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new delhi – Described as a “reluctant king” in his first stint as prime minister, the soft-spoken Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at the age of 92, was arguably one of India’s most successful leaders. Singh, the first Sikh to lead his nation, was prime minister from 2004 to 2014, serving a rare two terms. He had been undergoing care for age-related medical conditions. He is credited with steering India to unprecedented economic growth and lifting hundreds of millions out of dire poverty. Source link

The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced Stefan Kaufmann, former president and CEO of Japanese optical equipment maker Olympus, to 10 months in prison suspended for three years, for obtaining banned drugs. Presiding Judge Hidekazu Komada said that Kaufmann, 56, bought drugs in violation of a law against narcotics in his “habitual” acts. Stefan Kaufmann, former president and CEO of　Olympus | Olympus / via Jiji “It is clear he had a deep involvement with illegal drugs and was dependent on them,” Komada said, confirming his repeated purchases of drugs including cocaine from a dealer. On Kaufmann’s claim that he could not cut his connection with his dealer because the dealer threatened to expose his drug purchases to the public, the judge said, “That cannot be considered an extenuating factor since he ordered and received the drugs, himself.” But Komada decided to suspend the sentence, given that the defendant has been staying away from drugs. The judge told him, “I hope you will have a proper social life.” According to the ruling, Kaufmann bought illegal drugs believed to be cocaine and MDMA from Takaaki Kaneko, a 44-year-old self-proclaimed photographer, on three occasions in Tokyo between June and November 2023. Kaufmann, a German national, became Olympus president and CEO in April 2023 but resigned from the posts in October this year. Source link

Some Bank of Japan policymakers saw conditions falling into place for an imminent rate hike, with one predicting a move “in the near future,” a summary of opinions at the bank’s December meeting showed, keeping alive the chance of a January hike. The BOJ held interest rates steady at 0.25% at this month’s meeting, a move Gov. Kazuo Ueda explained was aimed at scrutinizing more data on next year’s wage momentum and clarity on the incoming U.S. administration’s economic policies. “There are high uncertainties over the course of discussions on tax and fiscal policy in Japan and over the policy stance of the new U.S. administration taking office at the beginning of 2025,” one member was quoted as saying in the summary in calling for keeping policy steady at the Dec. 18-19 meeting. Source link

Wajima, Ishikawa Pref. – About 15% of elderly evacuees from care homes and hospitals in Ishikawa Prefecture affected by the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake to two other prefectures have died, it has been learned. The stress of long-distance travel and changes in living conditions may have affected the 38 evacuees who died in the prefectures of Aichi and Toyama. The Ishikawa Prefectural Government is investigating the effects of wide-area evacuations. As of Wednesday, 22 of 176 elderly evacuees from Ishikawa had died at elderly care facilities or elsewhere in Toyama, according to the Toyama Prefectural Government. In Aichi, 16 of 68 such evacuees died at care facilities or hospitals. Source link

Israel struck multiple targets in Yemen it said were controlled by Houthis, the last of the Iran-backed groups still fully engaged in the regional war that began 14 months ago. Targets hit Thursday included military infrastructure at the Sanaa International Airport and in the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, according to the Israel Defense Forces. They also struck military infrastructure in the Hudaydah, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports on the western coast. At least six people died and 40 were injured in the airport and Hudaydah strikes, according to the Houthi health ministry. Source link

After the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the joya no kane bell-ringing ceremony commences with 108 ringing peels at shrines and temples across Japan. Meanwhile, masses of visitors will line up for hatsumōde, the traditional first shrine or temple visit of the year, often done shortly after midnight on Jan. 1 or very early that morning. If staying up until midnight or cramming in with shrine-going crowds isn’t your speed, also taking place during the first week of the year is the Shichifukujin Meguri (Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage), which can feel less hurried in spite of visiting seven places of worship instead of just one. The Seven Lucky Gods, also known as Seven Gods of Fortune, are a diverse group of deities comprised of different religious traditions: the native Japanese Ebisu (often seen smiling on beer cans of the eponymous brand); the Buddhist Daikokuten, Benzaiten and Bishamonten; and the Taoist Hotei, Fukurokuju and Jurojin. While different in subtle ways (for example, Ebisu represents abundance while Benzaiten, the only female deity in the group, embodies creativity and beauty), they are all believed to bring not only luck, but also prosperity, longevity and kindness, among other blessings. Source link

BAKU – Russian air defenses downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, four sources with knowledge of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the disaster said on Thursday. Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an area of southern Russia, where Moscow has repeatedly used air defense systems against Ukrainian drone strikes. The Embraer passenger jet had flown from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia’s southern Chechnya region, before veering off hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea. Source link

While TV had the Emmy haul for “Shogun,” and “Godzilla” finally nabbed an Oscar, Japanese music’s boldest moment this year came on the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California in April. One of the most influential festivals in the world, J-pop grabbed the attention of a crowd packed with celebrities, influencers and music fans during a Sunday afternoon showcase from Asian-focused music label 88Rising. First, the duo Yoasobi came out and zipped through some of its biggest hits (including 2023’s defining J-pop track, “Idol”). But members Lilas Ikuta and Ayase were soon joined by the sailor-suited quartet Atarashii Gakko!, delivering frantic dance moves and an even more madcap series of songs. Then came a stylistic swerve in the form of Okinawan rapper Awich — who, at this point, delivers headliner vibes (take note Japanese summer festivals). In turn, she used a chunk of her allotted time to showcase Japan’s hip-hop scene by bringing out JP The Wavy, Yuriyan Retriever and “bad bitches” Nene of Yurufuwa Gang, Lana and Mari. Wrapping things up was male pop trio Number_i with a sleekly choreographed set. Source link

The bloc’s economies, despite varying political landscapes, rank among the world’s most dynamic. Source link

The government said Thursday it expects wage growth in Japan to outpace the country’s consumer inflation in fiscal 2025, as in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2025, which starts next April, nominal wages are projected to increase 2.8% from the previous year, while the overall consumer price index, which includes fresh food prices, is forecast to rise 2.0%, an estimate presented by the government at the day’s meeting of its Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy showed. In fiscal 2024, nominal wages and the overall CPI are estimated to go up 2.8% and 2.5%, respectively. The pace of wage growth is expected to exceed that of inflation throughout fiscal 2024, and such a trend is projected to be firmly established in fiscal 2025, the Cabinet Office said. In line with higher wages, personal consumption is forecast to gradually increase in real terms on the condition that the government continues to improve the environment for realizing wage hikes similar to those in fiscal 2024, the government agency said. Private-sector members of the council called on the government to create an environment for wage hikes and support corporate investment for growth. The private-sector panel members also urged the government to continue its efforts of bringing the combined primary budget balance of the central and local governments to a surplus, in light of the revival of “a world with interest rates” following the Bank of Japan’s policy rate hikes. In addition to raising the minimum taxable annual income threshold from the current ¥1.03 million, the members urged the government to compile a comprehensive policy package that addresses “various barriers” causing some to reduce their working hours. Source link