Japan rice prices soar as core inflation accelerates
Rice prices in Japan last month were almost twice what they were a year earlier, official data showed Friday, as core inflation accelerated in the world’s number four economy. The price of the grain has soared in recent months, prompting Japan’s government to release some of its emergency stockpile into the market. Excluding fresh food, […]
US unveils new port fees for Chinese-linked ships
The United States unveiled new port fees on Chinese built and operated ships Thursday, in a bid to boost the domestic shipbuilding industry and curb China’s dominance in the sector. The move — which stems from a probe launched under the prior administration — comes as the United States and China are locked in a […]
China’s manufacturing backbone feels Trump trade war pinch
Sky-high tariffs imposed on China by US President Donald Trump have triggered a slump in factory orders, manufacturers told AFP this week — with some fearing business may never return. China’s vast southern province of Guangdong, crisscrossed with factories making everything from clothing to electronics, has long been the country’s biggest manufacturing hub. For decades, […]
Asian markets mixed as traders track tariff talks
Asian markets were mixed in holiday-thinned trade Friday as investors keep tabs on countries’ tariff talks with the White House, while Donald Trump’s remarks that he was reluctant to hike levies on Beijing even more provided a little support. Governments around the world are lining up to visit the US president’s team as they look […]
German industry grapples with AI at trade fair
Artificial intelligence is set to bring sweeping change to modern life, but at an industrial fair in Germany many companies wonder how they fit into the tech revolution. “We use ChatGPT a bit,” shrugged one business representative, from a metals processor based in southern Germany, at this week’s Hannover Messe. The expo grouping 4,000 firms […]
Chinese spacecraft assembly discovers new bacterium
As spacecraft are assembled and in advance of space missions, it is important to minimise microbial contamination and to understand those microorganisms that might be hardy enough to survive going into space. Furthermore, understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is important for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of […]
Advances in 3D printing are helping medical applications
The medical sector is one of the largest spaces where 3D printing operates, with continuing developments for implant customization, educational models, and drug manufacturing. The topic has recently featured in an IDTechEx’s report titled: “3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing 2024-2034: Technology and Market Outlook”. The report explores the materials and processes best suited to specific applications of 3D printing. […]
Samsung forecast beats market expectations for first quarter
Samsung Electronics on Tuesday unveiled a record first quarter sales forecast and said it saw a better-than-expected performance for profits, beating market expectations. The firm is the flagship subsidiary of South Korean giant Samsung Group, by far the largest of the family-controlled conglomerates that dominate business in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. The tech giant said in […]
Apple’s iPhone 16 hits Indonesia stores after monthslong ban
Smartphone buyers were cheered by shopkeepers in Jakarta on Friday after Apple’s latest smartphone went on sale following a monthslong ban in Indonesia. The marketing and sale of iPhone 16 models was prohibited by the government in October over Apple’s failure to meet regulation requiring that 40 percent of smartphone components be made from local […]
Japan’s World Expo touts unity, and algae, in turbulent times
World Expo opens on Sunday with host Japan aiming to bring humanity together, despite global turmoil and tepid public enthusiasm for the six-month event showcasing innovation as well as Hello Kitty in algae form. A Mars meteorite the size of a sourdough loaf and a beating heart grown from stem cells are among the myriad […]