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Ex-Olympus CEO found guilty over illegal drugs in Japan
Ex-Olympus CEO found guilty over illegal drugs in Japan
by  AFP

A former CEO of Japanese optical equipment firm Olympus was found guilty on Friday of a drug charge, with a Tokyo court handing down a suspended jail sentence. He first joined the European arm of the Japanese firm in 2003 and became the company's second non-Japanese president.

Move over Mercedes: Chinese cars grab Mexican market share
Move over Mercedes: Chinese cars grab Mexican market share
by  AFP

The growing popularity of Chinese sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks has shaken up Mexico's luxury car market, hitting sales of traditionally dominant brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. According to industry experts, Mexicans are increasingly switching from traditionally dominant sedans to Chinese vehicles due to a combination of comfort, technology and price.

Japan govt approves record budget for ageing population, defence
Japan govt approves record budget for ageing population, defence
by  AFP

Japan's government on Friday approved a record budget for the next fiscal year, ramping up spending on social welfare, as the population ages, and defence to tackle regional threats. The 8.7 trillion yen approved Friday will help pay for measures to help attract recruits to Japan's Self-Defense Forces, and to improve relations between the US and Japanese militaries with locals in Okinawa.

Japanese shares gain on weaker yen after Christmas break
Japanese shares gain on weaker yen after Christmas break
by  AFP

Japanese stocks rose Friday on a weaker yen after a muted day on Wall Street following the Christmas holiday. The yen was "marginally stronger" on Friday, Bloomberg reported, after data showed inflation in Tokyo rose for a second month in December.

Panama president rules out talks with Trump over canal threat
Panama president rules out talks with Trump over canal threat
by  AFP

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with Donald Trump over control of the Panama Canal, which the US president-elect threatened to demand be returned to Washington. If Panama could not ensure "the secure, efficient and reliable operation" of the channel, "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question," he said.

Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'
Oil leak in Peru tourist zone triggers 'environmental emergency'
by  AFP

Peru has declared an "environmental emergency" after an oil spill that triggered a clean-up operation on a stretch of northern coastline popular with tourists. The leak was detected last Friday on Las Capullanas beach when the crude oil was about to be loaded onto a tanker, the company said at the weekend without specifying the cause or amount of oil spilled.