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Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 4, 2022

Why Putin faces 'more NATO' in the Arctic after Ukraine invasion

As nonmembers, Finland and Sweden don't have the protection of NATO's guarantee that an attack on one ally is an attack on all, but moves to join the alliance are growing more likely.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 4, 2022

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says she won’t seek second term

The city's current No. 2 official, John Lee, is forming a team to prepare for an electoral run, local media reported.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 4, 2022

Russia's war migrants find mixed reception in Georgia

Many have headed for Georgia, Turkey and Armenia, drawn by visa-free regimes and pre-existing Russian communities, but not all have been welcomed with open arms.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 2, 2022

COVID, Russia and economy put the ‘China model’ to the test

On social media, a growing number of citizens are accusing the Communist Party of breaching its social contract with the people as China faces down numerous challenges.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2022

It's almost time for the TSE's restructuring, but frustrations linger

Reforms set to be rolled out on Monday are intended to bring clarity to the roles of the exchange's segments, but critics say bloat is still a major issue.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2022

They may be kids, but they’re giants of hacking

Some of the world's most notorious hackers were teenagers when they took their first big steps into the cyber underworld.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 30, 2022

The U.S. risks paying a high price for a nuclear deal with Iran

Removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's terrorist designation would buttress an already-dangerous organization.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 29, 2022

Trying Putin for war crimes is no liberal fantasy

The International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice are all investigating crimes committed in Ukraine.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Mar 28, 2022

Tsuyoshi Shinjo makes flashy start as Fighters manager

Tsuyoshi Shinjo made an entrance on opening day that was more WrestleMania than pro baseball. Whether or not NPB is ready for it, Big Boss has arrived.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2022

Majority in Japan backs nuclear power for first time since Fukushima

For the first time in more than a decade, a narrow majority in Japan now supports restarting idled nuclear reactors.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2022

Is time up for the British monarchy? Not so fast

The appeal of the royal family remains potent. Its adaptability to changing times is a hereditary trait.
Japan's men's and women's gymnastics teams pose for photos during a news conference to announce the team's uniforms for the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 24, 2024

Leotard vs. unitard debate in gymnastics still raging ahead of Paris Olympics

The German gymnastics team took a stand against sexualization in the sport in 2021, but heading into Paris, the leotard is still very much in vogue in Japan and abroad.
Sakana AI, prospected to become the fastest-ever Japanese company to achieve unicorn status, aims to create energy-efficient AI models that tackle long-term national-level issues.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 24, 2024

What a Japanese AI unicorn can teach Silicon Valley

Sakana AI, prospected to become the fastest-ever Japanese company to achieve unicorn status, is taking a long-term approach to the development of AI for good.
The U.S. will no longer view itself through the lens of exceptionalism, regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins the next election.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 24, 2024

American exceptionalism is dead no matter who wins the election

The U.S. will no longer view itself through the lens of exceptionalism regardless of the presidential election's outcome, focusing instead on its narrow self-interests.
The U.S. Supreme Court opened the way for states to ban or strictly limit abortion in 2022
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2024

U.S. Republican push to limit abortion access falters two years after Dobbs

Pro-abortion groups are easily finding support for ballot initiatives, highlighting strong momentum to restore abortion rights.
Chipmaker Nvidia’s stellar growth to become the world’s most valuable company masks growing skepticism about AI’s usefulness as a general purpose tool.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2024

Nvidia’s explosive growth masks AI disillusionment

Businesses shouldn't believe tech companies' pitch that AI can solve all problems, everywhere, all at once. Figuring out its niche applications is the recipe for success.
French far-right National Rally party chief Jordan Bardella poses prior to a political debate broadcast on French TV channel TF1, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2024

French prime minister and far-right chief hold biting election debate

The far-right National Rally still has a clear lead in opinion polls in France ahead of the first round of voting in the parliamentary elections.
An anti-government protest in Tel Aviv in January. In a TV interview on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the terms of a U.S.-led cease-fire deal and said he was prepared to open a second front against Hezbollah, in Lebanon.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2024

Netanyahu's strategy is war, war and more war

The Israeli prime minister gave a rare and revealing interview to a domestic TV channel on the weekend that confirmed that he has a plan for Gaza. And that is war.
U.S. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first presidential debate of 2024 at CNN's studios in Atlanta on Thursday.
WORLD
Jun 28, 2024

At first debate, Biden stumbles amid Trump's barrage of falsehoods

The two men traded barbs on a host of issues as they each sought to shake up what opinion polls show has been a virtually tied race for months.
Japan’s Coco Yoshizawa participates in a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier. This summer’s Olympics will be the first in which half of athletes are female.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 28, 2024

Paris Olympics’ gender equality boast has an asterisk

Paris 2024 will be the first Olympics where half of all athletes are female. But the gender gap remains wide among the ranks of coaches and needs to be tackled.
American sprinter Noah Lyles poses with a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" card after winning at the U.S. Olympic track-and-field finals on Sunday. The image went viral, once again showing the popularity of Japanese cultural exports like manga.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 28, 2024

Blackstone sees billions in manga. You should too.

Investment firm Blackstone's move to buy manga platform Mecha Comics, betting on the strength of Japan's soft power, looks further ahead than other players have.
The U.S. Supreme Court justices pose for a group photo in Washington in October 2022. Two recent rulings by the Republican-appointed majority add to its steady pursuit of enfeebling the ability of the administrative state to impose rules on powerful business interests.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 29, 2024

Weakening regulatory agencies to be key legacy of conservative U.S. Supreme Court

Two recent rulings add to its steady pursuit of enfeebling the ability of the administrative state to impose rules on powerful business interests.
Self-Defense Force troops take part in an amphibious landing exercise on Tokunoshima island in Kagoshima Prefecture last November.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 1, 2024

Japan's SDF marks 70th anniversary as it faces change and challenges

The SDF is grappling with dramatic policy shifts while facing down challenges ranging from recruitment to rising Chinese military assertiveness.
Delhi recorded its first death from heatstroke recently, with scorching temperatures wreaking havoc in the capital and other Indian cities.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 30, 2024

India’s scorching heat is making it unlivable

Climate change is a serious problem in India. Working conditions are becoming unbearable during heat waves and everything from agriculture to construction is affected.
Supporters react as former president of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group Marine Le Pen gives a speech during the results of the first round of the parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

Far-right wins first round in France election, exit polls show

France's National Rally party was seen winning around 34% of the vote.
Rodrigo Duterte is being investigated by the International Criminal Court over his signature "war on drugs" campaign, where thousands were gunned down in what authorities called vigilante killings during his 2016-22 presidency.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 1, 2024

Duterte's senate election bid poses threat to former ally Marcos

The political challenges by the Duterte family could upset the Philippine president's hopes of consolidating power so he can groom a potential successor for 2028.
The yen’s depreciation is largely down to the gap in interest rates between the U.S. and Japan. Therefore, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is, to all intents and purposes, “Mr. Yen.”
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 1, 2024

There’s a new 'Mr. Yen' in town

No matter what the Bank of Japan or the Finance Ministry do, ultimate control over the yen's value lies in the hands of U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a campaign event in North Carolina on Friday, the day following the president's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. Biden has brushed aside calls from some Democrats to step aside.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2024

Replacing Joe Biden is a fantasy Democrats must abandon

Those Democrats calling for a change in candidate need to keep calm and let Biden carry on. He may have had a bad performance, but he's still the man who beat Trump.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2024

U.S. Supreme Court finds Trump has broad immunity from prosecution

The Supreme Court ruling gave Donald Trump much of what he sought but stopped short of allowing absolute immunity for all official acts.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years