News

Intuitive Machines' Athena lander touched down on the Moon on March 6, 2025, but encountered technical difficulties and may have fallen over, raising concerns about its ability to complete its scientific mission. This incident marks the second lunar landing within a week under NASA's commercial lunar delivery program, following Firefly Aerospace's successful touchdown on Sunday.

Asian markets kicked off the week with a strong performance, extending the positive momentum from Wall Street's rebound at the end of February. The optimistic sentiment was fueled by upbeat Chinese factory data, indicating an improvement in the manufacturing sector, and a mixed economic report from the US that showed signs of cooling inflation but also a decline in consumer spending.

Japan's Cabinet has approved a bill introducing tighter regulations on artificial intelligence aimed at preventing harmful practices and rights violations. This legislation also includes measures to encourage AI research and development, signaling a notable shift from previous self-regulatory guidelines.

Warren Buffett announced Berkshire Hathaway intends to raise its ownership stakes in five Japanese trading houses after these companies agreed to relax ownership limits. Buffett emphasized his long-term confidence in this investment, highlighting similarities between these businesses and Berkshire Hathaway.

Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai) plans to install next-generation solar cells on noise barriers along the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, aiming to generate electricity for powering lighting at stations and other facilities. This initiative leverages the lightweight and flexible nature of perovskite solar cells, which will be tested for their performance under high-speed train conditions.