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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing in November 2022. Scholz is travelling to China again this week with the goal of shoring up economic ties with Germany's biggest trading partner.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2024

An EV trade war with China would be an own goal for carmakers

As German Chancellor Scholz visits China this week, he should push for stronger ties between Chinese and European automakers, especially in the EV market.
Coral reefs bleach in the Great Barrier Reef as scientists conduct in-water monitoring during marine heat in Moore Reef, Australia, on Feb. 27.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 16, 2024

Coral reefs suffer fourth global bleaching event, NOAA says

At least 54 countries and territories have experienced mass bleaching among their reefs since February 2023.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos answers questions from the media in Manila on Monday. Marcos has said that the Philippines will invoke its defense treaty with the U.S. if a Filipino soldier dies from a foreign attack.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

Philippines may invoke U.S. pact if foreign attack proves deadly, says Marcos

Making the comments Monday, the Philippine president referred to his conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week at the Pentagon.
Black bears have been added to the list of "designated wildlife species for control" by the Environment Ministry.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2024

Japan adds black and brown bears to subsidized hunting list

The government is stepping up the control measures as bear attacks on humans hit a record high in fiscal 2023 that ended in March.
Workers clean argeli bark in the Ilam district of eastern Nepal. Thousands of miles away, in Japan, the bark will be used to make yen notes.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

On Himalayan hillsides grows Japan’s cold, hard cash

One of the poorest pockets of Asia supplies a primary ingredient for the economy in one of the richest.
The salvaged Sewol ferry (back) on display at a port in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Tuesday, as South Korea marks the 10th anniversary of the country's worst-ever maritime disaster.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

South Korea marks 10th anniversary of Sewol ferry disaster

Families called out the names of the deceased and threw flowers into the water, followed by a moment of silence.
Former United States Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during the ninth Our Ocean Conference at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, in Athens, Greece, on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Apr 17, 2024

World leaders call on nations to swiftly ratify U.N. ocean treaty

Four countries have formally ratified the treaty, while 89 countries have signed it, expressing their intent to ratify it.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at the Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2024

Biden seeks higher tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum

The president was set to reiterate that United States Steel should remain American-owned.
Children give a presentation on volcano studies during a workshop at Tairadate Elementary School in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, in February.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Apr 29, 2024

Raising awareness over Mount Iwate eruption urged as memories fade

Interest in preparing for possible volcanic eruptions is difficult to muster in a nation prone to other natural disasters.
Machida supporters wave giant flags during the team's game against Vissel Kobe at National Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday.
SOCCER / J. League
Apr 18, 2024

Upstart Zelvia shows that, in the J. League, it’s anyone’s game

The fast start by Go Kuroda’s men has highlighted the remarkable parity in the Japanese game when compared with top competitions in Europe.
Makoto Hasebe in action during a Europa League game in December 2021
SOCCER
Apr 18, 2024

Frankfurt's Japanese veteran Makoto Hasebe to retire at age 40

Hasebe made his international debut in 2006 and featured in 114 games for Japan while serving as captain from 2010 to 2018.
Sunrockers fans at a game in Tokyo in March.
BASKETBALL / B. League
Apr 20, 2024

'Mr. Incredible' and Japan’s improbable bid to compete with the NBA

Japan is a latecomer to basketball’s global expansion, but it has stratospheric expectations for its future.
China's Olympic gold-medal winning 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay team celebrates on the podium at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2021.  Zhang Yufei (third from left) is among 23 top Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in the lead up to the Games.
OLYMPICS
Apr 20, 2024

Top Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned drug, then won Olympic gold

The episode sharply divided the anti-doping world, where China’s record has long been a flashpoint.
An employee handles 155 mm-caliber shells after the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on April 16.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 22, 2024

Conflicts push military spending to all-time high, report says

Nations around the world are spending more than ever on their militaries as conflicts continue across various regions.
More than half of respondents in a recent survey say they would continue to buy a product at the same supermarket even if prices rose by 10%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 22, 2024

Higher price tolerance among Japan's shoppers supports further BOJ rate hikes

A recent survey by an inflation expert showed that more than half of respondents would keep buying a supermarket product even if prices rose by 10%.
Zhang Yufei celebrates after winning the women's 200-meter butterfly at the Tokyo Olympics. Zhang is one of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance seven months before the Games.
OLYMPICS
Apr 22, 2024

Australian swim coach rejects claims of systemic Chinese doping

An Australian coach who works with the Chinese Swimming Association has rejected claims of systemic state-run doping.
Chinese athletes take part in the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Games in July 2021.
OLYMPICS
Apr 23, 2024

WADA rejects cover-up charge over investigation into Chinese swimmers

Reports claimed that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine ahead of the Tokyo Games.
The start of the 2023 edition of the Mount Fuji 100
MORE SPORTS
Apr 23, 2024

Iconic Mount Fuji 100 enters new era with World Trail Majors

The race — perhaps now more than ever — is a bucket list event for countless runners around the world.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's use of divisive language himself raised alarm that it could inflame right-wing vigilantes who target Muslims, and brought up questions about what had prompted his shift in communication style.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 23, 2024

Modi calls Muslims ‘infiltrators’ who would take India’s wealth

The language was unusually direct for a leader who normally lets others do the dirtiest work of polarizing Hindus against Muslims.
An electronic board in Tokyo showing the yen-dollar rate on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 24, 2024

Japan ‘very close’ to yen intervention, former top currency official says

Market reaction to U.S. data could encourage Japanese authorities to act about the yen, according to Mitsuhiro Furusawa.
Private detective Ryo Saeba (Ryohei Suzuki) goes beyond the call of duty to protect a client at a cosplay convention in “City Hunter.”
CULTURE / Film
Apr 25, 2024

A star turn isn’t quite enough to make ‘City Hunter’ soar

Ryohei Suzuki is in peak form as a lecherous private detective in an otherwise middling Netflix live-action manga adaptation.
Making things work as a foreign, single mother in Japan isn't easy, but these tips and tricks can help you through the hardest parts.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Apr 28, 2024

Raising kids in Japan as a single parent? It takes a village.

As with for any single parent, life can present challenges. For those times, you'll need to learn resilience, perseverance and attention to detail.
Masashi Okada (right), project manager of the H3 rocket for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Mayuki Niitsu, Mitsubishi Heavy industries' H3 rocket project manager, in front of a rocket core at a Mitsubishi plant in Tobishima, Aichi Prefecture, on March 21
JAPAN
Apr 26, 2024

Japan’s space agency sets June 30 as third launch date for H3 rocket

The rocket will carry the Daichi-4 satellite, which is designed for high-resolution Earth observation.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken dines at the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant at the Yu Gardens in Shanghai on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 27, 2024

When U.S. diplomats visit China, meal choices are about more than taste buds

Visits to China by U.S. officials like Secretary of State Antony Blinken can bring fame to local restaurants, as well as scrutiny to the dignitaries.
LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi (center) speaks to reporters as election strategy committee chair Yuko Obuchi (left) and Deputy Secretary-General Hiroshi Kajiyama look on at party's headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday night.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 28, 2024

Main opposition CDP sweeps three Lower House by-elections in blow to LDP

The results were seen as a setback for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and could accelerate talks within the LDP about his political future.
Ukrainian servicemen rest at a side of a road leading toward the Ocheretyne area in the Donetsk region on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2024

Ukraine warns of 'worsened' front as Russia claims fresh gains

Russian troops are advancing in the eastern Donetsk region even as Kyiv awaits the arrival of much-needed U.S. weapons.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan's Natsumi Sakai (center) celebrates with other CDP officials and supporters on Sunday in Tokyo's Koto Ward after being announced as the winner of the Tokyo No. 15 district by-election.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 29, 2024

Election trouncing a blow to Kishida, but snap election unlikely

The PM might order a Cabinet reshuffle and make leadership changes within the LDP to boost his popularity ahead of the party's presidential election.
A liquefied natural gas tanker arrives at a Tokyo Gas LNG terminal in Yokohama. Despite a decline in domestic gas demand, Japanese companies are looking to maintain their stake in overseas LNG markets, especially in Asia.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 29, 2024

The double standard of Japan’s energy companies abroad

In Japan, energy companies like Tokyo Gas are striving to cut emissions. But overseas, they're shoring up LNG markets, making for a very different picture.
Solomon Islands' Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare speaks during a bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last July.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 30, 2024

Solomon Islands pro-China PM says not standing for new term

During four spasmodic spells as the Pacific nation's leader, the 69-year-old Sogavare has maneuvered through armed coups, riots and the rise of China.
Thirty years after his death, Ayrton Senna remains a revered figure among motorsports fans in Japan.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
May 1, 2024

30 years on, Japan's bond with Senna remains strong

During the driver's peak, Formula One grew to a point where the sport brought a second race to Japan in 1994.

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