Japan’s core inflation rose to a more than two-year high in May, exceeding the central bank’s 2% target for over three years and increasing pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to resume rate hikes.
The core consumer price index (CPI), excluding volatile fresh food, rose 3.7% year-on-year in May, surpassing market forecasts and accelerating from April’s 3.5%. It marked the fastest pace since January 2023’s 4.2%.
A separate index, stripping out fresh food and fuel, climbed 3.3%, the highest since January 2024.
The rise was driven largely by persistent food inflation. Staple rice prices doubled compared to last year, while rice balls rose nearly 20% and chocolate bars by 27%.
Service-sector inflation also rose to 1.4% from 1.3%, reflecting firms passing on higher labour costs.
The data highlights the BOJ’s challenge in balancing inflation pressures with risks from U.S. trade uncertainty under President Trump. A Reuters poll showed a slight majority of economists expect the BOJ’s next rate hike in early 2026.
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said underlying inflation remains below target but could re-accelerate. “If our forecasts materialise, we expect to keep raising interest rates,” he said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals co...
The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligenc...
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, au...
Iran announced on Saturday that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal...
A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window f...
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved new sanctions targeting Russian maritime operators, defence-linked companies and individuals connected to Moscow’s military and energy sectors, according to official decrees issued on Saturday.
The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence, warning that stronger safeguards are needed as systems become more advanced.
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, authorities said.
Iran announced on Saturday that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal move after the EU blacklisted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.
Cubans are increasingly turning to solar power to keep businesses operating and basic household appliances running during prolonged electricity cuts, as fuel shortages make diesel generators and other temporary solutions more difficult and costly to maintain.
Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles in 'Grey’s Anatomy' and 'Euphoria', died on Thursday, at the age of 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His family confirmed his death after what they described as a “courageous battle” with ALS.
An Austrian climber has been convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died from hypothermia while climbing Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner, in January 2025.
Millions of Colombian roses have arrived in the United States just in time for Valentine’s Day, keeping the country on track as the world’s second-largest flower exporter. Between 15 January and 9 February, Colombia shipped roughly 65,000 tons of fresh-cut blooms.
Russia’s car market is continuing to receive tens of thousands of foreign-brand vehicles via China despite sanctions imposed after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a journalistic investigation has found.
Türkiye’s national energy company, TPAO, has struck a new cooperation deal with U.S. energy giant Chevron, signing a memorandum of understanding to explore joint oil and gas exploration and production opportunities, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry announced on Thursday.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Tuesday as investors worried about artificial intelligence (AI) creating more competition for software makers, keeping them on edge ahead of quarterly reports from Alphabet and Amazon later this week.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
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