Under Pressure Tracking the pain in G7 government debt

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Japan’s largest regional bank takes on big names in hiring spree Fukuoka Financial Group wants to boost its front office staff to around 100 by March 2028 as it looks to expand its ¥5.8 trillion investment portfolio.

Fukuoka Financial Group, Japan's largest regional lender is aggressively poaching market veterans from other financial institutions as it looks to expand its ¥5.8 trillion ($36 billion) investment portfolio.

Vance says US made a lot of progress in talks with Iran The United States made a lot of progress ​in talks ​with Iran, U.S. Vice President JD ⁠Vance said in ​an interview on ​Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier on Monday.

Vance says US made a lot of progress in talks with Iran reut.rs/4mstgy4

Tesla is developing a smaller, cheaper electric SUV, sources told Reuters. A key question now is whether it signals a shift back to mass-market human-driven EVs or whether the new model would align more with Tesla's vision for fully autonomous vehicles reut.rs/4srKpto

Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing flags record year after strong quarter The Japanese owner of clothing brand Uniqlo raised its full-year forecast on Thursday, flagging another record year, as international growth produced a stronger-than-expected jump in quarterly profit.

Uniqlo-owner Fast Retailing flags record year after strong quarter reut.rs/3O78Zlc

Text on graphic reads: The Department of Justice has dropped 23,000 criminal cases while prosecuting 32,000 new immigration cases in just the first six months of Trump’s second term. -Nearly 5,000: federal drug cases, including trafficking and money laundering -Over 900: cases of federal program or procurement fraud -More than 1,300: cases involving terrorism and national security

The DOJ quietly closed 23,000+ criminal cases in the first six months of Trump’s second administration, abandoning hundreds of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime, drugs and other offenses as it shifted resources to pursue immigration cases.

🔗 Full story: https://propub.li/4e5vZLL

Microsoft to invest $10 billion in Japan for AI and cyber defence expansion Microsoft on Friday said it will invest 1.6 trillion yen ($10 billion) in ​Japan between 2026 and 2029 to expand ‌artificial intelligence infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity cooperation with the government.

Microsoft to invest $10 billion in Japan for AI and cyber defence expansion reut.rs/3NWIFdu

Big Tech's $635 billion AI spending faces energy shock test, S&P Global says Massive investments in artificial intelligence that underpinned record runs in equities face a major hurdle as the Middle East ​crisis clouds prospects for growth and energy costs, said Melissa ‌Otto,...

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Oil whipsaws as traders weigh Iran de-escalation report against prolonged Hormuz closure Analysts said any meaningful change in prices would not materialise until flows through the Strait of Hormuz are completely reinstated.

Oil whipsaws as traders weigh Iran de-escalation report against prolonged Hormuz closure reut.rs/4v2QsXF

Stocks slide in Asia, Brent crude heads for record monthly rise Stock futures slid in Asia on Monday as investors dug in for a protracted Gulf conflict that already has oil prices heading for a record monthly rise, ​bringing a spike in inflation and the risk of recession to much of the globe.

Stocks slide in Asia, Brent crude heads for record monthly rise reut.rs/4t8bMcG

With the end of 3G, Japan's beloved flip phones go dark More than 500,000 users and their retro phones will lose access to the network from March 31.

In 2001, NTT Docomo was the first in the world to offer 3G. On March 31, the carrier cuts off the signal to 500,000 users — the last of their kind in Japan — for good.

Tokyo has regained its position in the top 10 of the Global Financial Centres Index, improving following an initial pandemic-timed dip. 👉 ebx.sh/5ko5rx

More than 90% of patients receiving Alzheimer's drug Lecanemab in hospitals across Japan have been able to continue treatment without strong side effects, a group of researchers has said. 👉 ebx.sh/UZZEuk

How Trump's stated reasons, goals and timeline for Iran war have shifted President Donald Trump and his top officials have offered shifting objectives and reasons for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which critics say shows a lack of planning for the conflict and its aftermath.

How Trump's stated reasons, goals and timeline for Iran war have shifted reut.rs/40FXvYB

Trump draws parallel between Pearl Harbor and US strikes on Iran in meeting with Japanese PM President Donald Trump on Thursday drew a parallel between ​U.S. strikes on Iran and Japan's attack ‌on Pearl Harbor decades ago, as he defended the war against Tehran at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister ​Sanae Takaichi in Washington.

Trump draws parallel between Pearl Harbor and US strikes on Iran in meeting with Japanese PM reut.rs/3PNoHSJ

Takaichi vows to tell Trump what Japan ‘can and cannot do’ in Middle East Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was set for a summit in Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned a call for Tokyo to send warships to secure the Hormuz Strait.

Takaichi vows to tell Trump what Japan ‘can and cannot do’ in Middle East www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/03...

US National Counterterrorism Center director resigns over war in Iran Joseph Kent said ⁠that "Iran posed ​no ​imminent ⁠threat to our ⁠nation."

The ​head of ‌the United States' ​National Counterterrorism ​Center, Joseph Kent, ⁠has ​resigned over ​the US-Israel war in ​Iran, ​saying in a ‌letter ⁠to President Donald Trump posted ​on ​X ⁠that 'Iran posed ​no ​imminent ⁠threat to our ⁠nation' reut.rs/4uAz1NV

Shigeaki Mori, Hiroshima hibakusha hugged by Obama, dies at 88 Scenes of Mori, a historian, and Obama hugging in May 2016, during Obama's visit to Hiroshima — the first by a sitting U.S. president — were reported by media outlets worldwide.

Shigeaki Mori, the hibakusha survivor of the August 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima who was embraced by then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016, died Saturday at the age of 88.

With Threats and Claims of ‘Treason,’ Trump Pressures Media on the War A president who calls journalists the “enemy of the people” has accused news organizations of undermining a military effort that many Americans oppose.

The Trump administration has unleashed a multifaceted pressure campaign against news organizations as it increasingly bristles at media coverage of a Middle East military operation that many Americans oppose. nyti.ms/3NHeMO0

Venezuela stun Japan to reach WBC semi-finals, Italy eliminate Puerto Rico Venezuela stunned Japan 8-5 to eliminate the defending champions from the World Baseball Classic quarter-finals on Saturday, while Italy also advanced to the last four by beating Puerto Rico 8-6.

Venezuela stun Japan to reach WBC semi-finals, Italy eliminate Puerto Rico reut.rs/3P6msKc

Trump threatens more strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, pushes allies on Strait of Hormuz Both sides appear to be digging in for an extended conflict with Iran rejecting the possibility of any ceasefire until U.S. and Israeli airstrikes end.

Trump threatened further strikes on Iran's Kharg Island oil export hub and urged allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran vowed to step up its response and the war showed no sign of coming to an end reut.rs/3N4c8BT

Reuters consulted Banksy experts, pored over scores of photos and reviewed never-before-published court and police records, including a hand-written confession that reveals beyond dispute the artist's true identity reut.rs/4s3fBQa

'Stealth' Pokemon hit boosts Nintendo Switch 2 momentum sentiment Nintendo said on Thursday it has sold more than 2.2 million ​copies of "Pokemon Pokopia" in the four days since launch ‌as the game's popularity helps offset fear about Switch 2 sales momentum.

'Stealth' Pokemon hit boosts Nintendo Switch 2 momentum sentiment reut.rs/4rtv8Yv

WBC fan favorite Satoria retires with pride and applause The electrician who once struck out Shohei Ohtani ended his national team career with a stirring farewell at the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.

Czech pitcher Ondrej Satoria — the electrician who once struck out Shohei Ohtani — ended his national team career with a stirring farewell at the WBC, leaving the mound to a standing ovation in Tokyo.

Trump’s drug cost push helps Astellas win higher price in Japan Japan, where medicine prices are among the lowest in the most developed nations, has become a critical reference point in U.S. plans to match drug prices with other countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for lower U.S. drug prices has unexpectedly helped Astellas Pharma secure higher reimbursement pricing for its new eye medicine in Japan.

Samurai Japan top gutsy Czech team on way to WBC playoffs With superstar Shohei Ohtani on the bench on Tuesday and Samurai Japan assured a playoff berth in the World Baseball Classic, attention in the Tokyo Dome momentarily focused on an electrician from the...

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Activist threat pushes Japanese companies to unwind cross-shareholdings Pressure from activists, or the fear of being targeted by them, is pushing Japanese ​companies to accelerate governance reforms by unwinding the cross-shareholdings that have underpinned relationships for decades.

Activist threat pushes Japanese companies to unwind cross-shareholdings reut.rs/4s2T3z4

Nintendo sues U.S. government over reciprocal tariffs Trump's tariff policies affected Nintendo's business by forcing the company to delay the start of preorder sales in the United States for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo's U.S. subsidiary filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of International Trade on Friday, seeking a refund of duties paid under Washington's reciprocal tariff policy.

Japan Post Insurance to shift to high-yield bonds, CEO says

The life insurer expects the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates again as soon as April.