The enormous Hawaiian-born wrestler helped raise the international profile of Japanese sumo wrestling in the 1990s. Akebono, an American-born sumo wrestler who became the first non-Japanese grand champion or “Yokozuna”, died of heart failure this month in Tokyo, the sumo association said on Thursday. He was 54. The winner of 11 championships – the 10th most in modern sumo history – Akebono was physically imposing at 203cm (6...

The increase this year, driven by geopolitical tensions and supply shocks, could hamper efforts to rein in inflation. Oil prices are at their highest level in months and central banks are keeping a close eye on the markets. For the first time since October, Brent crude, the international benchmark, topped $91 a barrel last week. That threatens a rise in gasoline prices in the United States and elsewhere,...