South Korea: Defence ministry urges political neutrality as presidential election nears

Seoul, April 17 (IANS) The South Korean defence ministry has ordered troops to maintain their political neutrality and focus on their duties ahead of the June 3 presidential election, officials said on Thursday. Under the guideline distributed the previous day, military service members are banned from taking part in or joining political groups, such as…

Sensex, Nifty up 1%, Top gainers & losers today: Wipro down 5%, Gensol, KFin Tech, Waaree Renewables, SBI Cards shares in action

Of all the 2,835 stocks that were traded on the National Stock Exchange, 1,870 of them advanced and 882 declined | Photo Credit: Brendan McDermid IT stocks continued to drag despite the broader market rebound intraday. After a flat opening, benchmark indices delivered sharp rebound in the mid-trading session. Sensex jumped 1007.23 pts or 1.31…

Japan turns to US rice amid soaring domestic prices

Japan’s rice market is undergoing a quiet but significant shift as rising domestic prices force restaurants and supermarkets to embrace imported alternatives, especially American Calrose rice.  | Photo Credit: KIM KYUNG-HOON/Reuters When a severe rice shortage sent prices skyrocketing in Japan last year, Tokyo restaurant owner Arata Hirano did what had once seemed unthinkable: he…