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On June 27, 2008, Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw, one of the most distinguished officers of the Indian Army, passed away at the Military Hospital in Wellington. His defining achievement came as the Chief of the Army Staff during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War which led to the liberation of Bangladesh. Also, on this day in 1871, Japan officially adopted the yen as its national currencyread moreOne of the most decorated officers of the Indian Army, Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw bid adieu to the world on...

Asian stock markets advanced broadly at Friday’s open, with a key gauge of global equities on track for another record high, as calming geopolitical concerns and rising expectations for US Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts this year fueled investor optimism. Trading desks across Asia are buzzing with excitement again, as the region appears to be shaking off recent tariff shocks and once again attracting investors with its solid growth prospects.The positive momentum in Asia-Pacific markets largely tracked gains seen on Wall Street. This followed comments from White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt,...

Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Kato said on Wednesday that he will closely monitor bond market situations as he is concerned about a recent spike yields in Japan.This comment came after two sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Japanese officials will consider trimming issuance of super-long bonds in the wake of recent sharp rises in yields for the notes. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) will make a decision after discussions with market participants around mid- to late-June, the sources said.Market reaction  At the time of writing, the USD/JPY pair is trading 0.28% lower on the...

Asia-Pacific stock markets presented a varied landscape at Tuesday’s close, with investors continuing to navigate the evolving global trade climate, particularly after US President Donald Trump deferred a significant tariff hike on European Union imports. While some regional bourses found positive momentum, others, including Indian benchmarks like the Sensex, experienced a more turbulent session.The overarching theme for the day was a careful assessment of international trade dynamics. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 ended the day 0.51% higher at 37,724.11, and the broader Topix index rose 0.64% to 2,769.49, suggesting some optimism in Tokyo....

Japan's tariff negotiator is expected to propose greater investment by Japanese companies in the United States in the upcoming ministerial-level tariff talks in Washington. Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei is set to take part in the third round of talks in Washington on Friday, local time. Sources say Japan will present a plan to expand Japanese firms' investment in the US. It is likely to include Nippon Steel's offer to invest billions of dollars in US Steel, if its bid to acquire the US steelmaker is approved. Japan apparently aims...

A major shareholder of Japan's Fuji Media Holdings says it will launch a proxy fight so that its candidates for the firm's board will gain approval at the upcoming general shareholders' meeting. Fuji Media Holdings is the parent company of Fuji Television Network. They have been under fire for their handling of a sexual misconduct scandal. The shareholder, Dalton Investments, has proposed 12 candidates for the board, including Kitao Yoshitaka, the head of Japanese financial services firm SBI Holdings. Fuji Media, which opposes the proposal, has picked 11 candidates of...

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Friday that there was no change in Japan's stance on US tariffs and its demand that they be eliminated.Key quotesNo change to our stance on U.S. tariffs.Discussed U.S. tariffs with President Trump.Discussed diplomacy, and security with Trump as well.There might be an occasion when I’ll visit the U.S. for in-person talks with President Trump.No change to our stance of demanding the elimination of tariffs.No change to our policy of talking with the U.S. about creating U.S. jobs.Market reaction   At the time of writing, USD/JPY is...

Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Kato said on Tuesday that he expects any talks with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week to be based on this understanding of foreign exchange.Key quotesWill hold bilateral meetings with counterparts at the G7 finance leaders’ meeting later this week.Expect to discuss various topics, including FX, if I were to meet Bessent on sidelines of G7 gathering.Will scrutinise the impact of U.S. fiscal, monetary policy on Japan’s economy, when asked about Moody’s downgrade of US debt rating.In previous bilateral meeting with Bessent, two sides confirmed...