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Promoter Bob Arum announced after the fight that Inoue will fight in Las Vegas this spring. Source link

With the retirement of renowned TV personality Masahiro Nakai on Thursday in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct and the debacle over Fuji Television’s handling of the issue, national interest in the scandal is at an all-time high. Even the government has stepped in, with several Cabinet members weighing in on the issue. On Thursday, the broadcaster announced plans to set up a third-party investigation committee in accordance with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations’ (JFBA) guidelines and convene a second conference — this time, one open to all media agencies — on Monday following strong criticism from stakeholders and the public over its handling of the case. Ahead of an expected showdown on Monday, here are the main issues at the core of the scandal. Source link

Informal job offers have been accepted by 84.3% of job-seeking university students in Japan who plan to graduate in March, the labor and education ministries said Friday. The share as of Dec. 1 dipped 1.7 percentage points from a year earlier, the first decrease in four years, as some students who received job offers from several companies apparently hesitated to pick one. Among male students, the share of those who took job offers dropped to 83.3% from 85.0%, while the figure for female students declined to 85.5% from 87.2%. For students majoring in humanities and social science, the share fell to 84.2% from 86.2%, while that of science majors dropped to 85.0% from 85.4%. By region, Kanto, including Tokyo, saw the share inch up 0.6 point to 91.2%. Elsewhere in the country, the figure went down by 0.2 to 5.2 points. Source link

The Bank of Japan raised rates on Friday to their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis, continuing a difficult march away from free money as the economy shows signs of recovery and inflation readings come in above target. At a two-day policy meeting that ended Friday, the central bank voted to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.5% from 0.25%, in line with the consensus estimates of analysts and economists. It is also in line with reports in the local press on Thursday evening, suggesting that the central bank continues to leak its rate decisions ahead of formal announcements. The 25-basis-point move marks the first rate increase since July and takes rates to their highest level in 17 years. Concerns about the first few days of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump hung over the rate decision, but markets have been strong despite continued talk of tariffs and retaliation, allowing the central bank to tighten monetary policy without risk of causing turmoil. BOJ Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino said last week that the bank will make a decision by comprehensively analyzing the overall economic situation, adding that the U.S. economy is “one major factor.” Another important factor, which the BOJ has repeatedly mentioned, is the need for confidence in wage-rise momentum going into annual spring-wage negotiations. Source link

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya expressed his eagerness to deepen the Japan-U.S. alliance together with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, in a policy speech before parliament Friday. Iwaya said he will work to take the two countries’ cooperation to new heights by building a strong relationship of trust with the Trump administration. Japan’s top priority is to enhance and strengthen the alliance, the cornerstone of the country’s diplomacy and security, Iwaya told a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. Source link

Melbourne – Novak Djokovic retired injured after losing a grueling first set of his Australian Open semifinal to Alexander Zverev, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters on Friday. The 37-year-old Serbian great’s upper left leg was again heavily taped after he hurt it in the quarterfinals and he called time after going down 7-6 (5). He left the court to a mixture of boos and applause from the crowd as Germany’s Zverev reached his first Melbourne final. Source link

Miami – The Kansas City Chiefs, bidding to become the first team in NFL history to win three straight Super Bowls, face a familiar obstacle in the form of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. The rivalry between the Chiefs and the Bills may not have the long history of the great divisional clashes such as the Bears-Packers and Cowboys-Eagles, but its intensity is fueled by the high stakes in their recent meetings. The Chiefs have had the upper hand in their close playoff meetings, winning three in a row starting with their 38-24 victory in the AFC Championship game in January 2021. Source link

Naha, Okinawa Pref. – The Naha District Public Prosecutor’s Office decided Thursday not to indict a U.S. Marine who had been investigated for alleged sexual assault in Okinawa Prefecture, citing insufficient evidence. After comprehensive consideration, the office determined that it is difficult to build a case against the Marine, officials said. The Marine, in his 30s, was referred to the prosecutor’s office on Jan. 8 for allegedly sexually assaulting and injuring a woman indoors last November. He met the woman shortly before the incident, police sources said. The Okinawa police department informed the prefectural government of the sexual assault case when it sent papers on the Marine to prosecutors, under a system introduced in July last year amid criticism for its failure to report similar cases in the past. Source link

TOKYO/Seoul – Japan’s much-loved tonkatsu pork cutlets come with a mound of freshly shredded cabbage, but a surge in the price of the humble vegetable has prompted chef Katsumi Shinagawa to skimp on servings. The culprit is a changing climate. Last year’s record summer heat and heavy rain ruined crops, driving up the cost of the leafy green in what media have dubbed a “cabbage shock.” It is the latest pain point for shoppers and eateries already squeezed by inflation, with energy bills up along with the price of staples from rice to flour and cooking oil. Source link

MANILA – Four back-to-back typhoons pummeled the Philippines in 10 wild days of November. The storms followed 14 other typhoons to lash the archipelago last year, leaving its rescue teams frazzled, frustrated and burnt out. “Compassion fatigue” has now washed over emergency workers in a mammoth wave, submerging the medics and volunteers who stepped into the fray — again and again — with a sense they’re drowning. “No one is really immune to trauma, compassion fatigue and mental health problems — not even doctors,” said Pura Jacobe Gaddi, a local doctor who helped mobilize a 200-strong team of rescue and relief volunteers across the six provinces worst hit. Source link