Business
Sony hikes forecasts even as PlayStation falters
Japanese giant Sony hiked its full-year forecasts on Thursday, as a weaker yen compensates for its ageing PlayStation games console and a memory chip crunch. Sony now expects net profit of 1.13 trillion yen ($7.2 billion) in the 2025-26 fiscal year, up from its previous projection of 1.05 trillion yen,… Read
U.S. job openings fall to 6.5 million, fewest since 2020, as labor market remains sluggish
U.S. job openings fell to the lowest level in more than five years, another sign that the American labor market remains sluggish. The Labor Department reported Thursday that vacancies fell to 6.5 million in December — from 6.9 million in November and the fewest since September 2020. Layoffs rose slightly.… Read
Bitcoin price falls below pre-Trump second term levels, now hovering below $67,000
The price of bitcoin continued its monthslong slide Thursday, falling another 11% to $67,000, and is now worth less than it was when President Donald Trump was elected into his second term of office. The original cryptocurrency, pitched as “digital gold,” has lost nearly half of its value since Oct.… Read
U.S. companies can now claim 'no artificial colors' if they add plant-based color to food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is relaxing rules that restrict when food companies can claim their products have no artificial colors. The agency announced Thursday that food labels may claim to have “no artificial colors” when they are free of petroleum-based dyes, even when they contain dyes derived from… Read
Prudential to suspend Japan life insurance sales after staff misconduct
Prudential Life Insurance Co said Wednesday it will voluntarily suspend sales of life insurance products in Japan for 90 days starting next week, following revelations that over 100 of its current and former employees had engaged in improper conduct including defrauding clients. The Japanese subsidiary of U.S. giant Prudential Financial… Read
Washington Post cuts a third of its staff
The Washington Post laid off one-third of its staff Wednesday, eliminating its sports section, several foreign bureaus and its books coverage in a widespread purge that represented a brutal blow to journalism and one of its most legendary brands. The Post's executive editor, Matt Murray, called the move painful but… Read
Japan's annual farm exports rise to record 1.7 trillion yen
Japanese exports of agriculture, forestry and fishery products and foods rose to over 1.7 trillion yen ($10.9 billion) in 2025, renewing the record for the 13th straight year, amid expansions of worldwide popularity of washoku, or Japanese cuisine, the farm ministry said Tuesday. Amid heightened health awareness, green tea exports… Read
JAL net profit in April-Dec climbs 24.9% on robust inbound tourism
Japan Airlines Co said Tuesday its sales for the nine months through December rose 9.2 percent from the previous year to 1.51 trillion yen, a record high for the period since its relisting in 2012, buoyed by strong demand for inbound tourism. Its net profit climbed 24.9 percent to 113.74… Read
The wealthy ramp up spending while other Americans tread water, new study finds
Higher-income Americans and those with college degrees have ramped up their spending more quickly in the past three years than other consumers, according to new data released Tuesday, evidence of worsening inequality that may explain some of the growing pessimism about the economy. The data, released by the Federal Reserve… Read
Asian shares surge, led by records in Japan, S Korea, as markets regain momentum
Asian shares surged on Tuesday, led by a nearly 7% jump in South Korea’s benchmark and a 3.9% rally in Tokyo that took the Nikkei 225 to a record as investors bought tech-related shares. Markets are awaiting earnings reports from major companies to gauge the impact of various trends including… Read
