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JAPAN

JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 18, 2019
Japan journalist Shiori Ito awarded ¥3.3 million in damages in high-profile rape case
Ito said she hopes her case and the court's decision will lead to changes in the criminal law that will offer victims greater protection.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 18, 2019
Hopes low for Japan-Iran summit, with Tokyo hemmed in by competing interests
It's unlikely Japan will be able to bypass U.S.-imposed sanctions and resume importing crude oil from Iran in accordance with Tehran's apparent wishes, experts say.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2019
Trial run held on section of Joban Line in Fukushima closed since nuclear disaster
East Japan Railway Co. conducted trial operations on Wednesday on a section of the Joban Line in Fukushima Prefecture that has been closed since the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019
South Korea and U.S. fail to agree on cost of American troops as deal set to expire
South Korea and the United States failed on Wednesday to reach an agreement over Seoul's contribution toward hosting some 28,500 U.S. troops, ending two days of talks that were the last before their existing deal expires on Dec. 31.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019
Hong Kong cancels New Year's fireworks due to security concerns
Hong Kong's popular New Year's Eve fireworks will be canceled for the first time in a decade as more than six months of protests heighten security concerns, the Hong Kong Tourism Board said on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Dec 18, 2019
The Shandong, China's first homegrown aircraft carrier: More than just a symbol of prestige
The commissioning puts China in a small group of nations with multiple aircraft carriers as it reportedly continues to work on building a third.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019
Indian Supreme Court to examine contentious citizenship law
India's controversial religion-based citizenship act will have to pass the scrutiny of the nation's top court, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government pledged to push ahead and implement the law.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019
Veteran climbers skeptical proposed rules for Mount Everest will stop deaths
Veteran climbers of Mount Everest are skeptical that proposed new regulations by the Nepalese government to tighten the permit process for adventurers will address the root causes of this year's heavy death toll on the world's tallest peak.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2019
Top U.S. general says North Korean 'Christmas gift' likely long-range missile test
A top U.S. Air Force general on Tuesday said he expects North Korea's "Christmas gift" to the United States to be a long-range missile test, after Pyongyang delivered an ominous threat ahead of a unilateral year-end deadline for progress in nuclear talks.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 18, 2019
Myanmar seizes boat carrying 173 Rohingya Muslims apparently trying to flee persecution
Myanmar authorities detained 173 ethnic Rohingya aboard a boat off the southern coast, authorities said on Tuesday, amid signs that more members of the Muslim minority group are making perilous sea voyages to escape persecution.

WORLD

Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Dec 18, 2019
Germany moves to ban gay 'conversion therapies'
Germany moved a step closer to banning so-called gay conversion therapies Wednesday, as the Cabinet backed a law that would punish bogus practitioners with up to a year in prison.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2019
Amsterdam trials 'bubble barrier' to clean river of plastic waste
Amsterdam is trying out a "bubble barrier" to help remove plastic from the city's canals by capturing trash hidden beneath the surface of the water.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 18, 2019
16th-century anchors found off Mexican coast offer clues into Spanish conquest
Archaeologists have discovered two iron ship anchors off Mexico's Gulf Coast that they say date back 500 years and could have belonged to Spaniard Hernan Cortes' fleet, which landed in 1519 before overthrowing the Aztec empire.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 18, 2019
Russian and Syrian airstrikes kill 17 in rebel-held northwest despite 'de-escalation,' rescuers say
Syrian government and Russian airstrikes killed at least 17 people on Tuesday in rebel-held northwestern Syria in a spike in casualties from relentless daily strikes in recent months, witnesses and rescuers said.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2019
Asahi Breweries to stop disclosing sales volume data amid strengthening competition for top spot
Asahi Breweries Ltd. says it will stop releasing sales volume data for its beer and quasi-beer products this month, switching in January to the disclosure of the value of sales.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019
As Japan's labor crunch bites, companies look to robots to plug the gaps
In the not-so-distant future, more robots may be interacting with customers at shopping complexes, serving food at restaurants or cleaning floors at offices in Japan amid a serious labor crunch.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2019
Fujifilm to acquire Hitachi's diagnostic imaging equipment business
Fujifilm Holdings Corp. announced Wednesday it will acquire Hitachi Ltd.'s diagnostic imaging equipment business for about ¥170 billion.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019
Japan to ease rules on subsidies for workers relocating outside Tokyo area
The government plans to ease its requirements for subsidies to people who move to places outside the Tokyo area in order to take new jobs, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2019
Mitsubishi Heavy and Hitachi to settle dispute over South Africa project
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. are expected to settle their dispute over losses related to a thermal power generation project in South Africa, sources have said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019
Giant solar park in the desert jump-starts Egypt's renewables push
Near the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, a swath of photovoltaic solar panels spreads over an area of desert so large it is clearly visible from space.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019
Russia to invest $500 mllion in Syrian port and build grain hub, Interfax reports
Russia plans to invest $500 million in the Syrian port of Tartus and build a grain hub there to boost its presence on Middle East markets, Interfax news agency cited Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov as saying on Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019
Toyota to use advanced self-driving tech in commercial vehicles first
Toyota Motor Corp. plans to first deploy advanced self-driving features in commercial vehicles before adding them to cars meant for personal use, a senior official at the Japanese automaker said Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2019
Chocolate makers hobble Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana poverty-fighting cocoa premium with discounts
Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana's move to combat farmer poverty with a living income premium for their cocoa sales is being undermined by chocolate makers scaling down purchases and negotiating discounts on other parts of the price, sources said.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2019
Web training: German railway offers express internet and lets telecom firms use fiber-optic network
Deutsche Bahn, Germany's state-owned railway operator, will rent out a network of fiber-optic cables it has laid along its rails to telecoms firms to provide a speedy internet service to companies and homes in remote areas, it said on Tuesday.

Opinion

EDITORIALS
Dec 18, 2019
Revamp Japan's climate change commitment
The government must consider if relying on nuclear power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the right path forward in its effort to combat climate change.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 18, 2019
Japan, a kingmaker for Indo-Pacific trade deals
The future of the RCEP depends on how Tokyo will approach India's withdrawal.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 18, 2019
'The Afghanistan Papers' reveal a tragedy, not a crime
It's not exactly a secret that the war hasn't been going well for the U.S.

Sports

SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 18, 2019
Hakuho more than deserving of special elder status
When you think of sumo, what's the first word that comes to mind?
J. League season to include Olympic break
The J. League's season only wrapped up on Saturday, but it's already time to get out the calendars.

LIFE

Japan Times
Future design in Japan: Recycle, upcycle and reinvent
The focus on traditional artisanship is still strong, as is the global obsession with minimalism, but what about sustainability and ethical consumption?

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan