The Japan Times

Oil retreats, stocks rise on cautious Mideast war hopes

Oil prices slid and European stock markets advanced Wednesday after a South Korean tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz, easing concerns about the apparent impasse between the US and Iran on ending the war in the Middle East.

UK climate advisers urge setting maximum working temperature

Climate change experts urged the UK to set maximum temperature rules for workplaces and adapt hospitals and schools to a warming planet in a report published Wednesday.

Stellantis signs Europe joint venture with China's Dongfeng

Jeep and Fiat owner Stellantis said Wednesday that it had formed a joint venture with China's Dongfeng to share manufacturing, sales and engineering operations in Europe.

Samsung, union resume negotiations with minister mediating

Samsung Electronics and its workers' union resumed talks Wednesday with South Korea's labour minister mediating, after earlier talks aimed at averting a strike collapsed.

DR Congo fishermen resort to trawling plastic waste

The mighty Congo River feeds millions of people along its course through the vast Democratic Republic of Congo but fishermen near the capital now find more plastic than fish in their nets.

Union calls strike at South Korea chip giant Samsung Electronics

A planned strike at South Korean chip giant Samsung Electronics will go ahead from Thursday, its union said, after talks on bonus payouts collapsed, raising concerns over a disruption to the country's key semiconductor industry.

Union calls strike at S. Korea chip giant Samsung Electronics

The labour union at South Korean chip giant Samsung Electronics said Wednesday it would launch a planned strike after talks over bonus payouts collapsed.

Asia stocks slide on inflation fears as yields surge

Asian markets fell Wednesday as surging bond yields and stubborn inflation concerns knocked an investor confidence already shaken by US President Donald Trump's renewed threats of striking Iran.

Under Trump pressure, EU agrees to implement US trade pact

EU lawmakers and member states reached a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to implement the bloc's nearly year-old trade pact with the United States, with President Donald Trump threatening new tariffs unless it is done by July 4.

US enforces law to crack down on sexual deepfakes

The United States on Tuesday began enforcing a law requiring tech platforms to remove sexual deepfakes and other non-consensual intimate imagery, but experts warned of shortcomings and raised online censorship concerns.

New York art auctions roar back with blockbuster sales

With record prices for Jackson Pollock, Constantin Brancusi and Mark Rothko, New York's spring auctions are soaring, confirming a trend that began in late 2025: blockbuster sales are back.

Under Trump pressure, EU seeks deal to end trade standoff

The EU headed into late-night talks Tuesday seeking a deal towards implementing its nearly year-old trade pact with the United States -- with an impatient President Donald Trump threatening steep new tariffs unless it is done by July 4.

Airbus seeks to cut peripheral expenses due to Mideast war

European aviation giant Airbus has asked its teams to cut "non-essential expenses" by 10 percent due to turbulence following the Middle East war, according to a document seen by AFP.

Oil dips, stocks mixed after Trump holds off on Iran attack

Oil prices eased Tuesday but remained above $100 a barrel while stocks wavered as investors tracked a potential deal between the US and Iran to end a war that has sent energy prices soaring.

France says G7 finance talks 'frank, sometimes difficult'

France's finance minister acknowledged Tuesday that two days of talks among leading global economies were "sometimes difficult", even as the group agreed a statement committing to multilateral cooperation in combatting growing economic risks.

Stocks rise, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday as investors tracked easing oil prices and cautious optimism over a potential deal between the US and Iran to end a war that has sent energy prices soaring.

Germany starts sale of bailed-out energy firm Uniper

Germany had started the process to sell most of its stake in energy giant Uniper, the government said Tuesday, more than three years after nationalising the company following its near collapse amid the Ukraine war.

Germany starts sales process for bailed-out energy firm Uniper

Germany had started the process to sell most of its stake in energy giant Uniper, the government said Tuesday, more than three years after nationalising the company following its near collapse amid the Ukraine war.

Tech stocks retreat, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

Asian markets wavered Tuesday, with tech stocks leading losses as investors tracked easing oil prices and cautious optimism over a potential US-Iran deal.

Stellantis joins race to build mini-EVs for Europe

Stellantis, owner of the Jeep and Fiat brands, announced Tuesday that it would start building smaller, low-cost electric cars for the European market, where demand for clean-energy vehicles has fallen short of automakers' hopes.

SNC Scandic Coinとバイコノミー：規制された実世界資産が世界的な取引インフラと出会う

香港のグローバル企業であるスカンディック・ファイナンス・グループ（SFG）は珍しい道を歩んでいる。SNC Scandic Coin（SNC）によって、同社は投機対象に留まらない、実際の支払い手段や入場手段、顧客ロイヤルティツールでもあるデジタル価値を市場にもたらしている。このトークンは、メディア、モビリティ、テクノロジー、不動産およびセキュリティサービスからなる大規模なエコシステムの核を成しており、ユーザーは日常のニーズの支払いを単一のデジタル通貨で行える。BitMartとL-Bankへの上場発表の後、SFGは5つの主要取引所パートナーのうち3番目としてBiconomyが加わったと発表した。この協業はSNCの国際的な到達範囲を大幅に拡大し、規制された実用的な実世界資産トークンのビジョンを実現することを目指している。新しいタイプのユーティリティトークン多くのハイプコインとは異なり、SNC Scandic Coinは明確なユースケースに焦点を当てている。SFGの取締役会によれば「SNC」の文字はセキュリティ/シナジー（Security/Synergy）、ネットワーク、コミュニティを表し、透明性、モダンなデザイン、技術志向といったスカンジナビアの価値を反映している。10億トークンの固定総供給量と1SNCあたり0.02ユーロの予定発行価格が供給を制限し、長期計画の可能性を生み出す。詳細なベスティング計画により、新しいトークンは徐々にのみ発行される；ホワイトペーパーによれば販売収益はセキュリティ対策、監査、SFGのインフラと流動性の拡充、ならびにマーケティングと運営に充てられる。 Scandic Fly、Scandic Pay、Scandic Cars、Scandic Estate、Scandic DEV、Scandic SEC、Scandic Domain、Scandic Yachts などのScandicプラットフォームは将来的に、このコインを航空およびヨットチャーター、車両や不動産の購入、アプリ、人工知能サービス、ドメインサービスの支払いに受け入れる予定だ。また、ユーザーはキャッシュバック、リワード、ラグジュアリー旅行やプレミアムメディアオファーなどの特別サービスにアクセスでき、これらは115を超える日刊紙を通じて世界中に展開するLeisureグループによって提供される。セキュリティと規制はこのプロジェクトにおいて中心的な役割を果たす。SNCのスマートコントラクトはCertiKによって監査され、2026年3月2日の公開Skynetレポートでは重大な脆弱性は見つからなかった。SFGはKYC/KYBプロセスやマネーロンダリング対策のためにデータと信用情報の提供者CRIFと協力している。複数段階のリスク管理システムはコンプライアンスとESG認証を確保するために設計されている。この強固な規制基盤は、厳しく規制された実世界資産の環境にユーティリティトークンを確立するうえで決定的だ。 BitMart、L-Bank、そして今Biconomy3つ目の取引所としてBiconomyを発表することは、SFGの戦略的アプローチを強調する。SNCの取引開始を予定しているBitMartは、2025年に9兆米ドルを超える先物取引量を記録しており、信頼できるパートナーとみなされている。2番目のパートナーであるL-Bankは、同社によると160カ国で2,000万以上のユーザーにサービスを提供しており、2026年第1四半期には20億米ドルを超える日次トレードファイ取引量を達成した。この取引所はハッキングなしの安定したインフラとして証明されており、300以上の確立されたコインを上場し、2026年4月にはCryptoPotatoによって「ベストクリプト取引所2026」の称号を受賞した。リーチ、流動性、規制のこの組み合わせにより、BitMartとL-Bankは規制されたRWAトークンの理想的な初期プラットフォームとなる。 5つの上場パートナーのうち3つ目の上場パートナーとしてBiconomyが加わることで、国際市場へのさらなる門が開かれる。2019年に設立されたBiconomy取引所は現在100カ国以上で100万人以上のユーザーにサービスを提供している。北米、南米、アジア、中東、アフリカ、CIS地域にオフィスを構え、グローバルに展開している。多くの純粋なスポットプラットフォームとは異なり、Biconomyはスポットと先物市場、ステーキング、コピー取引、スムーズなモバイル取引体験を含む幅広い商品ポートフォリオを提供している。報道によると、その取引提供はビットコイン、イーサリアム、ソラナ、その他多くの新興アルトコインを含む250以上の取引ペアを含み、先物ではトレーダーが最大100倍のレバレッジを利用できる。取引所は資産のコールドストレージ、リアルタイムのリスク監視、KYC/AML準拠、多要素ログインなど銀行レベルのセキュリティ対策に依存している。Biconomyは2026年に独自のブロックチェーンを立ち上げ、分散型アプリケーションおよびクロスチェーン取引を可能にする計画も立てている。商品多様性、セキュリティ、イノベーション力のこの組み合わせは、単なる売買以上を求めるトレーダーにとってプラットフォームを魅力的なものにしている。

Japan economy grows faster than expected in first quarter

Japanese economic growth surpassed expectations at the start of 2026, official data showed on Tuesday, but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is mulling an extra budget as concerns grow over inflation due to the Middle East war.

China market for Nvidia AI chips to open 'over time': Huang

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang expects China to eventually open its market to high-end US chips that can train and run artificial intelligence systems.

Asian markets cautious, oil dips after Trump holds off on Iran attack

Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as oil prices eased on hopes of a US-Iran deal, though elevated crude levels capped investor appetite for risk.

Fans of historic DC park wary of Trump plan to 'beautify' city

Every Sunday, percussionists, dancers and everyday residents of the US capital gather in a Washington park for a drum circle -- a decades-old tradition that historically celebrated Black liberation.

As bee population collapses, US apiarists fear research cuts

In a lot behind a disused West Virginia gas station at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, Roy Funkhouser is surrounded by about a dozen beekeepers and countless buzzing bees.

US to screen for Ebola at airports, one American in DR Congo infected

The United States said Monday it is bolstering precautions to prevent the spread of Ebola, including screening air travelers from outbreak-hit areas and temporarily suspending visa services.

Oil rises, global stocks mixed as markets track Iran developments

Global stock markets were mixed Monday and oil prices rose while investors digested shifting developments in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump said he postponed a planned attack on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders.

Trump says holding off on new Iran attack

US President Donald Trump said Monday he had held off on imminent plans to resume attacking Iran, piling pressure as Tehran rebuffs his demands for ending the war.

'Girl in the River Main' identified 25 years on, father arrested

A teenager nicknamed "The Girl in the River Main" after her body was found floating in Germany a quarter-century ago bearing signs of abuse has finally been identified, leading to her father's arrest, Interpol said Monday.

SNC Scandic Coin and Biconomy: Regulated real-world assets meet global trading infrastructure

The global corporation Scandic Finance Group (SFG) from Hong Kong is taking an unusual path: with the SNC Scandic Coin (SNC), it is launching a digital asset on the market that is not intended purely as a speculative object but as a genuine means of payment, an access medium and a customer loyalty instrument. The token is the core of a large ecosystem comprising media, mobility, technology, real estate and security services, in which users are meant to pay for their daily needs with a single digital currency. Following the announced listings on BitMart and L-Bank, SFG has now announced that Biconomy has been won as the third of five major exchange partners. This cooperation is intended to massively increase the international reach of the SNC and put the vision of a regulated, practical real-world asset token into practice.A new kind of utility tokenUnlike many hype coins, the SNC Scandic Coin focuses on clear use cases. According to the SFG board, the letters “SNC” stand for security/synergy, network and community and reflect Scandinavian values such as transparency, modern design and technological affinity. The fixed total supply of one billion tokens and the planned issue price of USD 0.02 per SNC limit the supply and create long-term planning certainty. A detailed vesting plan ensures that new tokens are released only gradually; according to the white paper, the proceeds from the sale flow into security measures, audits, the expansion of SFG infrastructure and liquidity, as well as into marketing and operations.The Scandic platforms – including Scandic Fly, Scandic Pay, Scandic Cars, Scandic Estate, Scandic DEV, Scandic SEC, Scandic Domains and Scandic Yachts – plan to accept the coin in future for flight and yacht charters, vehicle and property purchases, apps, artificial intelligence services and domain services. In addition, users will receive cashback, rewards and access to exclusive services such as luxury travel and premium media offerings, which the Legier-Group markets worldwide through its portfolio of over 115+ daily newspapers across all continents, and even operates its own Global-News-App.Security and regulation occupy a central position in this project. The SNC smart contract was audited by CertiK; the publicly accessible Skynet report of 2 March 2026 found no critical vulnerabilities. For the KYC/KYB processes and anti-money laundering controls, SFG cooperates with the data and credit provider CRIF. A multi-layered risk management system is intended to ensure compliance and ESG certificates. This strong regulatory basis is decisive for establishing a utility token in the highly regulated environment of real-world assets.

Judge allows gun as evidence in Mangione healthcare exec murder trial

The US judge overseeing Luigi Mangione's New York state trial for the murder of a healthcare executive decided Monday to admit crucial items of evidence including a gun and a notebook.

The Japan Times - Economy (English)

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