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☆ Chinese officials urge calm after Evergrande fears reportedly spark small bank run
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Depositors lined up at the bank in Cangzhou, in Hebei province, to withdraw their money, according to photos and videos circulated online this week, prompting an appeal for calm by officials. The bank has a statement from the city government posted at its entrance, assuring the public that their deposits are safe, Yicai said. It was unclear how many depositors took part in the bank run or how much they withdrew. Central Huijin Investment, an arm of China’s sovereign wealth fund, bought tens of millions of shares in Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, according to separate stock exchange filings made by the banks. The best performer has been China Construction Bank, which was up 5.6% in Hong Kong and 2.7% in Shanghai.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Evergrande, Xu Jiayin, Yicai, Weeks, ’, —, Martha Zhou Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police, CNN, Bank of Cangzhou, Bank, Huijin Investment, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of, China Construction Bank, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Cangzhou, Hebei province, city’s, Beijing, Henan, Bank, Agricultural Bank of China, Shanghai

☆ 'Fraught with uncertainty': IEA says oil markets to remain on tenterhooks as Israel-Hamas war persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The International Energy Agency on Thursday said that oil markets are likely to remain on edge as the Israel-Hamas war persists, with investors closely monitoring the potential for output disruption in the Middle East. "The Middle East conflict is fraught with uncertainty and events are fast developing," the IEA said in its report. "Against a backdrop of tightly balanced oil markets anticipated by the IEA for some time, the international community will remain laser focused on risks to the region's oil flows," the energy agency added. Noting a "sharp escalation in geopolitical risk," the IEA said it would continue to closely monitor oil markets and "stands ready to act if necessary to ensure markets remain adequately supplied." Israel is not a major oil producer and no major oil infrastructure runs close to the Gaza Strip.

Organizations: International Energy Agency, IEA Locations: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, Israel, Gaza

☆ An American couple left their rent-free life in Mexico and moved to a $7,500 abandoned home in Japan: 'We feel overwhelmingly welcome'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Julian Ryall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Evan and Dani BretonEvan, now 40, worked as a massage therapist while Dani, now 39, was a self-employed photographer. Dani and Evan BentonThe couple drove over the border into Mexico on December 5, 2021. Guanajuato, MexicoHouse-sitting was a way to live rent-free in MexicoThe couple became house-sitters in Mexico so they could live rent-free and travel around the country. Japan was their final stop because of cheaper house pricesAfter 14 months in Mexico, the couple concluded that Japan "would be a better fit for us." The house cost $7,500 and the realtor's fees were an additional $1,500.

Persons: Dani, Evan Benton, —, Dani Benton, Evan, Dani Breton Evan, New Orleans Evan, Dani Breton, Bentons, could've, Evan Benton Dani, Dani Benton Evan, they've, grandpas, We've Organizations: Service, Ninth Ward, Mexico House, Facebook Locations: New Orleans, Mexico, Japan, Dallas , Oregon, Cholula Puebla, Guanajuato, www.housesitmexico.com, Tokyo, South Korea, Omishima, Ehime Prefecture, Louisiana

[1/8] Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - Closing Ceremony - Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou, China - October 8, 2023 A view of the handover ceremony at the closing ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Oct 8 (Reuters) - China's eastern city of Hangzhou rounded off the 19th Asian Games on Sunday with a colourful and "joy"-themed closing ceremony after hosting the continental sporting extravaganza which organisers hailed as "one of the finest" ever. Taking place amid tight security the less-than two hour ceremony also included a handover to the hosts of the next Asian Games in 2026, the Japanese city Nagoya. The hosts' 201st gold left them two better than their previous best of 199 at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Organisers said 12,407 athletes from 45 nations competed in 40 sports at the Hangzhou Games, which were delayed for a year due to COVID-19. "We have hosted the most successful Asian Games in history" said Chen Weiqiang, Executive Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and vice-mayor of Hangzhou.

Persons: Marko Djurica, Li Qiang, jigged, Takashi Kawamura, Randhir Singh, Gu Shiau, Kazakhstan's Moldir, Chen Weiqiang, WADA, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Christian Schmollinger, Toby Chopra, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Rights, Games, Nagoya, Mainichi, Olympic Council of Asia, energised, Bangkok Games, Hangzhou Games, Hangzhou Asian Games, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic Games, Olympic Council of, OCA Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Nagoya, Nanjing, Aichi, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Japan, Macau, North, Korea, Olympic Council of Asia

TOKYO (AP) — Three bears that snuck into a tatami mat factory in northern Japan and holed up inside for nearly a day have been captured, according to town officials. An owner of the tatami factory said he saw the bears walking outside but never thought they would come inside. Town officials and police officers rushed to the site, each wearing a helmet and carrying a shield, and kept watch. They later set up a pair of cages at the entrance of the tatami factory and waited overnight. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesMisato issued an urgent message later Thursday to residents that all three bears had been captured.

Persons: there's Organizations: TOKYO, Media, Akita Locations: Japan, Misato, Akita prefecture

☆ After two failed attempts in the past year, Japan could be next in line to land on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An H2-A rocket carrying a small lunar surface probe and other objects lifts off from the Tanegashima Space Centre on Tanegashima island, Kagoshima prefecture on September 7, 2023. Last month, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a lunar exploration spacecraft from its Tanegashima Space Center. Japan also discarded efforts to land its Omotenashi spacecraft on the moon in November after failing to stabilize communication. Japan's success this time around could be a leap for space exploration more broadly. "It shows that they are learning from their mistakes — a very important aspect of space exploration," said Behar, who is also Phillip and Sarah Gotlieb Memorial Chair at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology.

Persons: Kari Bingen, Bingen, Smart Lander, SLIM, Ehud Behar, Norman, Helen Asher, Behar, Phillip, Sarah Gotlieb, We've Organizations: Press, Afp, Getty, Japan, Aerospace Security, International Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, SpaceX, Cape Canaveral Space Force, Anadolu Agency, Helen Asher Space Research, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Artemis Accords, Artemis, Capital, Nurphoto Locations: Tanegashima, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, Cape Canaveral , Florida, India, China, U.S, Bingen, South, Shanghai

Tokyo/Hong Kong CNN —A Japanese sushi chain targeted in a spate of pranks that has sparked concern over hygiene has devised a digital conveyor belt to serve food to customers. The chain had been subject to a string of pranks dubbed “sushi terrorism” since the start of the year. Inspired by viral online videos, pranksters filmed themselves licking shared soy sauce bottles or tampering with food rotating on conveyor belts at the chain’s restaurants. Three Sushiro outlets have been fitted with the new digital conveyor belts. The student from western Hyogo prefecture said he would miss the convenience of being able to pick up sushi directly from the conveyor belts, if they are eventually phased out completely.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, —, Akindo, pranksters, Sushiro, ”, Alessio Procopio, Hideki Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Police, NHK Locations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Nagoya, Gifu, Japan, Hyogo

☆ Tepco starts releasing second batch of treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An aerial view shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Kyodo/via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Tokyo Electric Power Company (9501.T) (Tepco) started releasing more treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday morning, continuing a move that has caused tensions between China and Japan. Junichi Matsumoto, who is overseeing the water release at Tepco, said on Wednesday during a news conference that Tepco had received more than 6,000 calls from abroad between August 24-27. Japan started the water discharge in August in a key step towards decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which suffered meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 in the world's worst nuclear plant disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier. Japan says the water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except tritium, a hydrogen isotope that must be diluted because it is difficult to filter.

Persons: Junichi Matsumoto, Matsumoto, Sakura Murakami, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, Rights, Tokyo Electric Power Company, United Nations, Tepco, Japan, Thomson Locations: Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, China

☆ Japan implements tourist tax at famous ‘floating shrine’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Japan’s popular Itsukushima Shrine has now become slightly more expensive to visit. Located in the town of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima prefecture, the torii – a shrine gateway – is part of a 1,400-year-old Shinto complex that’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its striking appearance has made it one of the most recognizable attractions in Japan – even President Joe Biden visited earlier this year. Hatsukaichi has long struggled with overtourism, prompting officials to implement a tourist tax, which came into effect on Sunday. Each visitor to Miyajima, the island access point for the shrine, is now charged 100 yen (67 cents).

Persons: CNN —, Japan –, Joe Biden, ”, Shunji Mukai Organizations: CNN, UNESCO Locations: Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima prefecture, Japan, Miyajima, ”

VENICE (AP) — Firefighters worked until dawn Wednesday to remove the wreckage of a bus that crashed in a borough of Venice, Italy, across the lagoon from its historic center, killing 21 people and injuring at least 15, mostly foreign tourists returning to a nearby camping site. The shuttle was connecting Piazzale Roma, in Venice's historic center, to the Hu campground in Marghera, another borough of Venice neighbouring Mestre. He was an experienced driver, Venice city councilor Renato Boraso said. I carried a woman out on my shoulders, then a man,” Erheneden told the Venice daily il Gazzettino. In 2017, 16 people on a bus carrying Hungarian students died in an accident near the northern city of Verona.

Persons: — Firefighters, Michele Di Bari, Alberto Rizzotto, Renato Boraso, Erheneden, ” Erheneden, “, ’, Luigi Brugnaro Organizations: VENICE, —, Venice prefecture, Piazzale Roma, Venice Locations: Venice, Italy, Piazzale, Venice's, Marghera, Mestre, Italian, Verona, Avellino

☆ At least 20 dead after Italian bus falls from Venice bridge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Italian flag waves in front of The "Altare della Patria" also known as "Vittoriano" downtown Rome, Italy, March 23, 2016. REUTES/ Stefano Rellandini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Oct 3 (Reuters) - At least 20 people died on Tuesday after a city bus carrying tourists to a campground crashed off an overpass near Venice in northern Italy and caught fire, the city's Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. The bus veered off the road and fell close to railway lines in the district of Mestre, which is connected to Venice by a bridge. "There are at least 20 dead, but some people are still trapped in the wreckage," he later told Italian state television channel Rai News24. Italy has suffered a number of deadly bus crashes in recent years.

Persons: REUTES, Stefano Rellandini, Luigi Brugnaro, Brugnaro, ANSA, Giorgia Meloni, Emilio Parodi, Alvise Armellini, Gavin Jones, Crispian Balmer, Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Rights, Sky Italia, Rai, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Venice, Mestre, Italian, Verona, Venice's prefecture

☆ Japan's business mood improves, capex firm in boost to economic outlook
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Leika Kihara | Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s business sentiment improved in the third quarter, a central bank survey showed, suggesting conditions for a durable economic revival are falling into place even as a global slowdown keeps policymakers cautious about the outlook. Big non-manufacturers’ index stood at 27, up from 23, the survey showed, above a median market forecast of 24 and improving for the sixth straight quarter. The survey showed big manufacturers expect conditions to improve three months ahead, though sluggish global demand and signs of weakness in China’s economy cloud the outlook. “The tankan showed Japan is on track for a domestic-demand led growth. But analysts expect a mild contraction in the July-September quarter as sluggish global demand weigh on exports.

Persons: Maki Shiraki, ”, Marcel Thieliant, Yoshimasa Maruyama Organizations: Nissan, Co, Ltd's, EV, REUTERS, Companies, Bank of Japan, Capital Economics, Big, Nikko Securities Locations: TOKYO, Tochigi prefecture, Japan, Asia, U.S

By last year, with sanctions elsewhere tightening, Russia was buying more than a quarter of Japan's used-car exports for an average price of almost $8,200. That was more than double the price in 2020, when Russia took about 15% of Japan's used-car exports. Those sales had been on track to top $1.9 billion for all of 2023 before Japan imposed its own tougher sanctions, trade data show. A system of mandatory inspections pushes the cost of maintaining used cars higher for customers in Japan. Battery recycling firm 4R Energy has seen a "significant" tailwind from declining used-car prices, including the Nissan Leaf, said chief executive Yutaka Horie.

Persons: Sergei Karpukhin, Japan's, we've, Olesya Alekseeva, Takanori Kikuchi, Wataru Nishiwaki, Yutaka Horie, Daniel Leussink, Gleb Stolyarov, Kevin Krolicki, Sonali Paul Organizations: Toyota, REUTERS, Rights, SV Alliance, Japan's Ministry, Economy, Trade, Industry, Honda, Energy, Nissan, Sumitomo, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa, Toyama, Russia's Vladivostok, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tanzania, Niigata prefecture

The plaintiffs, in their 50s and 80s, were living in Kumamoto and nearby Kagoshima at the time of the mercury poisoning and later moved to Osaka and elsewhere in western Japan. Their symptoms, including numbness of the limbs, were typical of the mercury poisoning and cannot be explained by any other cause, the ruling said. It is one of Japan's worst environmental disasters and became an international symbol of environmental damage and corruption behind Japan’s rise to economic prominence. The central government had argued that there was no evidence to prove the plaintiffs suffered from Minamata disease. A 2004 Supreme Court ruling held the government responsible for allowing the pollution to continue for years after its discovery, prompting renewed calls for the government to expand the scope of support.

Persons: —, Judge Yuki Tatsuno, “, ”, Yoshie Maeda, Yoshiyuki Tokui, Hirokazu Matsuno Organizations: TOKYO, Wednesday, Court, Chisso Corp Locations: Kumamoto prefecture, Osaka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Japan, Minamata, Kyushu, Tokyo, Niigata

Paris CNN —It’s 6.30 a.m. on a late summer morning in Paris. “We heard they were coming to take us today but I am not sure where to,” Obsa, a 31-year-old political refugee from Ethiopia, told CNN. Obsa was relying on emergency housing in a hotel but says it kicked him out after his wife joined him. Some 10 regional temporary shelters, known as SAS, have been set up around the country to welcome the new arrivals outside of Paris, according to the Dihal. The other problem is the lack of emergency housing spaces available in the regions where migrants are being transferred to.

Persons: they’ll, “, ”, Obsa, Dalal Mawad, CNN Obsa, Paul Alauzy, “ Marseille, Claudia Colliva, Yann Manzi, Gerald Darmanin, Emmanuel Macron, Harmonie Lecerf, Meunier, Brice, Meunier of Bordeaux, Sandrine Runel, ” Brice, Abdullatif Organizations: Paris CNN —, CNN, Du, Federation of Solidarity Actors, BFMTV, Paris Prefecture, Ministry of Housing, Paris, Staff, ” Police, Interministerial, of Interior, SAS, Olympic, Utopia, Games, Rugby World, ”, Medecins Du Monde Locations: Paris, Stalingrad, France, Ethiopia, Sudan, Libya, Italy, de, Bordeaux, ”, Marseille, French, “, ” Bordeaux, Lyon, Afghanistan

☆ 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

“Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by accident, intention, or miscalculation – is a terrible risk. New Construction at Russia's Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site, June 22, 2023. Lop Nur nuclear test site. “The Chinese test site is different than the Russian test site,” Lewis said. Both countries keep their strategic nuclear arsenals on “hair-trigger” alert, meaning that nuclear weapons can be launched on short notice.

Persons: Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, ”, Cedric Leighton, “, Vladimir Putin, ” Lewis, Lewis ’, António Guterres, ” Guterres, Dmitry Medvedev, Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Lewis, we’ve, Leighton, they’d, ” Leighton, Nur, Hans Kristensen, Kristensen, Israel –, Dyess, Frederic J . Brown, Fiona Cunningham, Yang Kun, ” Daryl Kimball, Kimball, Michael Frankel, James Scouras, George Ullrich, Soviet Union –, Russia –, We’re Organizations: CNN, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, US, US Air Force, Atomic Scientists, Soviet Union, United Nations, Russia’s Security, Russian Defense Ministry, Planet Labs PBC, Middlebury, Science and Global Security, Novaya, Middlebury Institute, China Observer, China’s Foreign Ministry, Planet Labs, Nevada National Security, National Security Administration, US Department of Energy, Office, National Security Council, International Monitoring, Federation of American Scientists, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Missile Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Columbia, Northrop Grumman's Air Force, Getty, Control Association, ACA, NGO, PLA, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arms Control Association, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Soviet Locations: Russia, United States, China, Xinjiang, Nevada, . China, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Soviet, Belarus, Minsk, Novaya Zemlya, Zemlya, Soviet Union, Lop Nur, Japan, Lop, Beijing, Stockholm, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Ellsworth, Palmdale , California, AFP, Yuli County, Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Baltimore, Russian, Hiroshima

☆ A millennial dad of 2 bought an abandoned home in Japan for $23,600. He says restoring it is easier than expected.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Eric McAskill bought an abandoned house, or akiya, in the rural Japanese countryside for $23,600. Eric McAskill and his wife, together with their two children. Over the next decade, he would find himself visiting Japan again and again, each time visiting a different prefecture. McAskill bought his akiya through an akiya bank, which is a database maintained by the local municipalities for abandoned or vacant houses. "The first person to bid starts to enter into negotiations with the owner," McAskill said of the bidding process in Japan.

Persons: Eric McAskill, Eric McAskill's, —, McAskill, let's, Eric McAskill McAskill, Eric McAskill McAskill's, I'm, haven't, It's, I've, he's Organizations: Service, IKEA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Japan, Bali, Nagano Prefecture, Vancouver, Canada, Abashiri, Hokkaido, Yonaguni, Taiwan, Indonesian

☆ A Korean woman in Japan says she was hospitalized after being served a cup with bleach in it. She's accusing the restaurant of a hate crime.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Korean woman said she was the victim of a hate crime in a Tokyo restaurant, per local media. She said she was served a cup of water with bleach in it and had to be taken to the hospital. The Korean Embassy has asked local police to investigate the incident, per local reports. The woman, surnamed Kang, told the South Korean broadcaster JTBC that the incident happened at an unnamed high-end restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district on August 31, according to the English-language South Korean newspaper The Korea Times. "We apologize to the customer who was food poisoned and her family for causing great pain and inconvenience," the restaurant said in a written statement, per the South Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily.

Persons: Kang, JTBC Organizations: Korean Embassy, Service, South, JTBC, Korean, The Korea Times, South Korean, Embassy, United States Institute of Peace, Japan Times Locations: Tokyo, Wall, Silicon, South Korean, Ginza, Japan, South Korea, Korean, Kyoto Prefecture

☆ Chinese developer Sunac seeks Chapter 15 protection in New York court
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

People on a property tour talk outside of a show flat at a residential property developed by Sunac China Holdings in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, June 22, 2019. REUTERS/Lusha Zhang Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Chinese developer Sunac China Holdings (1918.HK) has filed for Chapter 15 protection from creditors in a U.S. bankruptcy court, court documents showed on Tuesday. Creditors of Sunac China Holdings approved its $9 billion offshore debt restructuring plan on Monday, marking the first approval of such debt overhaul by a major Chinese property developer. Sunac is among a string of Chinese property developers that have defaulted on their offshore debt payment obligations since the sector was hit by a liquidity crisis in 2021, roiling global markets. Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lusha Zhang, Jyoti Narayan, Christopher Cushing, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Sunac China Holdings, REUTERS, HK, Thomson Locations: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Tigers fans take it easy after pennant win in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Junko Fujita | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Osaka police breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after no serious incidents were reported in the wake of the Hanshin Tigers' first Central League title win in 18 years as fans kept a lid on their celebrations. Police deployed 1,300 officers in the downtown area on Thursday evening as the Tigers took on the Yomiuri Giants needing one more win to secure the pennant. More than 5,000 people were estimated to have jumped into the river after the team's 2003 title win, leading to fatalities. "Tigers fans were much more calm than we had expected," said Satoshi Oshimo, an Osaka prefecture police officer. The Tigers will look to build on their regular season success by winning the Japan Series for just the second time.

Persons: Colonel Sanders, Satoshi Oshimo, Junko Fujita, Peter Rutherford, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Hanshin Tigers, Central League, . Police, Tigers, Yomiuri Giants, Koshien, KFC, Japan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Osaka, Seoul

☆ No time to lose on ocean treaty as threats to high seas rise - Greenpeace
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Greenpeace Limited FollowSINGAPORE, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Governments have no time to lose when it comes to implementing a new global ocean treaty to protect the high seas as threats from human activities intensify, a report by environmental group Greenpeace said on Thursday. In March, more than 100 countries completed a groundbreaking treaty to protect the high seas after years of negotiations. The high seas, or international waters, constitute more than 60% of the world's oceans but have not been under any protection. Greenpeace said fishing hours on the high seas increased by 8.5% from 2018 to 2022, and were up 22.5% in areas that need special protection. Greenpeace said that needs to happen before 2025 if there is any hope of achieving the "30 by 30" target.

Persons: Chris Thorne, Greenpeace's, David Stanway, Jamie Freed Organizations: Kyodo, Rights Companies Greenpeace, Greenpeace, United Nations, General, Thomson Locations: Kushiro, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, SINGAPORE

☆ Taiwan says Chinese carrier group in Western Pacific for training
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A helicopter takes off from China's Shandong aircraft carrier, over Pacific Ocean waters, south of Okinawa prefecture, Japan, in this handout photo taken April 15, 2023 and released by the Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan April 17, 2023. Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/HANDOUT via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A Chinese naval formation led by the aircraft carrier Shandong passed 60 nautical miles (111km) to Taiwan's southeast on Monday and entered the western Pacific for training, the island's defence ministry said. The ministry said that beginning at 5:40 a.m., it also spotted 11 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters, in Taiwan's air defence identification zone and that its forces had made an "appropriate response". The Shandong, commissioned in 2019, participated in Chinese military drills around Taiwan in April, operating in the western Pacific. Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ben Blanchard, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Shandong, Joint Staff Office, Defense Ministry, Staff Office, Defense Ministry of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Okinawa prefecture, Japan, Rights TAIPEI, Shandong, Pacific, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, U.S, Canadian, India, China, United States

☆ Japan says swarms of tourists defiling sacred Mt Fuji
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Mariko Katsumura | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Visitors are seen at the fifth stage on the slopes of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain 3,776 metres (12,388 ft), in Fujiyoshida, Japan, September 9, 2023. Mt Fuji, which straddles Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures in eastern Japan, has always been popular with local and overseas tourists. "It's uncontrollable and we fear that Mt Fuji will soon become so unattractive, nobody would want to climb it," he said. Mt Fuji was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site 10 years ago, further boosting its popularity. "Any Japanese person would want to climb Mt Fuji at least once in their life," said 62-year-old Jun Shibazaki, who arrived on a tour.

Persons: Mariko Katsumura, Masatake Izumi, Shibazaki, Chang, Ran Kim, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Mt Fuji, Mt, UNESCO, International Council, World Heritage, Thomson Locations: Mount, Fujiyoshida, Japan, Yamanashi, Shizuoka

Real wages adjusted for inflation fell in July for a 16th straight month in a sign households continued to feel the pinch from rising prices, separate data showed, boding ill for consumption. Exports remained solid in April-June with net external demand contributing 1.8% points to GDP growth, unchanged from the preliminary reading. But shipments to China slumped 13.4% in July to mark the 8th straight month of falls. Japan's economy has seen a delayed recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic this year, as rising living costs faltering global demand cloud the outlook. Given such uncertainties, Bank of Japan policymakers have stressed their resolve to keep monetary policy ultra-loose until the recent cost-driven inflation turns into price rises driven by domestic demand and higher wage growth.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Takeshi Minami, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Sam Holmes Organizations: Food, REUTERS, Norinchukin Research, Private, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, China, Norinchukin

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