Search - 2014

 
 
The Rubymar cargo ship sinking off the coast of Yemen on Feb. 27. The vessel had 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer on board.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 6, 2024

Yemen faces 'environmental disaster' as sunken ship threatens Red Sea

Leaking fuel and fertilizer from vessel struck by Houthis could harm marine life and impact coastal communities that rely on fishing.
Yulia Naumenko is one of many Ukrainians living in Japan as the war in their home country stretches into its third year.
COMMUNITY
Mar 11, 2024

In war’s third year, Ukrainians in Japan still face daily trials

Two years of conflict has left Ukraine scarred and evacuees living in Japan with just as many struggles as when they arrived.
Masaki Takahashi, Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya and Tatsuji Nojima celebrated winning the Oscar for best visual effects on the Dolby Theatre stage in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 11, 2024

Oscars 2024: A night to remember for Japanese cinema

Filmmaking peers in Hollywood honor the excellence of two Japanese titans: Studio Ghibli and Godzilla
Yusuke Ishikawa, a 49-year-old coroner with  the Miyagi Prefectural Police, is working to identify six remains of victims of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami.
JAPAN
Mar 11, 2024

Police continue work to identify 3/11 disaster victims

Officials are alarmed by a decrease in opportunities for the police to obtain information that could lead to victims being identified.
Nebraska guard Keisei Tominaga has become one of the most exciting players in the Big Ten during his three seasons with Nebraska.
BASKETBALL
Mar 11, 2024

'Japanese Steph Curry' Keisei Tominaga shoots for stars and NBA with Nebraska

“I think I still gotta get better about a lot of things,” he said. “I think it’s getting closer to my dream."
Air Self-Defense Force F-35 stealth fighters are displayed at the U.S. military's Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 11, 2024

Japan's arms imports up 155% over last five years, report finds

The Asian nation was the sixth-largest weapons importer in the world, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Anti-capitalist protesters with Occupy San Francisco take part in a demonstration on the streets of the Californian city in October 2011.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 10, 2024

The economic future of our overworked grandchildren

While John Maynard Keynes predicted a future of leisure and abundance, the world has seen an increase in wealth disparity and a culture of overwork.
The men's soccer teams of North Korea and Japan clash in the East Asian Football Championship in Tokyo in December 2017.
SOCCER
Mar 12, 2024

Japan-North Korea World Cup game to stay in Pyongyang, says JFA

The JFA said it had been informed that the game on March 26 would be played at the 50,000-capacity Kim Il Sung Stadium.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2024

Death sentence overturned for Kudokai gang boss

The criminal mastermind remained expressionless and stared directly at the judge as it was announced that the death sentence had been overturned.
Investors been pouring money into promising AI startups, eager to uncover the next big thing after ChatGPT.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2024

AI talent war heats up in Europe

The talent war means workers are increasingly well-placed to make demands of their prospective employers.
China insists that for meaningful negotiations to occur, the nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and Russia must be reduced to levels comparable to its own.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 13, 2024

China’s ‘minimum’ nuclear deterrence is still a threat

Estimates of the number of Chinese warheads range from 400 to 500, a striking contrast to the several thousand that the U.S and Russia possess.
Wakana Nukui has been described as having a knack for storytelling and vividly sharing her vision with those around her.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Mar 24, 2024

A social entrepreneur who is determined to lift Cambodian women's status

Wakana Nukui has fostered new talent in design while opening shops dedicated to local products.
Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One,” which won an Academy Award for best visual effects earlier this week, was made for a reported $15 million — a small fraction of the budgets used by its Hollywood competitors.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 14, 2024

'Godzilla Minus One' fought the odds and won big at the Oscars

Once mocked, the long-running monster franchise took on Hollywood's behemoths — and won.
Czech Republic's Ondrej Satoria pitches against Japan during the World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome on March 11.
BASEBALL
Mar 14, 2024

Ondrej Satoria reflects on electric WBC showdown against Shohei Ohtani

Satoria, an electrician by day, struck out the Japanese superstar during the World Baseball Classic.
Russian President Vladimir Putin looks set to start another six-year term with his forces on the offensive for the first time in months as Ukraine’s allies struggle to keep it supplied with ammunition.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 15, 2024

Putin digs in to divide world order while he conquers at home

The leader's adversaries are seemingly unable to stifle his ambitions as the war in Ukraine shifts in his favor.
Built for two artists, Ishii House is a simple, rectangular timber structure with a double-height window facing the veranda.
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 16, 2024

Architecture of community won Riken Yamamoto the Pritzker Prize

Unlike many other laureates, Yamamoto is not a household name. But his work and approach have long been admired within the Japanese architectural scene.
Mary Ann Eduarte at her home in Montalban, Rizal, the Philippines.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 15, 2024

Cancer patients in the Philippines falling for alternative 'cures'

The trend was fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care systems were overwhelmed and many were too scared to visit a hospital.
Women attend a protest in 2018 against the rape of three girls, an 8-year-old, an 11-year-old and a teenager, in different parts of India. The country experiences alarming rates of sexual violence against women.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 15, 2024

Why is India failing to protect its women?

India is plagued by sexual violence, with many horrific cases in the spotlight over the years. Despite reforms, cultural norms are hindering progress.
Supporters await the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a campaign event in Hyderabad on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 16, 2024

Data dump exposes the fuzzy lines between money and politics in India

Reading between the lines of the spreadsheets full of names poses questions about the intersection of government and business in India.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is extending his nearly quarter-century rule into a fifth term at a time when his troops are on the offensive in Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 18, 2024

Putin warns Russia won’t be stopped after record election win

Putin is extending his nearly quarter-century rule into a fifth term at a time when his troops are on the offensive in Ukraine.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Mar 18, 2024

Japan’s eased defense export rules open door to more changes

The speed at which the Kishida administration has been pushing through defense reforms has stunned many even as the regional security environment worsens.
Chinese President Xi Jinping during an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 11
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 18, 2024

Decoding Xi’s new catchphrase aimed at reviving China’s economy

Slogans matter in China, and the adoption of new catchphrases can herald profound shifts in policy.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda attends a news conference after a policy meeting at the bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Mar 19, 2024

BOJ introduces first rate hike in 17 years following pay gains

The negative rates policy, the last one in the world, had been a symbol of the Bank of Japan's ultraloose monetary stimulus lasting over a decade.
An illustration of the planned Paris Games opening ceremony on the River Seine
OLYMPICS
Mar 20, 2024

Russians and Belarusians will not take part in Paris Games opening parade

The athletes from the two countries will be competing as independents without their flags and anthems following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
As two friends deal with normal problems teenagers face, their lives are complicated by the looming specter of an alien takeover in “Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction Part 1.”
CULTURE / Film
Mar 21, 2024

‘Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction: Part 1’: A prophetic vision of pandemic life

Tomoyuki Kurokawa’s adaptation of Inio Asano’s manga of the same name pokes fun at modern society and politics amid a crisis.
Global demand for the hardware that underpins AI has sparked an economic recovery in Taiwan, giving policymakers room to focus on battling inflation.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 21, 2024

AI frenzy gives Taiwan central bank room to battle inflation

Taiwan’s exports and benchmark stock indexes have gained over the past few months, even as growth in major overseas markets remains weak.
A lack of comprehensive consumption — and inflation — data makes it impossible to get an accurate picture of India's poverty.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2024

India’s poor will not be wished away

Poverty remains deeply entrenched in India and appears to have increased significantly.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 22, 2024

Seibu may sell 36-story Tokyo office building for ¥300 billion, sources say

Japan's highest value property transaction is currently the ¥436 billion sale by the government in 2022 of its stake in another Tokyo office building.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Saturday.
SOCCER
Mar 24, 2024

Ex-Japan captain Miyamoto becomes youngest head of soccer association

Miyamoto, 47, is the youngest JFA president since the end of World War II, and the first JFA head to have played in the World Cup.
Some prominent private equity-related dealmakings in Japan in 2023 include the ¥2.1 trillion ($14 billion) takeover of Toshiba.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

Japan private equity deals jump in otherwise gloomy year for Asia

Japan’s momentum is expected to continue into 2024 as companies face pressure to improve shareholder value.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear