(Reuters) – U.S. equity funds saw outflows of $2.6 billion in the latest week, according to Lipper. U.S.-based taxable bond funds attracted $7.9 billion in the week ended on Wednesday, the seventh straight weekly inflow, and money market funds gained $6.3 bill... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – The euro struggled near 3-year lows on Monday as investors worried about weakening growth in the region, while Chinese efforts to limit the damage from a coronavirus outbreak appeared to calm markets, with the yuan and Australian dollar gain... More »
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian woman who was on board the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Yokohama, Japan, has tested positive for coronavirus following examinations by the Japanese authorities, the Russian Embassy to Japan said on Monday. The woman will... More »
(Reuters) – 1/CHINA ON SICK LEAVE A leap in coronavirus cases in Hubei gave markets pause, for all of 24 hours. Then attention shifted back to the global case-count and the rally resumed. But while investors are focused on containment, the world’s second-bigge... More »
(Reuters) – Fourteen U.S. citizens tested positive for the new coronavirus during the evacuation of over 300 U.S. nationals and their family members from a quarantined ship in Japan, the U.S. State Department said on Monday. The passengers were preparing to re... More »
BENGALURU (Reuters) – SoftBank-backed (9984.T) Oyo Hotels and Homes said on Monday losses widened more than six-fold in the year to March 2019, as the India-based hotel chain spent heavily to expand into China. The news comes weeks after Oyo began laying off r... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will evacuate more than 200 of its citizens onboard a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship being held under quarantine in the Japanese port of Yokohama, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. Morrison said the passengers will de... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – An additional 99 people on a quarantined cruise ship off Yokohama have been confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus, Japanese media reported on Monday. The widening impact of the outbreak, which began in China in December and has... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan said on Monday it would limit public crowds in Tokyo to prevent a further spread of the deadly coronavirus, scrapping the emperor’s birthday celebrations and closing next month’s Tokyo Marathon to all but elite professional runners. The... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – ‘United by Emotion’ was revealed as the motto for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics on Monday as organizers look to hammer home the message of diversity and inclusion. Tennis player Naomi Osaka, who was born in Japan to a Haitian father... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A small factory in Malaysia’s capital is preparing thousands of ready-to-eat halal meals, from fried rice to chicken biryani, to be shipped off to Japan for 2020’s biggest sporting event. Food firms from Muslim-majority Malaysia, are e... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo marathon organizers have decided to cancel entries from the general public for the event scheduled on March 1 due to the coronavirus outbreak, Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday. About 38,000 people from the general public were ... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Paramount’s family film “Sonic the Hedgehog” ignited over Presidents Day weekend with $57 million in North America and $100 million globally, the best showing ever for a video game adaptation. “Sonic” is expected to earn $68 millio... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Osaka’s Itami airport is setting up a toilet area for travelling dogs, complete with a pole for them to cock a leg on. The toilet, in a fenced-off yard outside the terminal, will also have a shower and water bowls, operator Kansai Airports sa... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Testing aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan has revealed 60 more confirmed cases of coronavirus, media said on Monday, as quarantined passengers took to social media to warn of depression setting in over their confinement. Monday... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Parasite,” a dark social satire from South Korea, won the Oscar for best picture on Sunday, making history as the first film in a language other than English to claim the movie industry’s highest honor. “Parasite,” about the gap betwee... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Some cruise ship passengers savored lavish meals- others watched movies or pored over Oscar ballots, held rapt by the live Academy Awards broadcast. The lucky few whose turn it was to get fresh air paced the decks, reveling in a glimpse of bl... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Ministry said that 27 foreigners in the country have been confirmed infected with the new coronavirus as of Monday morning, and two had died. An American died on Feb. 6 and a Japanese died on Feb. 8, ministry spokesman Geng ... More »
(Reuters) – Automakers including Daimler, Tesla and Ford are likely to restart production in China on Monday after being forced to shut factories for more than a week following a widespread outbreak of the coronavirus. However, some have further delayed reopen... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian shares fell on Monday as the death toll from a coronavirus outbreak exceeded the SARS epidemic of two decades ago, though Chinese shares gained as authorities lifted some work and travel restrictions, helping businesses to resume opera... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Monday that the new coronavirus was a serious and imminent threat to public health, a step that gives the government additional powers to fight the spread of the virus. “The Secretary of State declares that the incidence or t... More »
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Three-year-old independent film distributor Neon upstaged the traditional Hollywood studios and streaming giant Netflix Inc on Sunday to grab the coveted best picture Oscar for South Korean have-and-have-nots tale “Parasite.” The movie ... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian currencies lifted a little on Monday amid hints that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing down and as some big businesses resumed work in China after the Lunar New Year break. Workers began trickling back to offices and fa... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Panasonic Corp (6752.T) have agreed to set up a joint venture that will begin developing electric vehicle (EV) batteries from April, as the Japanese companies gear up for an expected surge in demand. The new com... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp unveiled an emergency safety system on Monday that uses big data to ignore the accelerator if it determines the driver steps on the pedal unintentionally. Japan’s biggest car maker will roll out what it calls an “accelerator... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Box office newcomers “Rhythm Section” and “Gretel and Hansel” fumbled as “Bad Boys for Life” remained champions during a painfully slow Super Bowl weekend. Football’s biggest matchup is usually a slow time at movie theaters since S... More »
(Reuters) – Softbank (9984.T)-backed office sharing firm WeWork named real estate industry veteran Sandeep Mathrani as its new chief executive on Saturday. Mathrani will join the company as the CEO from Feb. 18, 2020 and will report to Marcelo Claure, who will... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, citing his “mixed feelings” about participating. This month, the 44-year-old an... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Highlights of the eighth day at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, on Monday (times AEDT- GMT+11): 1633 MUGURUZA MARCHES INTO LAST EIGHT Unseeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza continued her charge toward a third... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The Shanghai government has said companies in the city are not allowed to resume operations before Feb. 9, an official at the municipality announced at a press conference on Monday. The measure is applicable to government and private compa... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Macau said on Monday it will deny entry to visitors from China’s Hubei province or those who visited the province 14 days prior to arrival unless they can provide documentation showing they are not infected with the virus that broke out in ... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The mayor of Wuhan, the city where China’s coronavirus outbreak originated, said on Monday the city’s management of the virus was “not good enough”. Zhou Xianwang made the remarks in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV. The death toll... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s finance ministry and National Health Commission have extended 60.33 billion yuan ($8.74 billion) to help contain a spreading virus, according to a statement on the ministry’s website. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak ro... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Shares tumbled on Monday as investors grew increasingly anxious about the economic impact of China’s spreading virus outbreak, with demand spiking for safe-haven assets such as the Japanese yen and Treasury notes. Japan’s Nikkei average .N225... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s state planning agency, plans to invest 300 million yuan ($43.5 million) for the construction of hospitals in Wuhan serving patients affected by the coronavirus, offic... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – The yuan fell in offshore trade on Monday to its lowest level in three weeks as the death toll in China from the spread of a new coronavirus mounted, raising worries authorities are struggling to contain the outbreak and sparking a bout of ri... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Hydrogen will be used for the first time to power the Olympic torch during its journey through Japan, organizers said on Monday, as part of Tokyo 2020’s efforts to hold an environmentally friendly Games. Organizers aim to offset all carbon em... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. S&P500 e-mini futures ESc1 fell more than 1% in Asian trade on Monday on mounting worries the new coronavirus outbreak could severely disrupt the Chinese economy, an engine of global growth. China’s cabinet said it would extend the week-... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – WeWork has signed a deal to provide space to 250 employees of gym membership app company Gympass in New York, the latest example of the U.S. office-sharing start-up’s majority owner, SoftBank Group Corp, using its connections to buoy its b... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – STX’s “The Gentlemen” proved no match for Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” which again left box office competitors in the dust after collecting $34 million in its sophomore outing. Those ticket sales, pushing the Will Smith and Martin L... More »
PARIS (Reuters) – Renault’s (RENA.PA) engineering boss will meet his counterpart at Nissan (7201.T) in Japan this week, two sources close to Renault said, as the carmakers seek to revive projects crucial to an alliance left reeling by the Carlos Ghosn affair. ... More »
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Injured All Blacks loose forward Ardie Savea has been ordered to curb his use of the social media platform TikTok as he recovers from knee surgery. Savea, who injured his knee in the Rugby World Cup semi-final against England, had surger... More »
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Shannon Miller thinks her time as the United States’ most decorated Olympic gymnast will come to an end this summer and the 42-year-old will be in Tokyo cheering on Simone Biles as she bids to supplant her. Biles bagged five medals, inclu... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Six months before the Tokyo Olympics open, the Games are already inescapable in Japan – including dominating Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s policy speech to parliament on Monday. Normally a staid set piece laying out national policy, Abe this ti... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Defending champion Naomi Osaka fired back at a social media user who jeered her arrival on court before her 6-2 6-4 victory over Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova in the Australian Open first round on Monday. The 22-year-old from Japan next... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) say a new strain of coronavirus is behind the outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, which has erupted just ahead of the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest festival... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Universal’s “Dolittle” and “1917” found out what “Bad Boys” will do when they come for you at the box office. Sony’s “Bad Boys for Life,” the third entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led series, beat expectations and tower... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) say a new strain of coronavirus is behind the outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, which has erupted just ahead of the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest festival... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will step up efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays as a rise in confirmed cases fanned fears the virus could spread to other countries. The National Health Commission said on Sunday ... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s National Health Commission on Sunday said the outbreak of a new strain of coronavirus is controllable, in the first statement from the body since the outbreak was reported in late December. The transmission path of the new virus has... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A microorganism scooped up in deep-sea mud off Japan’s coast has helped scientists unlock the mystery of one of the watershed evolutionary events for life on Earth: the transition from the simple cells that first colonized the planet to ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Hedge funds that push for change at corporations stepped up their demands for asset spin-offs and sales last year, making them part of nearly half of all activist investor campaigns waged in 2019, according to data released on Wednesday. “... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – World stock markets ticked higher on Monday, hovering just below record levels ahead of the expected signing of a Phase 1 China-U.S. trade deal, although markets have yet to see details of the agreement. After Asian shares touched 19-month h... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – China’s yuan led a rally in trade-sensitive currencies on Monday and the Australian dollar recovered some recent losses as the imminent signing of a preliminary U.S.-China trade deal boosted sentiment. The U.S.-China Phase 1 agreement, due t... More »
BEIJING/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Automakers in China need to get used to a new normal of “low speed growth” in the world’s largest car market, the country’s top auto body said on Monday, as it reiterated predictions that sales will likely shrink for the third cons... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Badminton world number one Kento Momota was injured in a pre-dawn vehicle collision in Malaysia on Monday, just hours after he secured his first victory of the season at the Malaysia Masters. The Japanese shuttler and three others were... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Sam Mendes’ “1917” marched to box office victory, earning a solid $36.5 million from 3,434 theaters in its first weekend of wide release. Universal and DreamWorks’ World War I drama also defeated Disney’s “Star Wars: Rise of Skywal... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa’s search for a girlfriend to join him on a voyage around the moon will be the subject of a new documentary program, in the latest attention-grabbing stunt by the entrepreneur. 44-year-old Maezawa, who sold ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen retreated on Thursday as the United States and Iran backed away from further conflict, with markets flipping back to a more risk-taking approach on hopes of a U.S.-China trade deal. U.S. Preside... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will sleep on bed frames made from recyclable cardboard, with mattresses formed of polyethylene materials that will be reused for plastic products after the Games. The environm... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Asian stocks had their best session in weeks on Thursday, as the United States and Iran backed away from the brink of conflict in the Middle East and investors reversed their flight to safety. U.S. President Donald Trump responded to an I... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea said on Thursday DuPont will invest $28 million in the country to produce advanced photoresists and other materials by 2021, a move that will help reduce its reliance on Japan for the products used in semiconductor manufacturing. ... More »
DETROIT/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Self-driving cars employ lidar, a remote sensing technology using pulsed laser light the way radar uses radio waves, and lidar makers waiting for the automotive market to take off are courting new customers who would use the techn... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – SoftBank Group Corp’s talks to secure $3 billion from Japan’s three biggest banks have stalled as the lenders have hit internal lending limits to the firm, two people said, complicating a $9.5 billion rescue package for WeWork. The Japanese t... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Stalled denuclearization talks and a recent flare-up in tension between the United States and North Korea are not beneficial for Pyongyang, South Korean President Moon Jae-in told Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday. North Kor... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday that China supports South Korea’s efforts to improve ties with North Korea and inject new impetus into promoting peace talks, state television reported. Source: ... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian markets idled near 18-month highs on Monday as trading volumes weakened ahead of the Christmas holiday break, with investors taking profit on gains made earlier this month. In early European trades, the pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toshiba Corp said on Monday it would extend the period of its tender offer for chip equipment unit NuFlare Technology Inc until Jan. 16. The extension of the offer, from the originally set Dec. 25, was requested by NuFlare to give its shareho... More »
(Reuters) – Japan-based drugmaker Eisai Co’s U.S. subsidiary announced on Sunday that it had received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its insomnia treatment in adult patients. The agency approved the drug, Dayvigo, in doses of 5 mg and ... More »
(Reuters) – GlaxoSmithKline’s HIV drugs division ViiV Healthcare said on Saturday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve its long acting HIV injection. ViiV, in which Pfizer and Shionogi have small stakes, said it received a so-called c... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had approved Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd and AstraZeneca Plc’s drug to treat an advanced form of breast cancer, three months ahead of schedule. AstraZeneca in March signed a licensing and collaborat... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Dangling more than 50 meters above a busy Tokyo street, window cleaners dressed up as a boar and a rat on Thursday scrubbed windows at a downtown hotel ahead of the country’s New Year festivities. In its seventh year at the Hotel Ryumeikan To... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – At first glance the works of Singaporean artist Qixuan Lim have a familiar, edible appearance. But upon a closer look at the sardine tin – and it’s packed with tiny human hearts made of clay, cherubic arms and legs or other human body par... More »
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Asian shares hit their highest in nearly eight months on Monday after the United States and China agreed on a preliminary trade deal, with Australian shares leading the way on expectations of more easing of monetary policy there. European ... More »
(This Dec. 15 story corrects headline to give full name of new Jumanji movie) By Rebecca Rubin LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – It’s shaping up to be a merry holiday season for “Jumanji: The Next Level.” Sony’s adventure sequel debuted in first place to $60.1 mill... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Senior Japanese and South Korean trade officials met on Monday for the first time since Japan imposed controls on exports to its neighbor of high-technology materials, plunging testy relations between the U.S. allies into a new crisis. Japan ... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, urged Pyongyang on Monday to return offers of talks, dismissing leader Kim Jong Un’s year-end deadline while highlighting Washington’s willingness to discuss “all issues of interest.” Tensio... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – United States captain Tiger Woods led from the front as the Americans dominated the Sunday singles to overhaul the Internationals at Royal Melbourne 16-14 and claim an eighth successive Presidents Cup. Woods clinched a record 27th win in ... More »
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – More than 100 activists protesting against a new Indian citizenship law were injured in New Delhi on Sunday as they clashed with police who used tear gas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators at a major university. Prime Minister Na... More »
INCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) – Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, arrived in South Korea on Sunday as Pyongyang stepped up pressure on Washington to make concessions to revive stalled denuclearization talks ahead of a year-end deadline. ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the completion of the National Stadium built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Sunday, his speech at the Kengo Kuma-designed venue praising the efforts to finish on schedule after an early setback. The s... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Two-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka has appointed Belgian Wim Fissette as coach, Kyodo news agency on Sunday quoted the Japanese player’s management as saying, as she gears up to defend her Australian Open title. Osaka has been without a c... More »
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Patrick Reed had dug himself a hole before arriving at the Presidents Cup, his two-stroke penalty for flinging some sand away with his wedge in a waste bunker stoking controversy and putting a big target on his back at Royal Melbourne. By... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – 1/AFTER PHASE ONE COMES PHASE TWO U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese officials have agreed to a “phase one” trade deal that includes cutting U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. Washington has agreed to suspend tariffs on $160 billion in Chin... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – BlackRock Investment Institute said on Tuesday it was cautiously rotating into cyclical assets, Japanese equities and emerging markets. “We are modestly positive on risk assets,” said Scott Thiel, chief fixed income strategist for BlackRock ... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s service sector sentiment improved slightly in November, recovering from a multi-year low hit in the previous month when a sales tax hike and a huge typhoon hit business morale. The survey of workers such as taxi drivers, hotel workers... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian stocks edged up on Monday, catching some of Wall Street’s momentum after surprisingly strong U.S. jobs data, although regional gains were capped by concerns about China’s economic slowdown due to the prolonged Sino-U.S. trade war. Japa... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Louis Oosthuizen said his late charge at the Australian Open has given him a big boost of confidence heading into this week’s Presidents Cup clash against Tiger Woods’s United States team at Royal Melbourne. The 2010 British Open champion ca... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – “Frozen 2” dominated box office charts for the third weekend in a row as Disney’s animated sequel scored another $34.7 million in North America. Those ticket sales, a 60% decline from its massive Thanksgiving haul, boost its domest... More »
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian delivery app Loggi must formalize work relationships with its motorbike drivers and pay charities 30 million reais as a fine for not previously contracting the workers, according to a Sao Paolo court ruling released on Friday. A... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Stock markets rebounded on Monday as decent manufacturing data in China and renewed optimism over a trade deal eroded some of the jitters which emerged among investors last week. The recovery in Europe followed gains in Asia, where share pri... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese activists on Monday called for drastic steps by the government, companies and universities to stamp out sexual harassment of job-hunting students, a problem they said lurks in the shadows because victims fear speaking out. Although t... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – British online grocer and technology company Ocado has launched a 500 million pounds ($642 million) convertible bond offering, partly to fund the construction of robotic warehouses for its overseas partners, it said on Monday. While Ocado’s ... More »
YOKOHAMA (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) chief executive Makoto Uchida said on Monday that he would work to improve the automaker’s financial performance and co-operate closely with alliance partner Renault SA (RENA.PA), while maintaining Nissan’s indepen... More »
LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) – Disney’s “Frozen 2” stuffed the box office competition during Thanksgiving, generating $85.2 million over the weekend and a record-setting $123.7 million over the five-day holiday frame. The animated adventure soared past the previ... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean court sentenced a K-pop musician to six years in prison on Friday for raping a woman and distributing a video capturing the act in a case that drew attention to the darker side of the country’s lucrative entertainment industry.... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – The apparent suicide of a second K-pop artist in a month has cast renewed focus in South Korea on vicious personal attacks and cyber bullying of vulnerable young stars, and how it mostly goes unpunished. The police consider cyber violence a s... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Pope Francis expressed concern about future energy sources as he comforted victims of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster on Monday, noting a call by Japan’s Catholic bishops to abolish nuclear power outright. Around 18,000 people die... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Asian shares staged a cautious rally on Monday as investors dared to hope for some progress in the endless Sino-U.S. trade dispute, while the outperformance of recent U.S. economic data gave the dollar a leg up on its peers. MSCI’s broadest ... More »
(This Nov. 23rd story corrects fiscal year of expected regulatory approval in the 10th paragraph to March-end 2021, not March-end 2020) By Rocky Swift (Reuters) – Japan’s biggest drugmaker, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, said long-term data show better outcomes... More »
