kelly, Kantaro, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, John Geddie, David Dolan, Gerry Doyle, Nick Macfie, Deepa Babington Organizations: Japan Coast Guard, Yakushima Fisheries Cooperative, . Air Force Special, Command, United, ., Boeing, Bell Helicopter, U.S . Air Force, Marines, Navy, Japan Self - Defense Forces, Osprey, U.S, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, U.S, Yakushima, Tokyo, Japan's, United States, Taiwan, Okinawa, Australia

☆ Japan PM to sack deputy finance minister over tax scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, November 2, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio, Kiyoshi Ota, Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: Rights, NHK, of Finance, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan PM to Sack Deputy Finance Minister Over Tax Scandal - NHK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to sack a deputy finance minister, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday, after the official last week admitted to media reports that he had been delinquent on tax payments in the past. State Minister of Finance Kenji Kanda, who is in charge of government bonds and monetary policy, would be the third to leave a ministerial post in just two months since Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to improve tumbling public approval ratings. The report of Kanda's firing comes as the latest poll by broadcaster FNN showed the approval rating for Kishida's cabinet reaching a record low of 27.8%, sliding 7.8 points from last month. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi Sugiyama; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

Persons: Fumio Kishida, of Finance Kenji Kanda, Kishida, FNN, Kantaro Komiya, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: NHK, of Finance Locations: TOKYO

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday she would meet Palestinian counterparts during a visit to Israel and Jordan, and would communicate Japan's readiness to provide aid to the Palestinians. The minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is also set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during her two-day trip from Friday, as the crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel conducted a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and as foreigners, including Japanese nationals, leave. Speaking to reporters before her departure, she acknowledged the Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and that many civilians had been killed in the attack. She said Japan would remain in touch with one Japanese national living in Gaza who wished to remain there and did not evacuate.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Eli Cohen, Israel, Kamikawa, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Chang, Ran Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Rights, Israeli, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: New York, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, Egypt, Japan

☆ G7 Calls for Immediate Repeal of Bans on Japanese Food, Pressing China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The G7 trade ministers, in a statement after a weekend meeting on Osaka, did not mention China but they also denounced what they consider its rising economic coercion through trade. "We deplore actions to weaponize economic dependencies and commit to build on free, fair, and mutually beneficial economic and trade relationships," said the 10-page statement. While Japan and the U.S. have called the curbs unfair, Russia announced a similar restriction earlier this month. The G7 - the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - expressed "concern" over recent control measures on the export of critical minerals. "We completely agreed to build resilient and reliable supply chains" for critical minerals, semiconductors and batteries, he told a press conference.

Persons: Yasutoshi Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, William Mallard Organizations: Japan, U.S, Hamas Locations: TOKYO, Osaka, China, Japan, Russia, United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza

☆ G7 calls for immediate repeal of bans on Japanese food, pressing China
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Persons: Eugene Hoshiko, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, William Mallard Organizations: International Atomic Energy Agency, Rights, Japan, U.S, Hamas, Thomson Locations: China, South Korea, Canada, Hisanohama Port, Iwaki, Japan, Osaka, Russia, United States, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza

☆ Japan launches antimonopoly probe into Google's search dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Google app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken, July 13, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Alphabet Inc FollowTOKYO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Japan's competition watchdog on Monday said it would start investigating Google's (GOOGL.O) possible breach of antimonopoly laws in web search services, following similar steps taken by authorities in Europe and other major economies. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) said it would investigate whether Google violated Japan's Antimonopoly Act, including by returning part of its revenues to Android smartphone makers on the condition that they not install rival search engines. The decision follows similar moves by antitrust regulators in the European Union, the United States and others. Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Kantaro Komiya Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Google's, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Japan Fair Trade Commission, Google, European Union, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States

☆ Japan provides up to $80 mln subsidy to moonshot startup ispace
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A model of the lunar rover in HAKUTO-R lunar exploration program by "ispace" is pictured at a venue to monitor its landing on the Moon, in Tokyo, Japan, April 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Japan will provide a subsidy of up to 12 billion yen ($80 million) to moon exploration startup ispace (9348.T) as part of a grant programme for innovative ventures, industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday. Tokyo-based ispace aims to launch its second moon lander next year and start a NASA-sponsored moonshot in 2026, following its failed first lunar landing attempt in April this year. The grant would not have any material impact on the company's near-term earnings forecast since it relates to a future mission, ispace added. The company has expected to book a net loss of 4.5 billion yen in the current financial period ending in March 2024.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Yasutoshi Nishimura, ispace, Kantaro Komiya, Christopher Cushing, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NASA, Thomson Locations: HAKUTO, Tokyo, Japan

☆ TSMC plans to make 6nm chips in second Japan plant, govt mulls aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A logo of Taiwanse chip giant TSMC can be seen in Tainan, Taiwan December 29, 2022.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Taiwan chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) is planning to start producing 6-nanometer advanced semiconductors in its second Japan plant in Kumamoto in 2027, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday. The Japanese government is considering providing up to 900 billion yen ($6 billion) in subsidies for TSMC's plan, which in total will involve an investment of about 2 trillion yen, Nikkei reported. ($1 = 149.1500 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ann Wang, Kantaro, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Tainan, Taiwan, Japan, Kumamoto

☆ Toshiba to go private on Dec 20 after successful $13 bln takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The logo of Toshiba Corporation is displayed at the company's building in Kawasaki, Japan, April 5, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Toshiba Corp FollowTOKYO, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp (6502.T) said on Thursday it will hold an extraordinary shareholder's meeting on Nov. 22 to approve the consolidation of its shares, which will be delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Dec. 20. The Japanese conglomerate Toshiba last month announced the success of a 2 trillion yen ($13.4 billion) tender offer from private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners. ($1 = 149.2100 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Androniki, Kantaro Komiya, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Toshiba Corporation, REUTERS, Toshiba Corp, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Toshiba, Japan Industrial Partners, Thomson Locations: Kawasaki, Japan

☆ Japan's inflation adjusted wages extend declines in August
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Japan's real wages in August declined for a 17th straight month, government data showed on Friday, as persistent price hikes continued to outpace salaries. Separate data on Friday showed Japan's consumer spending also shrank for the sixth consecutive month in August, squeezing consumers' purchasing power even as major companies offered their biggest pay increases in three decades. The consumer inflation rate officials use to calculate real wages, which includes fresh food prices but excludes rent, slowed to 3.7%, the lowest in 11 months. Base salary growth in August climbed 1.6% year-on-year, from a revised 1.4% gain in the previous month, the data showed. "As import prices settle down, the growth rate of consumer inflation is also expected to gradually narrow, and real wages will also recover," Koike said.

Persons: Masato Koike, Fumio Kishida, Sompo's Koike, Koike, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kantaro, Christian Schmollinger, Sam Holmes Organizations: Global, Bank of Japan, Sompo, Ministry of Health, Labour, Welfare, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Base

☆ Japan finance minister reiterates warning on currency market moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks with the media after a meeting of G7 leaders on the sidelines of G20 finance ministers' and Central Bank governors' meeting at Gandhinagar, India, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday authorities were watching the currency market closely and stood ready to respond, repeating a warning against speculative moves as the yen hovered near a one-year low against the dollar. The yen slid to within a hair of 150 per dollar, near a level that prompted intervention a year ago and putting traders on watch for action by the Japanese authorities. Speaking at a regularly scheduled press conference, Suzuki said authorities were watching market moves with a high sense of urgency. Suzuki said that, generally speaking, rises in long-term rates push up borrowing costs, and authorities are therefore closely watching the impact of moves in long-term rates and how they may affect households and businesses.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Amit Dave, Suzuki, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chang, Ran Kim, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Central Bank governors, REUTERS, Rights, Japanese Finance, Thomson Locations: Gandhinagar, India, Ukraine

☆ Japan Display ends partnership talks with China's HKC
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan Display (6740.T) said on Friday it has ended talks with China's HKC Corp over co-operation on next-generation display technology and will limit collaboration to high-end automotive displays. The talks, launched in April, were aimed at building display-making plants in China using Japan Display's eLEAP OLED technology with mass production to start in 2025. The companies could not agree on the licensing fee HKC was to pay for Japan Display's technology, while China's economic slowdown and HKC's recent withdrawal of its initial public offering to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange likely affected the talks, the Nikkei business daily reported earlier. Separately, Japan Display said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the local government in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui to build panels there and is targeting a final agreement by year-end. Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Sam Nussey; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: China's, Kantaro Komiya, Sam Nussey, Chang, Ran Kim, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: China's HKC Corp, Japan, Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Anhui

☆ Japan's lunar startup ispace delays NASA-sponsored mission to 2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Japan's lunar transport startup ispace inc (9348.T) said on Thursday it would postpone a future moon landing mission by a year to 2026 to better prepare for a commission by U.S. agency NASA, as well as deal with component supply delays. Tokyo-based ispace attempted its first lunar landing with the Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft in April, which failed due to an altitude miscalculation. The U.S. unit of ispace, which has partnered with spacecraft software developer Draper to build lunar landers, has also encountered procurement delays for some parts, Hakamada said. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, a MS&AD (8725.T) unit, paid 3.7 billion yen last month to ispace for Hakuto-R Mission 1's failure. The unsuccessful landing resulted in a steep sell-off, but the shares have since recovered, closing on Thursday at 1,401 yen.

Persons: ispace, Takeshi Hakamada, Draper, Hakamada, Kantaro Komiya, Himani Sarkar, Miral Organizations: U.S, NASA, Financial Times, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, U.S

☆ US, Japan authorities warn of China-linked hacking group BlackTech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Hss Otomotiv Ve Lastik Sanayi Anonim Sirketi FollowTOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Japanese police jointly warned multinational companies of China-linked hacker group BlackTech in a cybersecurity advisory late on Wednesday. "BlackTech has demonstrated capabilities in modifying router firmware without detection and exploiting routers’ domain-trust relationships to pivot from international subsidiaries to headquarters in Japan and the United States, which are the primary targets," the statement said. BlackTech has been engaging in cyberattacks on governments and tech-sector companies in the United States and East Asia since around 2010, Japan's National Police Agency said in a separate statement. Amid heightening U.S.-China tensions over issues including Taiwan, U.S. security officials are raising the tone of their warnings against China's cyberattack capabilities. FBI chief Chris Wray earlier this month said China "has a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined".

Persons: Kacper, BlackTech, cyberattacks, Chris Wray, Kantaro Komiya, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, . National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Japan's National Police Agency, Chinese Communist Party, U.S, FBI, United Kingdom, Washington Post, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, United States, East Asia, Blacktech, Taiwan, U.S, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United, South Korea

☆ Russia mulls joining China in banning Japanese seafood imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japan started releasing the water from the plant into the ocean last month, drawing strong criticism from China. Russia is one of the biggest marine product suppliers to China and is seeking to increase its market share. "Taking into account the possible risks of radiation contamination of products, Rosselkhoznadzor is considering the possibility of joining with Chinese restrictions on supplies of fish products from Japan," Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement. So far this year, Russia has imported 118 tonnes of Japanese seafood, the regulator said. Japan will scrutinise Tuesday's announcement by Russia, the top Japanese government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Rosselkhoznadzor, Hirokazu Matsuno, Matsuno, Alexander Marrow, Olga Popova, Katya Golubkova, Bernadette Baum, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Food, REUTERS, China, Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Japan's Ministry, Environment, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, Russia, Moscow, Russian, China, South Korea, Tokyo

☆ Japan's MUFG Bank, two others lead $290 mln Sierra Space fundraising -Nikkei
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Sept 26 (Reuters) - MUFG Bank is among three Japanese firms leading a $290-million fundraising round for U.S. spaceship company Sierra Space, spearheading a commercial "spaceport" project in the southwestern region of Oita, the Nikkei daily said on Tuesday. A spokesperson of Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire, a unit of Tokio Marine Holdings (8766.T), confirmed that the three companies formed a strategic partnership with Sierra, but declined to elaborate on their investments. Sierra Space, spun off in 20221 from billionaire-owned Sierra Nevada Corp, is among a handful of space industry players attempting to build a private space station that NASA hopes will replace the two decade-old International Space Station by 2030. The Oita project took a hit this year from the bankruptcy of another U.S. space company Virgin Orbit , which had partnered with airline ANA Holdings (9202.T). MUFG Bank, one of Japan's three biggest, has invested in domestic space startups such as orbital debris-removal firm Astroscale.

Persons: Sierra, inc's, Kantaro Komiya, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: MUFG, Space, Nikkei, SpaceX, MUFG Bank, Tokio Marine, Tokio Marine Holdings, Sierra, Mitsubishi UFJ, Kanematsu Corp, CNBC, Sierra Nevada Corp, NASA, Japan Airlines, Orbit, ANA Holdings, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, Japan Aerospace Exploration, SLIM, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Oita, Sierra, Kanematsu, Asia's, Japan

☆ Toshiba's top investor to sell stake in JIP offer, source says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Makiko Yamazaki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Toshiba's (6502.T) largest shareholder Effissimo Capital Management has decided to tender its 9.9% stake in the $14 billion takeover offer by Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), a source said on Friday, raising the odds of the bid succeeding. The offer, which will end on Sept. 20, needs at least two-thirds of shareholders to tender their shares for it to succeed. Other major shareholders, Elliott Management and Farallon Capital Management, both have their executives on Toshiba's board which has unanimously approved the JIP takeover. Singapore-based fund 3D Investment Partners, previously Toshiba's second-largest shareholder, revealed in a filing in March that it had cut its stake to 4.90% from 7.20%. Sources have said top activist shareholders were eager to exit, even though the offer price was unsatisfactory.

Persons: Androniki, JIP, Effissimo, Elliott, Makiko Yamazaki, Kantaro Komiya, Neil Fullick Organizations: Toshiba Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, Effissimo Capital Management, Japan Industrial Partners, Toshiba, Elliott Management, Farallon Capital Management, Major Toshiba, Partners, Investment Partners, Westinghouse, Thomson Locations: Kawasaki, Japan, Singapore

☆ Japan's weak machinery orders, other batch of soft data raise BOJ challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Core orders, the leading indicator of Japanese business spending, were down 1.1% in July from the previous month, the data showed. Orders from manufacturers fell 5.3% in July, the largest decline in eight months, due to weak demand for computers from industries including electric machinery, auto and chemicals. Orders from "core" service-sector firms excluding shipping and electric utilities grew 1.3%. The government maintained its weak view on machinery orders, saying they are "stalling", highlighting the bumpy road ahead for Japanese business and its broader economy. In July, Japan's exports fell for the first time in nearly 2-1/2 years, while the industrial output contracted more than expected.

Persons: Chisato Oshiba, Fumio Kishida, reshuffling, Kantaro Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: ", Dai, Research, Manufacturers, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan

Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name. At the opening of the meeting with Putin, Kim said it was an unwavering position of the North to further develop its traditional friendship and ties with Russia. Russian media said Putin showed Kim around the building where Russia's new space launch rocket, the Angara, is assembled. Humanitarian aid to North Korea and U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed on Pyongyang may also be discussed, Russian officials have said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Smirnov, Kim, Putin, Kim Jong, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, KCNA, Jo Chun Ryong, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, North, DPRK, Democratic People's, Russia, Kremlin, Vostochny, Munitions Industry, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, MOSCOW, SEOUL, Washington, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Moscow, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's, South, United States, Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Taiwan's defence ministry said it spotted 28 Chinese air force planes in its air defence zone on Wednesday morning, part of what Taipei calls regular harassment by Beijing amid heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan's defence ministry said that beginning at around 6 a.m. (2200 GMT Tuesday), Chinese warplanes, including J-10 fighters, had flown into the southwestern corner of the island's air defence identification zone, or ADIZ. China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan's forces monitored the situation, including sending up its own air force planes and activating air defence systems, the ministry added, using the normal phrasing for its response to such Chinese incursions. A Chinese naval formation led by the Shandong entered the western Pacific for training, Taiwan's defence ministry said on Monday.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Christopher Cushing, Christian Schmollinger, Michael Perry, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Taipei, Self, Defense Force, Pacific, Reuters, U.S . Navy, U.S, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Rights TAIPEI, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan, China, Shandong, Pacific, Miyako, Japan, Miyako Strait, United States, Philippines, Borneo, U.S, Canadian, India, South China, Tokyo

☆ Japan's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said the role of defence minister went to Minoru Kihara, a pro-Taiwan politician who has visited the island in the past and belongs to a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Kihara will also oversee the bolstering of Japan's military as part of a plan to double defence spending over five years by 2027. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will be sensitive to any shift in Japan's stance on the democratically governed island. "Even if the foreign and defence minister posts change, there won't be any change or impact on Japan's diplomatic policy."

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Yoko Kamikawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Takashi Kawakami, Shigenobu Tamura, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates Organizations: ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Takushoku University, LDP, NHK, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo, China, East Asia, United States

☆ North Korea fires two ballistic missiles with leader Kim away in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Japanese Coast Guard said on Wednesday, just hours before leader Kim Jong Un was expected to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia. It was the first such launch to occur while Kim was abroad for a rare trip, analysts said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that Japan had lodged a protest against North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing. The nuclear-armed North has conducted regular launches of everything from short-range and cruise missiles to massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can strike the continental United States. In 2018 and 2019 he visited China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Russia in nine separate trips, but his current visit in Russia is the first since then.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim didn’t, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim, Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, Japanese Coast Guard, Japan's Coast Guard, North, United Nations, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, South, Russia, Japan, Beijing, United States, China, Moscow, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Seoul, Tokyo

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