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☆ NATO chief urges closer ties with Japan to defend democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

General Jens Stoltenberg (left) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) on Jan. 31, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. Stoltenberg visits Japan to strengthen bilateral ties between the country and the E.U. Calling it a "critical moment for NATO and for Japan," Stoltenberg, who is visiting Tokyo, said China and Russia are "leading an authoritarian pushback against international rules-based order." "China is not our adversary, but we must understand the scale of the challenge and work together to address it." Kishida said he and Stoltenberg agreed to advance ties in areas such as cyberspace, space, disinformation, and critical and emerging technology.

"On Tuesday, all of a sudden I'm hearing the interest rates are going up," said the 48-year-old father of two. Like Nakamura, many Japanese fear they may eventually start paying more for mortgages. "Even a small increase would have a big impact on consumer incomes," said Masaaki Kanno, chief economist at Sony Financial Group and a former central bank official. Fixed-rates are seen rising first, because the central bank allowed 10-year yields to creep up. The company is telling them that floating-rate loans won't be affected as long as the central bank keeps short-term rates negative, he said.

☆ Park Seo-joon joins cast of 'The Marvels,' among growing list of Korean talent joining Disney projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Korean actor Park Seo-joon will star in the upcoming superhero movie “The Marvels” to be released in July 2023. He joins a growing roster of Korean talent that is joining Disney-backed content and was one of many Korean names dropped Wednesday at a Disney content showcase in Singapore. Earlier this month, “Squid Games” star Lee Jung-jae was announced as joining Star Wars series “The Acolyte,” for Disney +. So too did Japanese director Miike Takashi, whose Korean-made series “Connect” Disney+ will upload early next month. Disney has announced plans to green-light 50 local shows in the Asia-Pacific region by the end of 2023 and is keen to catch up with Netflix in the scale of its Korean content roster.

☆ As yen tumbles, gadget-loving Japan goes for secondhand iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Miho Uranaka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Salaryman Kaoru Nagase wanted a new phone but couldn't justify the price of a iPhone 14, which starts at 119,800 yen ($814). Instead, he bought a used iPhone SE 2 in Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district for less than a third of that. "At more than 100,000 yen the iPhone 14 is too expensive and I just can't afford it. But in an annual regulatory filing last month, it said Japan sales fell 9% in the year ended September 24 due to the yen's weakness. With Japan open again to foreign tourists, the secondhand iPhone market is getting another boost.

☆ Toho plans to release a new Japanese Godzilla film next year as the monster's audience grows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

To capitalize on this moment, Toho, the Japanese film studio that owns the monster and licenses it to Legendary in the U.S., said it will produce a new Godzilla film a year from Thursday, the anniversary of the monster's first film. The new film comes as global audiences have more access to Godzilla content than ever before thanks to deep libraries of movies and TV series on streaming services. The recent box office success of U.S. studio Legendary's Monsterverse, which kicked off with a Godzilla film in 2014 and led to "Godzilla vs. Kong" in 2021, has also helped. The films, especially the most recent installment, have been among some of the most in demand on streaming services. "There's more access to Godzilla than ever before because of streaming services and the internet," said Bill Tsutsui, a historian and academic known for his expertise in Godzilla.

☆ Analysis: Why is North Korea testing so many missiles?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to genuinely dislike the allied drills, and particularly the involvement of U.S. stealth fighters. After North Korea conducted an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on Thursday, the allies announced they would be extending Vigilant Storm past Friday. "North Korea is aiming to increase its deterrence capabilities," he said. If North Korea prefers to conduct a nuclear test in a crisis, it is well on its way to manufacturing one." North Korea has completed all the technical preparations for a nuclear test - its first since 2017 - according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

By pointing to 2027 as the moment when East Asia's power balance may tip in China's favour, Japan's government can rally support for greater defence spending, he added. At a congressional hearing last year, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Philip Davidson said that China's threat against Taiwan could "manifest" that year. Japanese defence ministry officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In July, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida won national upper house elections with a pledge to "substantially" increase defence spending. The splurge of defence spending should also benefit U.S. suppliers such as Lockheed, Boeing Co (BA.N) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N).

A portrait of Shinzo Abe hangs above the stage during the state funeral for Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe on September 27, 2022 at the Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Several current and former heads of state visited Japan for the state funeral of Abe, who was assassinated in July while campaigning on a street. read moreIn one part of downtown Tokyo, protesters waved signs and chanted "No state funeral" to the tune of a guitar. DIVISIVE FIGUREJapan's longest-serving prime minister was a divisive figure who was dogged by scandals. read moreThe state funeral for Abe, who received a private funeral days after his assassination, was the first for an ex-premier since one in 1967 for former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.

☆ Dovada că oamenii au venit DE FAPT de pe MARTE! Am locuit pe Planeta Roșie înainte ca Pământul să susțină VIAȚA
▼ + stars: | 2020-11-12 | by ( ) www.ziarulnational.md time to read: +2 min

Un nou studiu sugerează că apa era prezentă pe Planeta Roșie în urmă cu 4,4 miliarde de ani, mult mai devreme decât au crezut oamenii de știință inițial. Concluzia se bazează pe o analiza meteoritului numit NWA 7533, descoperit în deșertul Sahara și despre care se crede că a provenit de pe Marte în urmă cu miliarde de ani. O astfel de apariție atât de timpurie sugerează că apa era prezentă atunci când Marte se forma. Odată cu apa apare și viața, motiv pentru care oamenii de știință sunt atât de dornici să o găsească în Univers. Prin comparație, știm că cele mai timpurii urme ale vieții pe Terra datează din urmă cu 3,5 miliarde de ani.

Persons: Marte, Takashi Organizations: NWA, Universitatea din, Science Alert Locations: Sahara, Universitatea din Tokyo

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