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April 24, 2024
 

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Tom Balmforth
For Tom Balmforth's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Ukrainian soldiers take cover during fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 25, 2022.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2024
Kharkiv's civilians under fire as Ukraine faces 'catastrophic' air defense shortage
The city is so near the border that Russian missiles can reach their target in less than a minute.
Ukrainian armed forces volunteers take part in basic training in Kyiv last month. Military analysts say Ukraine needs to address acute problems with manpower and a shortage of artillery shells.
WORLD
Apr 12, 2024
Ukraine parliament passes bill to overhaul army draft rules
Military analysts say Ukraine's armed forces need to address acute problems with manpower.
A firefighter works to extinguish a fire after air defenses downed an alleged Ukrainian drone, in Kursk, Russia, on Thursday.
WORLD
Apr 5, 2024
Small Ukrainian plane likely used in attack deep inside Russia: experts
A Ukrainian-made Aeroprakt A-22 light aircraft is likely to have been modified into a long-range drone for the attack, they said.
Iranian ballistic missiles in Tehran. Iran's hard-line clerical rulers have steadily sought to deepen ties with Russia and China, betting that would help Tehran to resist U.S. sanctions and to end its political isolation.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 22, 2024
Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles, sources say
An Iranian military official said there had been at least four shipments of missiles and that there would be more in the coming weeks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy greets U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in Kyiv on Feb. 27. Zelenskyy's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Tuesday that the postponement of U.S. assistance for Kyiv being debated in Congress would create a "big risk" of Ukraine losing the war with Russia.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2023
Ukraine sees 'big risk' of losing war if U.S. postpones vital aid
Remarks by Zelenskyy's chief of staff are some of the frankest yet from a senior official as uncertainty swirls over the future of assistance packages.
Almost two years into the grinding war, Ukrainians are coming to terms with the prospect of a much longer and costlier conflict than they had hoped for, and one that some now acknowledge they're not guaranteed to win.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 28, 2023
Ukraine strains to bolster its army as war fatigue weighs
Ukrainians are coming to terms with the prospect of a much longer conflict than they had hoped for and one they may not win.
Outgoing Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is seen as having built up a strong rapport with allied defense ministers and military officials.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2023
Zelenskyy moves to replace Ukraine's wartime defense minister
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has been dogged by graft allegations surrounding his ministry that he has described as smears.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jul 14, 2023
Zelenskyy gets less than he wanted from NATO but takes home real gains
The Ukrainian leader left Western leaders in Vilnius with little choice but to publicly snub his demand to set a clear path for Ukraine to join the U.S.-led military alliance.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 21, 2023
Ukraine builds layered air defenses as Russia ramps up strikes
Russia has unleashed regular long-distance missile and drone attacks since October, but it seriously increased strikes in May as Ukraine prepared for a counteroffensive this month.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 20, 2023
Ukraine preparing 'biggest blow' after reclaiming villages, Kyiv says
A Ukrainian deputy minister said forces had retaken Piatykhatky, a settlement on a heavily fortified part of the front line near the most direct route to the country's Azov Sea coast.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 12, 2023
Ukraine announces gains in 'first results' of counterattack against Russia
Kyiv's forces posted unverified videos showing soldiers hoisting the Ukrainian flag at a bombed-out building in the village of Blahodatne in the Donetsk region.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
May 25, 2023
Incursion into Russia's Belgorod may stretch Moscow's defenses
Though Kyiv has denied any role, the biggest cross-border raid from Ukraine since Russia invaded 15 months ago was almost certainly coordinated with Ukraine's armed forces.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 28, 2023
Russia digs in as Ukraine prepares to attack
A vast network of Russian fortifications sweeping down from western Russia through eastern Ukraine has been built in readiness for a major Ukrainian attack.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 11, 2023
How a band of Ukraine civilians helped seal Russia's biggest defeat
New accounts from Kherson have provided a rare window into how intelligence and sabotage operations are being coordinated with Ukrainian intelligence services behind enemy lines.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 6, 2023
Ukraine to replace defense minister in wartime reshuffle, top lawmaker says
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov's reshuffle would be the highest profile government change in a slew of resignations and sackings following a corruption scandal late last month.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 3, 2023
EU-Ukraine wartime summit to deliver on some issues, disappoint on others
Zelenskyy has called for more punitive measures against Russia by the EU, but new sanctions the bloc is preparing are set to fall short of the Kyiv government's demands.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 31, 2023
Biden says no F-16s for Ukraine as Russia claims gains
Ukraine had planned to push for Western fourth-generation fighter jets such as the F-16 after securing supplies of main battle tanks last week.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 21, 2023
Western military aid girds Kyiv for counterattacks despite tank deadlock
Billions of dollars in new Western military aid, including infantry fighting vehicles, will gird Ukraine for counterattacks, but Kyiv needs other weapons systems to win decisively.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 19, 2023
Ukrainian interior minister killed in helicopter crash
The crash set off a large fire, and an entire side of the local nursery building was charred. The Kyiv region's governor said children had been in the nursery at the time of the crash.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 11, 2023
Russia's Wagner mercenaries battle Ukrainian resistance in Soledar's town center
Soledar has been the focus of intense fighting as Russia has viewed it as key to its campaign for the nearby strategic city of Bakhmut and Ukraine's larger eastern Donbas region.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Japan’s cannabis market growing rapidly amid regulatory shift
The legality of products that contain cannabinoids, a group of substances derived from the cannabis plant, has been somewhat murky in Japan.
An AI star seeks to bring self-driving cars to Japan by 2030
Japanese startup Turing plans to unveil a self-driving car with at least 30 minutes’ driving range next year and develop a fully autonomous car by 2030.
Tokyo issues strong warning on yen intervention as currency dips further
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on the sidelines of IMF and G20 meetings in Washington last week.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Tsukiji 2030s: A stadium, culinary center and transportation hub
A computer-generated image shows redevelopment plans for the former site of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo.
Hearing the impact of climate change in Okinawa, one bird call at a time
Toshihiro Kinjo (center), a research support technician at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, inspects an audio recording device in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on April 3 as Masako Ogasawara, a research support specialist at OIST, looks on.
Japan’s cannabis market growing rapidly amid regulatory shift
The legality of products that contain cannabinoids, a group of substances derived from the cannabis plant, has been somewhat murky in Japan.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass
Prize winner Maki Imoto catches light with glass

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