China’s Services Sector Posts Slowest Growth in Five Months as Demand Softens 
Thousands of satellites are due to burn up in the atmosphere every year – damaging the ozone layer and changing the climate 
Fungi are among the planet’s most important organisms — yet they continue to be overlooked in conservation strategies 
Proxy Advisors Urge Vote Against ANZ’s Executive Pay Report Amid Scandal Fallout 
Germany’s Economic Recovery Slows as Trade Tensions and Rising Costs Weigh on Growth 
Wildfires ignite infection risks, by weakening the body’s immune defences and spreading bugs in smoke 
Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data 
BOJ Faces Pressure for Clarity, but Neutral Rate Estimates Likely to Stay Vague 
Netflix Nearing Major Deal to Acquire Warner Bros Discovery Assets 
Visa to Move European Headquarters to London’s Canary Wharf 
As the Black Summer megafires neared, people rallied to save wildlife and domestic animals. But it came at a real cost 
An unexpected anomaly was found in the Pacific Ocean – and it could be a global time marker 
How to create a thriving forest, not box-checking ‘tree cover’ 
Gold Prices Steady as Markets Await Key U.S. Data and Expected Fed Rate Cut 
Japanese taxi operators are replacing their gas-powered models with electric vehicles (EVs) as the government shifts toward decarbonization.
Mobility Technologies Co., the Tokyo-based operator of taxi-booking app Go, began encouraging its 100 partner companies in December to incorporate 2,500 EVs and 2,900 chargers by 2031.
Mobility Technologies will buy EVs from automakers with the government’s Green Innovation Fund subsidy program covering two-thirds of the purchase costs covered.
Toyota Motor Corp.’s bZ4X as well as Nissan Motor Co.’s Ariya and Leaf are expected to be bought and leased to cab companies, and more models will later be added to the project.
EVs accounted for just 0.1 percent of 210,000 taxis across Japan as of 2021, according to statistics. Cabs run an estimated seven times longer than personal vehicles per day.
Hiroshi Nakajima, president of Mobility Technologies, said they will help replace gas-powered cabs with EVs while easing taxi companies’ burden, such as establishing a mechanism for cheaper electricity.
Japanese taxi operators cannot secure EVs on their own, having struggled financially from the pandemic-related decline in overseas tourist numbers and higher gas prices. TheyConsequently, so many closed down when their cabs needed to be replaced.
