TOKYO

Asian shares were trading mixed Monday, as investors eyed surging energy costs and how quickly interest rates might rise in the U.S.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — (AP) — Global shares were mixed Monday, as investors eyed surging energy costs and prospects for interest rate hikes in the U.S.European benchmarks were trading mixed, with shares up in France and Germany but down in Britain. S&P 500 futures fell 0.3% to 4,006.00. Some analysts worry that if the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates too quickly, or by too much, that could set of a recession. The Fed has said it will continue to raise interest rates to temper rising inflation. The benchmark short-term interest rate was at a record low of near zero during much of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shares rose in Hong Kong but declined in Shanghai. Some analysts worry that if the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates too quickly, or by too much, that could set of a recession. The Fed has said it will continue to raise interest rates to temper rising inflation. The benchmark short-term interest rate was at a record low of near zero during much of the coronavirus pandemic. Although some technology shares rose, Twitter fell 9.7% Friday, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he was putting his deal to acquire the social media company on hold.

Japan Ukraine Tina Karol, Ukrainian singer and actress, poses prior to a press conference with Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, Inc. and Sergiy Korsunsky, Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan, not in picture, at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, Monday, May 16, 2022, in Tokyo. “My weapon is language and music,” Karol said in Tokyo as she concluded a weeklong visit to rally support for Ukraine. Karol came to Japan at the invitation of Rakuten Group founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, who first met her during his 2019 business trip to Ukraine. Japan has provided humanitarian and financial support for Ukraine and has so far accepted about 800 evacuees from that country — a rare move for Japan given its extremely strict immigration policy. “We will win and we will rebuild our country," Karol said.

Singer Tina Karol says on a visit to Japan that she and her fellow Ukrainians will not give up defending their land and culture from Russian invasion.

Singer Tina Karol said Monday from Japan that she and her fellow Ukrainians will not give up defending their land and culture from Russian invasion and are determined to win the war and rebuild an even more beautiful country. “My weapon is language and music,” Karol said in Tokyo as she concluded a weeklong visit to rally support for Ukraine. Karol came to Japan at the invitation of Rakuten Group founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani, who first met her during his 2019 business trip to Ukraine.

Asian shares were trading mixed Monday, as investors eyed surging energy costs and how quickly interest rates might rise in the U.S.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — (AP) — Asian shares were trading mixed Monday, as investors eyed surging energy costs and prospects for interest rate hikes in the U.S.Benchmarks edged up in Japan and Australia, while falling in South Korea and China. Some analysts worry that if the U.S. Federal Reserve raises interest rates too quickly, or by too much, that could set of a recession. The Fed has said it will continue to raise interest rates to temper rising inflation. The benchmark short-term interest rate was at a record low of near zero during much of the coronavirus pandemic. Although some technology shares rose, Twitter fell 9.7% Friday, after Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he was putting his deal to acquire the social media company on hold.

Global shares are trading mixed, as investors eye surging energy costs and prospects for interest rate hikes in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Grass-and-straw tatami mats – once a privilege reserved for the elite – have been a key feature of Japanese architecture since the Middle Ages, crafted by gifted artisans. But now, with cheap knockoffs and changing lifestyles, the industry is at a crossroads.

Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki has urged Japan’s central government to do more to reduce the U.S. military presence in the southern island group as it marked the 50th anniversary of its return to Japanese rule.

Japan Okinawa Explainer FILE - U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Bryan Wallace of Pikin, Ill., waits for his turn before their rappelling exercise at Jungle Warfare Training Center in Camp Gonsalves, northern Okinawa, Japan, on Feb. 8, 2002. The Associated Press takes a look at the frustration that still lingers in Okinawa, 50 years after it returned to Japan. The battle lasted until late June, killing about 200,000 people, nearly half of them Okinawan residents, including students and victims of mass suicides ordered by the Japanese military. During U.S. rule, Okinawans used the dollar and followed American traffic laws, and any trips between Okinawa and mainland Japan required passports.

Okinawa on Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan on May 15, 1972, ending 27 years of U.S. rule after one of the bloodiest World War II ground battles was fought on the southern Japanese island.

Okinawa on Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of its return to Japan on May 15, 1972, which ended 27 years of U.S. rule after one of the bloodiest battles of World War II was fought on the southern Japanese island. The day is being marked with more bitterness than joy in Okinawa, which is still burdened with a heavy U.S. military presence and is now seeing Japanese troops increasingly deployed amid rising China tensions. The Associated Press takes a look at the frustration that still lingers in Okinawa, 50 years after it returned to Japan.

Amid severe weather in southeastern South Dakota Thursday, a large dust cloud moved over Sioux Falls.

Katsumoto Saotome, a Japanese writer who gathered the accounts of survivors of the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in World War II to raise awareness of the massive civilian deaths and the importance of peace, has died. He was 90.

Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank intends to keep a majority stake in U.K. chip designer Arm when it lists the company through an initial public offering.

Japanese technology company SoftBank Group reported Thursday it has dropped into losses as the value of its investments declined. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) (Shuji Kajiyama)TOKYO — (AP) — SoftBank Group sank into losses in the past fiscal year as the value of its global investments declined, the Japanese technology company reported Thursday. SoftBank Group Corp. reported red ink totaling 1.7 trillion yen ($13 billion) for the fiscal year through March, a reversal from the 4.9 trillion yen profit racked up the previous year. Annual sales grew 10.5% to 6.2 trillion yen ($48 billion). SoftBank also owns stakes in the SoftBank mobile carrier, Yahoo web services provider, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and vehicle-for-hire company Didi.

Japanese technology company SoftBank Group has dropped into losses as the value of its investments declines.

North Korea says it has detected a case of the omicron variant in its capital, the first time the country has admitted to a positive covid case since the pandemic began more than two years ago.

Japan Obit Tokyo Firebombing Writer FILE - In this Sept. 7, 1945, file photo, makeshift housing built from galvanized iron roofing of burned buildings stand amid destruction and rubble in Tokyo. Katsumoto Saotome, a Japanese writer who gathered the accounts of survivors of the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in World War II to raise awareness of the massive civilian deaths and the importance of peace, has died. A native of Tokyo, Saotome was 12 when he narrowly survived the firebombing of the city on March 10, 1945, that turned the densely populated downtown area of the Japanese capital into an inferno. After the war, Saotome pursued his writing while working in a factory. In 1970, Saotome began visiting survivors of the firebombing to hear their stories to let their voices be heard.

Katsumoto Saotome, a Japanese writer who gathered the accounts of survivors of the U.S. firebombing of Tokyo in World War II to raise awareness of the massive civilian deaths and the importance of peace, has died.

Japan Wim Wenders Filmmaker Wim Wenders smiles during a press gathering for The Tokyo Toilet art project in Tokyo, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Wenders is making a film about beatified Japanese toilets that will have what the German director calls “social meaning” about people in modern cities. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) (Shuji Kajiyama)TOKYO — (AP) — Wim Wenders is making a film about high-end public toilets in Japan that will have what the renowned German director calls “social meaning” about people in modern cities. When I saw these places the next couple of days, I realized they were restrooms in the true sense of the word,” Wenders told reporters in Tokyo’s fashionable Shibuya district, where the dozen public restrooms are located. The project, including Wenders’ film, has the backing of Fast Retailing, the company behind the Uniqlo clothing chain, and The Nippon Foundation, which carries out humanitarian projects using revenue from boat racing.

Wim Wenders is making a film about high-end public restrooms in Japan.

Japan’s capital has announced it will start recognizing same-sex partnerships to ease the burdens faced by residents in their daily lives, but the unions will not be considered legal marriages

Toyota's profit declined 31% in the January-March 2022 quarter from the year before, but the Japanese automaker still wrapped up a year of record earnings. Toyota Motor Corp. reported Wednesday a profit of 533.8 billion yen ($4.1 billion) in the last quarter, down from 777.1 billion yen the previous fiscal year. Quarterly sales rose nearly 6% to 8.1 trillion yen ($62 billion). For the fiscal year, Toyota racked up a 2.85 trillion yen ($21.9 billion) profit, up nearly 27% from 2.25 trillion yen the year before. For the fiscal year through March 2023, Toyota forecast a profit of 2.26 trillion yen ($17 billion), 20% lower than the fiscal year that ended in March.

Toyota has reported its net profit fell 31% from the year before in the January-March quarter but the Japanese automaker still wrapped up a year of record earnings.

Sales for the fiscal year fell 3.6% to 1.7 trillion yen ($13 billion) as fewer Nintendo Switch machines were sold, and IP income from mobile content also declined, according to Kyoto-based Nintendo Co. But players around the world of the Nintendo Switch, including game fans in South America as well as Asia, now totaled some 102 million people, up from 87 million people the previous fiscal year, Nintendo said. Especially popular in Nintendo game software lately were “Pokemon Legends: Arceus” and a new Kirby game, according to Nintendo. But sales of Nintendo Switch consoles had more momentum in the previous fiscal year, driven by its hit game, "Animal Crossing: New Horizons." Console sales are often driven by hit games, although the devices tend to sell better early on and then slowly decline in popularity.

Nintendo’s profit for the fiscal year ended in March was little changed from the previous year, edging down 0.6% to 477.7 billion yen, or about $3.7 billion.

Sony’s fiscal fourth quarter surged 67% to 111.1 billion yen, or about $850 million, compared to the previous year, as the Japanese entertainment and electronics company racked up profits in video game and movie divisions.

These are the stocks posting the largest moves in midday trading.

Shares fell in most Asian markets on Monday as interest rate hikes and a slowing Chinese economy weighed on investor sentiment. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — (AP) — Global shares fell on Monday as interest rate hikes and a slowing Chinese economy weighed on investor sentiment. European shares fell in early trading and Asian benchmarks also declined. That added to pressure on the world's second-largest economy after Shanghai and other industrial cities were shut down to fight virus outbreaks. But a slowing global economy is also taking a toll.

Shares fell in most Asian markets on Monday as interest rate hikes and a slowing Chinese economy weighed on investor sentiment. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (Eugene Hoshiko)TOKYO — (AP) — Shares fell in most Asian markets on Monday as interest rate hikes and a slowing Chinese economy weighed on investor sentiment. Oil prices were higher and U.S. futures fell following sharp declines on Wall Street last week. Apart from concerns about inflation and coronavirus restrictions, the war in Ukraine is still a major cause for uncertainty. Shares closed lower on Wall Street on Friday with the market's fifth straight weekly decline.

Japan Okinawa FILE - Okinawa Gov. He also urged that the burden on Okinawa of hosting a majority of the American troops in Japan be reduced. Noting that China is Japan's biggest trading partner and that Japan is China's second largest, Tamaki said their close economic ties are indispensable. Okinawa at the time of its reversion asked Japan to make it a peaceful island free of military bases. If land taken by the U.S. military is returned to the prefecture for other use, it would produce three times as much income for Okinawa, Tamaki said.

Japan Okinawa In this image made from video, Japan's southern island of Okinawa Gov. Noting that China is Japan's biggest trade partner and Japan being China's second-largest, Tamaki said their close economic ties would be indispensable. Okinawa at the time of reversion asked Japan to make it a peaceful island free of military bases. Because of the concentration of U.S. military, Okinawa is faced with noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops and their bases on daily basis, Tamaki said. "Okinawa's burden of the U.S. military bases is a key diplomatic and security issue that concerns all Japanese people.

The governor of the southern Japanese island of Okinawa is urging Japan to focus more on peaceful diplomacy with China instead of on military deterrence.

AVP Beach Volleyball Opener FILE - Kelly Claes, of the United States, competes during a women's beach volleyball match against Canada at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Aug. 1, 2021, in Tokyo. The AVP is heading back to the beach with a bunch of new teams and a lot more tournaments for them to figure things out. The domestic beach volleyball tour opens this weekend in Austin, Texas, emerging from the pandemic with its longest and most lucrative season in more than a decade. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File) (Felipe Dana)The AVP is heading back to the beach with a bunch of new teams and a lot more tournaments for them to figure things out. The domestic beach volleyball tour season opens this weekend in Austin, Texas, emerging from the pandemic with its longest and most lucrative schedule in more than a decade.

The AVP is heading back to the beach with a bunch of new teams and a lot more tournaments for them to figure things out.

The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle previously had released a song named after the comedian. Jericka Duncan has the story.

Investors are uneasy over the impact on regional economies from inflation, the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdowns in China. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) (Hiro Komae)TOKYO — (AP) — Global shares fell Monday and oil prices lost about $3 a barrel as European energy ministers were set to meet to discuss Russian supply issues and sanctions. The EU energy ministers were to meet to discuss Russia’s decision to cut gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland and debate a sixth round of sanctions over Moscow’s war on Ukraine. The energy ministers were also planning to look at what steps to take if Russia ramps up its pressure by cutting gas supplies to other countries. Ahead of the meeting, benchmark U.S. crude lost $2.98 to $101.71 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Asian shares are lower following a sell-off Friday on Wall Street. Investors are uneasy over the impact on regional economies from inflation, the war in Ukraine and COVID-19 lockdowns in China. Trading was closed for holidays in China and many other regional markets. Trading was closed in China for Labor Day, a national holiday, and in other regional markets. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 92 cents to $103.77 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

With the Nakagin Capsule Tower, the architect Kisho Kurokawa had a prophetic vision of buildings and cities that prioritized mobility.

Japan Financial Markets People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. U.S. futures were higher and oil prices also rose, but modestly. Little change was expected from a two-day policy meeting of the central bank that ends Thursday. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.8% to 7,261.20 as strong inflation data reinforced expectations that the central bank will push ahead with interest rate hikes. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude gained 83 cents to $102.53 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Drone company DJI Technology Co has temporarily suspended business activities in Russia and Ukraine to ensure its products are not used during the hostilities in a rare example of a Chinese company publicly withdrawing from Russia due to the war.

Asian shares retreated on Wednesday, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) (Koji Sasahara)TOKYO — (AP) — Asian shares mostly retreated on Wednesday, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher. Tokyo's benchmark fell after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced measures to help poor families and small businesses as Japan copes with rising prices and a weakening currency. On Tuesday, U.S. benchmarks were weighed down by sharp declines in Big Tech stocks that took the Nasdaq to its worst drop since September 2020. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 17 cents to $101.87 a barrel.

Asian shares mostly have retreated, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher.

Japan Financial Markets People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Asian shares retreated on Wednesday, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara) (Koji Sasahara)TOKYO — (AP) — Asian shares retreated on Wednesday, echoing a broad decline on Wall Street and driven by worries about how the war in Ukraine may push prices for oil and other commodities higher. Google's parent company, Alphabet, fell 3.6% in regular trading and lost another 6% in after-hours trading after reporting results that fell short of analysts' estimates. In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 77 cents to $102.47 a barrel.

A Japanese woman recognized as the world’s oldest person, Kane Tanaka, has died at age of 119, just months short of her goal of reaching 120.

A Japanese woman recognized as the world’s oldest person, Kane Tanaka, has died at age of 119, just months short of her goal of reaching 120

After Japan protested, Ukraine apologized. Its tweet offended Japan, a supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Ukraine's government has apologized and removed a photo of Japanese wartime Emperor Hirohito from a video showing him with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini after Japan protested, officials said Monday. Japan will continue to support Ukrainians who are defending their country from Russia's invasion despite the “completely inappropriate” portrayal of Hirohito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said.

Kane Tanaka was born in 1903 in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan — the year of the Wright brothers' first flight and when Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Kane Tanaka was born in 1903 in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan — the year of the Wright brothers' first flight and when Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.

Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines is mortal, after all. After throwing a perfect game on April 10 — the first in Japanese baseball in 28 years — and eight perfect innings on April 17 before being pulled after 102 pitches, Sasaki gave up a hit on his first pitch Sunday against the Orix Buffaloes. Shuhei Fukuda hit Sasaki's first pitch, which ended a streak of 52 batters retired.

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that their helicopters found four of the 26 people on a tour boat missing since the day before

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that rescue helicopters found seven of the 26 people from a tour boat missing in the frigid waters of northern Japan since the day before, but their conditions are unknown. Rescuers found four people near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula earlier Sunday and then three more people in the same area a few hours later, but the coast guard said it could not confirm whether they were rescued alive. NHK public television said they were unconscious.

The vessel sent a distress call that it was sinking, the coast guard said. No survivors have been found after more than 10 hours of intense search involving patrol boats, aircraft and divers.

TOKYO — (AP) — Japan's coast guard says a tour boat with 26 people aboard has been missing for more than seven hours after issuing a distress call and taking in water. The coast guard said Saturday no survivors have been found so far. It says the 19-ton Kazu 1 made an emergency call in early afternoon, saying the ship’s bow had flooded and was beginning to sink and tilt when it was traveling off the western coast of Shiretoko Peninsula in the northern island of Hokkaido. The tour boat has since lost contact. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Japan’s coast guard says a tour boat with 26 people aboard has been missing for more than seven hours after issuing a distress call and taking in water

Japan Sasaki Again Baseball FILE - Chiba Lotte Marines Roki Sasaki pitches during a game against the Orix Buffaloes in Chiba, near Tokyo, Sunday, April 10, 2022. A week after pitching a perfect game, the first in Japanese professional baseball in 28 years, Sasaki was perfect on Sunday, April 17, through eight innings before being pulled after throwing 102 pitches. This means that Sasaki has pitched an unfathomable 17 consecutive perfect innings without allowing as baserunner. If you add on the last out he got in his start before the perfect game, that's 52. Sasaki beat Orix 6-0 in his perfect game.

Solomon Islands US FILE - The then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell speaks to the media at foreign ministry in Tokyo, Jan. 17, 2013. A U.S. delegation led by Campbell, the now National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, has arrived in the Solomon Islands to express its concerns that China could send military forces to the South Pacific nation and destabilize the region. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File) (Shizuo Kambayashi)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — (AP) — The Biden administration on Thursday warned the Solomon Islands that the United States will take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should its recently concluded cooperation agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests. The White House said the message was delivered directly to the country’s leadership by a visiting senior U.S. delegation. In a bid to deal with the matter, the U.S. proposed, and the Solomon Islands accepted, a proposal to launch a high-level strategic dialogue that would address mutual concerns.

Japan describes four islands whose ownership it disputes with Moscow as “illegally occupied by Russia” in the latest version of a diplomatic report released Friday, using stronger language to describe the territorial flap than other recent versions and underscoring the chilled relations between the two sides amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Japan, which is struggling to improve ties with Moscow to regain control of the Kurils, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories, had previously described the dispute in a softer tone. “The Northern Territories are a group of islands Japan has sovereignty over and an integral part of Japan’s territory, but currently they are illegally occupied by Russia,” the ministry said in the report.

Solomon Islands US FILE - The then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell speaks to the media at foreign ministry in Tokyo, Jan. 17, 2013. The broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for China to send in military forces, U.S. officials said. In an address to lawmakers this week, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said the pact wouldn't undermine the peace and harmony of the region. China says the pact is about helping the Solomons maintain social order and providing humanitarian assistance. The embassy in Papua New Guinea said that the signing of the agreement with China doesn't change U.S. bonds with the people of Solomon Islands.

The Biden administration has warned the Solomon Islands that the United States will take unspecified action against the South Pacific nation should its recently concluded cooperation agreement with China pose a threat to U.S. or allied interests.

Tangier Island, located in the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, is home to approximately 400 people, but will soon be underwater due to the rapid effects of erosion and rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Japan Executive Fired One of Yoshinoya Holding Co. restaurants is seen on April 19, 2022, in Tokyo. Gender disparity runs deep in Japan, where only a small percentage of women hold decision-making positions in business, academia and politics. Ito was asking participants in the lecture to devise a marketing strategy that would “get country girls hooked on (Yoshinoya) like drug addicts while they are still naive virgins,” according to a participant who complained about the remark on social media. Japan remains far behind other advanced nations and ranks 120th in the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap index of 156 countries. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Japan's trade deficit widened in March, pushed higher by soaring oil prices and a weakening yen. The deficit of 412 billion yen ($3.2 billion) for March was lower than the previous month’s 670 billion yen but was quadruple analysts’ estimates and a reversal of the 615 billion yen surplus recorded a year earlier for the world's third-largest economy. Imports account for under a fifth of Japan's economic activity but for nearly all of the oil, gas and coal used to power its economy. Japan's bill for imports of fuels such as oil, gas and coal surged 87% in the last fiscal year, the figures showed. Crude oil prices are about 40% higher in this year alone, with U.S. benchmark crude oil trading around $100 to the barrel and Brent crude, the international basis for pricing, slightly higher.

Stocks were mixed in Asia on Wednesday after a rally on Wall Street led by technology stocks. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) (Eugene Hoshiko)BANGKOK — (AP) — Stocks were mixed in Asia on Wednesday after a rally on Wall Street led by technology stocks. The deficit of 412 billion yen ($3.2 billion) for March was lower than the previous month's 670 billion yen but was quadruple analysts' estimates and a reversal from a surplus of 615 billion yen in March 2021. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.8% to 27,198.13 while the Kospi in South Korea edged less than 0.1% higher to 2,720.21. Technology stocks helped power the broad gains.

Stocks are mixed in Asia after a rally on Wall Street led by technology stocks.

Japan has reported a much bigger than expected trade deficit for March as a weaker yen and high oil prices pushed costs of imports sharply higher.

Allyson Felix, who closed the Tokyo Games last year with more Olympic medals than any U.S. track and field athlete in history, says she will retire after the 2022 season.

Asian shares are trading mostly higher after new data showed inflation in the U.S. was not as bad as some analysts had expected.

Honda is investing $40 billion over the next decade in research, especially to realize a major shift to ecological electric vehicles.

Russia’s central bank say it's lowering a key interest rate and said more cuts could be on the way.

Asian shares have fallen as a resurgence of Russian attacks dashed hopes for any quick end to the war in Ukraine.

Two Ukrainian brothers have added a somber tone to their YouTube gaming channel popular with young Japanese by providing war updates from their country.

People across Japan are celebrating the peak cherry blossom viewing season one week after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, triggering concerns of a possible virus resurgence.

Japan’s parliament has approved a new agreement with the United States, endorsing Japanese government spending in excess of $8 billion for hosting U.S. troops.

Asian stock markets have fallen after Western governments promised new sanctions on Russia.

Shareholders of embattled Japanese electronics and energy giant Toshiba Corp. have rejected a major restructuring plan.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a virtual address to Japan’s parliament, has called on the lawmakers to keep up sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine to pressure Moscow into seeking peace.

Japan’s government lifted a warning of potential blackouts for the Tokyo region as weather and conservation efforts improved, but the supply outlook still appears fragile with several coal-fired plants offline.

Japan’s government is alerting people in the Tokyo region they may face blackouts as power runs short after several coal-fired plants temporarily stopped generating electricity following an earthquake last week.

Thirty years ago, South Korean Lee Yong-soo went public for the first time in describing how she was abducted from home at age 16 and forced to provide sex by Japan’s wartime military.

The British government has unveiled its online safety bill in Parliament, which is aimed at protecting internet users from harm.

Shares are mostly lower in Asia after Wall Street extended a rally into a third day on Thursday.

Residents were cleaning their homes Thursday after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people.

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Fukushima in northern Japan, smashing furniture, knocking out power and killing four people.

Japan on Friday paid tribute to the victims and searched for the remains of those still missing from a massive earthquake and tsunami 11 years ago.

Tokyo’s stock benchmark soared 4% and other Asian markets have surged after oil prices dropped, easing fears inflation was set to accelerate.

State attorneys general have launched a nationwide investigation into TikTok and its possible harmful effects on young users’ mental health.

Toyota says it is suspending production at all 28 lines of its 14 plants in Japan because of a “system malfunction” that a domestic supplier suspects is a cyberattack.

The governors of four Rocky Mountain states say they will cooperate on developing ways to make hydrogen more available and useful as clean-burning fuel for cars, trucks and trains.

Japan will ease its tough COVID-19 border controls by increasing the number of people allowed to enter each day and reducing quarantine requirements following criticism that its current policy is unscientific and xenophobic.

Asian stock markets have followed Wall Street higher after Federal Reserve policymakers indicated they are leaning toward more decisive action on inflation but set no firm targets.

Asian shares are higher, buoyed by hopes for a diplomatic solution instead of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kirin is selling its China joint venture to an investment fund, shortly after the Japanese beer and beverage maker decided to pull out of Myanmar, where it had a beer brewery.

Japanese beverage giant Kirin says it has decided to withdraw from its joint venture in Myanmar.

Asian stock markets are lower and oil prices have risen amid concern about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced plans to keep COVID-19 restrictions for Tokyo and 12 other areas for three more weeks until early March.

Toyota says its profit slipped nearly 6% in the last quarter, totaling $6.9 billion.

Japanese automaker Nissan has swung back into the black for the quarter through December, despite shortages of computer chips that have hit the entire industry.