Whisper it softly, there's a new Japan rising
Its corporate landscape is changing while investors, immigrants and MNCs find the country more appealing than ever.
In 2024, for the first time, Japanese companies hired more people mid-career than through the graduate intake.
This week, as I sat down for a conversation with Noboru Saito, the 58-year-old chief executive of iconic cassette maker turned smartphone battery producer TDK – and a company veteran of 36 years – I casually asked his aide about his own employment history.
Turns out the younger man had just made a mid-career move to join TDK, having earlier worked with Japanese tyre giant Bridgestone in Indonesia.
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on US imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Ukraine. NEW DELHI - India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite US President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Aug 2, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. On top of a new 25 per cent tariff on India's exports to the US, Mr Trump indicated in a Truth Social post in July that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Aug 1, Mr Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. But the sources said there would be no immediate changes. 'These are long-term oil contracts,' one of the sources said. 'It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight.' Justifying India's oil purchases from Russia, a second source said India's imports of Russian grades had helped avoid a global surge in oil prices, which have remained subdued despite Western curbs on the Russian oil sector. Unlike Iranian and Venezuelan oil, Russian crude is not subject to direct sanctions, and India is buying it below the current price cap fixed by the European Union, the source said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home The New York Times also quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials on Aug 2 as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy. Indian government authorities did not respond to Reuters' request for official comment on its oil purchasing intentions. However, during a regular press briefing on Aug 1, foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a 'steady and time-tested partnership' with Russia. 'On our energy sourcing requirements... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances,' he said. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. India's top supplier Mr Trump, who has made ending Russia's war in Ukraine a priority of his administration since returning to office this year, has expressed growing impatience with Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks. He has threatened 100 per cent tariffs on US imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the leading supplier to India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, accounting for about 35 per cent of its overall supplies. India imported about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1 per cent from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. But while the Indian government may not be deterred by Mr Trump's threats, sources told Reuters this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil after July discounts narrowed to their lowest since 2022 - when sanctions were first imposed on Moscow - due to lower Russian exports and steady demand. Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources told Reuters. Nayara Energy - a refinery majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft, and major buyer of Russian oil - was recently sanctioned by the EU. Nayara's chief executive resigned following the sanctions, and three vessels laden with oil products from Nayara Energy have yet to discharge their cargoes, hindered by the new EU sanctions, Reuters reported last week. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
China claim 1-2 in the women's 3m springboard for ninth diving gold at World Aquatics C'ships
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Chinese diver Chen Yiwen claims gold in the women's 3m springboard diving event at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on August 2. SINGAPORE – Despite a slow start, Olympic champion Chen Yiwen showed her prowess in the women's 3m springboard dive at the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) on Aug 2 when she came from behind to reclaim her title. Competing at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Chen – who won the gold in the 2023 edition in Fukuoka, Japan – had entered the finals as the top qualifier, but the Chinese diver trailed for two rounds behind leader and compatriot Chen Jia. A strong third-round performance saw her leapfrog into the lead, which she never relinquished. The 26-year-old eventually finished top after five rounds in 389.70 points, ahead of Chen Jia's 356.40. Italy's Chiara Pellacani was third in 323.20. Yiwen's triumph in Singapore was her ninth world title overall, as well as the ninth diving gold for China at the 2025 championships. When asked if she had a slow start, she said: 'Not really, I think it was my first move, which has always had technical issues.' The Chinese diver had earlier claimed gold in the mixed 3m and 10m team event on July 26, before partnering with Chen Jia to win the women's 3m synchronised event on July 29. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home On being world champion again, she added: 'It gives me a bit more confidence for the future. Actually, I was quite worried during the last jump because there were (loud) noises outside… I was worried it might have an impact.' World championships debutante Chen Jia, 20, said: 'Actually, in the first round, I was quite confident, but in the second and third round, there were some technical issues. 'It may look easy. But when you stand on the board, with that atmosphere and that responsibility, it's an invisible pressure. Also with so many years of stable performances (from China) in the women's events, we definitely need to keep moving forward. 'I think for this competition, I'm not too satisfied… But for a first world championship trip, I'm quite satisfied.' Pellacani, who won the mixed 3m synchronised dive with partner Matteo Santoro on July 30, said: 'It was my goal to get a medal in this event after (finishing in) fourth place at the Olympic Games in Paris. And we worked really hard for this. So I'm very, very happy. 'I always start low on the first round, but the most important thing is to keep it very consistent, and that's what I did during the preliminary round, semi-final and final. I know there are still some things that I have to improve in my diving, for example, my entry can be better.' The men's 10m platform semi-final and final will be contested on the final day of the championships on Aug 3.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Germany says ‘very insufficient' aid entering Gaza
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Palestinians carrying bags of flour that they obtained from aid trucks which entered Gaza through the Zikim crossing point, in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Aug 1. BERLIN - The amount of aid entering Gaza remains 'very insufficient' despite a limited improvement, the German government said on Aug 2 after ministers discussed ways to heighten pressure on Israel. The criticism came after Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited the region on July 31 and Aug 1 and the German military staged its first food airdrops into Gaza, where aid agencies say that more than two million Palestinians are facing starvation. Germany 'notes limited initial progress in the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip, which, however, remains very insufficient to alleviate the emergency situation,' government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said in a statement. 'Israel remains obligated to ensure the full delivery of aid,' Mr Kornelius added. Facing mounting international criticism over its military operations in Gaza, Israel has allowed more trucks to cross the border and some foreign nations to carry out airdrops of food and medicines. International agencies say the amount of aid entering Gaza is still dangerously low, however. The United Nations has said that 6,000 trucks are awaiting permission from Israel to enter the occupied Palestinian territory. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: MinLaw names 6 law firms taken to task over involvement in property deals Singapore Police reopen access to all areas in Marina Bay after crowd congestion eases at NDP Preview area Singapore Opening of Woodlands Health has eased load on KTPH, sets standard for future hospitals: Ong Ye Kung Asia KTM plans new passenger rail service in Johor Bahru to manage higher footfall expected from RTS Singapore HSA investigating teen allegedly vaping on MRT train Asia 4 workers dead after falling into manhole in Japan Singapore New vehicular bridge connecting Punggol Central and Seletar Link to open on Aug 3 Singapore New S'pore jobs portal launched for North West District residents looking for work near home The German government, traditionally a strong supporter of Israel, also expressed 'concern regarding reports that large quantities of humanitarian aid are being withheld by Hamas and criminal organisations'. Israel has alleged that much of the aid arriving in the territory is being siphoned off by Hamas, which runs Gaza. The Israeli army is accused of having equipped Palestinian criminal networks in its fight against Hamas and of allowing them to plunder aid deliveries. 'The real theft of aid since the beginning of the war has been carried out by criminal gangs, under the watch of Israeli forces,' Mr Jonathan Whittall of OCHA, the United Nations agency for coordinating humanitarian affairs, told reporters in May. A German government source told AFP it had noted that Israel has 'considerably' increased the number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to about 220 a day. Members of the German Air Force loading humanitarian aid onto an aircraft ahead of a planned airdrop over the Gaza Strip, at a military base in Jordan on Aug 1. PHOTO: EPA Berlin has taken a tougher line against Israel's actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in recent weeks. The source said that a German security Cabinet meeting on Aug 2 discussed 'the different options' for putting pressure on Israel, but no decision was taken. A partial suspension of arms deliveries to Israel is one option that has been raised. Hamas militants launched an attack in Israel on Oct 7, 2023, that resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel's military offensive on Gaza since then has killed at least 60,249 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry. The UN considers the ministry's figures reliable. AFP
