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Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger, on April 13.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 12, 2024

Trump inherits waning U.S. strength in Africa

Biden made sweeping political promises to Africa that he has yet to keep, including visiting during his presidency, which ends in January.
In 2017, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government became the first among Japan's local authorities to issue green bonds.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2024

More municipalities tap green bonds as demand makes rates favorable

Green bond issuance by local government authorities in Japan has risen from ¥149.3 billion in 2022 to ¥443.1 billion in 2023.
Susie Wiles, Republican Donald Trump's campaign manager, attends a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, on Nov. 3.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 12, 2024

In Susie Wiles, Trump picks quiet competence for chief of staff

The longtime Florida-based Republican strategist's shrewd strategies, low profile, and work ethic are credited with helping Trump stage a stunning political comeback.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with senior adviser Susie Wiles as he speaks, following early results from the 2024 U.S. presidential election in Palm Beach County Convention Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Nov. 6.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2024

As Donald Trump staffs up for second term, only MAGA loyalists need apply

As advisers and allies of Republican President-elect Donald Trump search for personnel to staff his coming administration, one quality is absolutely paramount: unquestioning loyalty.
While equity investors are optimistic about tax cuts and deregulation, concerns are emerging in the bond and currency markets, which are signaling fears of higher inflation due to Donald Trump’s economic proposals.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 12, 2024

Trump’s market honeymoon won't last much longer

Stocks grab all the headlines, but bond and currency markets show where trouble might be brewing.
Nissan’s filing said Suntera (Cayman) is the buyer of the 2.5% stake and listed Suntera as a trustee of ECM Master Fund.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 12, 2024

Nissan surges after firm linked to hedge fund takes 2.5% stake

The jump is a remarkable turnaround for Nissan’s stock, which plunged last week after the carmaker slashed jobs and said it would cut manufacturing capacity by a fifth.
Donald Trump attends a town hall moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in Oaks, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 14.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

Trump’s Day One: Deportations, border wall, scrapping Biden's programs

The sweeping efforts will be led by incoming "border czar" Tom Homan and other Republican immigration hardliners.
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. said the latest incursion by Chinese research vessels into his country's exclusive economic zone took place earlier this week.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

China is flouting Palau's ocean boundaries, president says

Chinese research vessels have been lurking "uninvited" within the Pacific nation's waters, newly reelected President Surangel Whipps Jr. says.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO leaders at a plenary session of their summit in Watford, England, in December 2019. 
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2024

Living in Trump’s world

Europe’s response to Trump’s return will require creativity, resilience and an unshakable commitment to defending its own interests.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after a signing ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in April 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Lula’s embrace of Xi sets up a clash over Trump’s China policy

Brazil’s geography and colonial history meant that it has traditionally looked to the Atlantic for commerce. Now it’s deepening ties with the Asia Pacific.
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk walks on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

How will Musk's new U.S. government efficiency panel work?

Although the U.S. president-elect has said little about how the group will operate, Elon Musk previously set a goal of cutting $2 trillion of federal spending.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to House Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

‘Call anytime you want’: Trump roils G20 with disdain for rules

World leaders who didn’t experience Donald Trump’s first merry-go-round are quickly learning how he likes to operate.
An oil pump jack in Midland, Texas
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Nov 14, 2024

Republican sweep opens way to boost oil and gas development

Oil producers, however, may be reluctant to drill new wells with U.S. output already at a record high.
Tulsi Gabbard's nomination has raised alarm among the ranks of intelligence officers.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 15, 2024

Trump's choice of Gabbard as U.S. intelligence chief vexes spy world

Donald Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard is among several high-level picks that suggest he may be prioritizing personal allegiance over competence.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip starting in the coming weeks, sources said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 15, 2024

Taiwan president plans Hawaii visit on sensitive trip to Pacific, sources say

Six sources briefed on the visit said that the president is planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip starting in the coming weeks.
A Ferrari F12tdf fetched a record-high price of ¥171,001,000 ($1.09 million) in a tax agency auction this week.
BUSINESS
Nov 15, 2024

Ferrari sells for ¥171 million at Japanese tax sale

The gunmetal gray Ferrari F12tdf, registered in 2017 and with only 1,509 kilometers on the odometer, received 127 bids during the auction.
There is a broad shift in Japan’s business environment, where long-standing relationships are being challenged by foreign and activist investors looking for merger and acquisition deals.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 15, 2024

Japan's newfound love of M&A makes for strange bedfellows

There is a broad shift in Japan’s business environment, where long-standing relationships are being challenged by foreign and activist investors.
Japanese companies lack the agility needed for the digital transformation, a new report says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 15, 2024

Japan ranked 31st in digital competitiveness, 92nd for English skills

In the 2024 EF English Proficiency Index, Japan was ranked 92nd, down from 87 the previous year. It was its worst showing yet.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping reviews an honor guard upon his arrival for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Callao, Peru, on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 16, 2024

Xi seizes role as global defender of free trade against Trump

China’s leader warned on Friday that the global economy was fracturing as protectionism spreads, leading to "severe challenges.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) poses with Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on July 11.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 17, 2024

Trump’s friends in Europe welcome return of a kindred spirit

Some expect him to be less critical of their manipulation of democratic institutions, as well as their pushback on minority rights and non-Christian immigrants.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (right) and First Lady Rosangela da Silva attend the Independence Day military parade in Brasilia, Brazil, on Sept. 7, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 18, 2024

Lula’s wife curses out Elon Musk on eve of Brazil’s G20

Brazil's first lady took aim at the billionaire owner of the X platform at an event while talking about the need to regulate social media networks and combat fake news.
Ichiro Suzuki became one of the best hitters in baseball history during his 19-year career in MLB.
BASEBALL
Nov 19, 2024

Ichiro makes debut on Hall of Fame ballot

The superstar outfielder is considered by many to be a lock to gain induction during his first year on the ballot.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Niigata Prefecture, the world's biggest nuclear plant, on Aug. 5. Like many others in Japan, the plant is seeking clearance to restart, as the country grapples with how to shape its nuclear future.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 19, 2024

Japan’s nuclear future: Caught between climate goals and reality

Japan is well short of hitting its nuclear power goals by 2030, with the challenging nature of reactor restarts likely impacting its emissions reduction targets.
The Philippines is countering Chinese aggression with a strategy of exposing coercive actions through media, embedding journalists with its military and leveraging visual evidence to gain domestic and international support.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 19, 2024

Philippines uses the media spotlight to fight back against China

Manila is promoting “assertive transparency” to shape the media landscape, putting Beijing on the defensive.
Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman addresses the joint extraordinary leaders summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Riyadh on Nov. 11. A 93-page report from Human Rights Watch describes how Crown Prince Mohammed has asserted control over the kingdom's Public Investment Fund.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 20, 2024

Saudi prince uses fund to expand power and commit abuses: Human Rights Watch

The group accuses the 39-year-old crown prince of seizing companies and assets from elite Saudis rounded up during anti-corruption operations beginning in 2017.
A failed actor (Koji Seki, left) revisits memories of his ex-wife (Kano Ichiki) after learning about her unexpected death in “Performing Kaoru's Funeral.”
CULTURE / Film
Nov 21, 2024

‘Performing Kaoru's Funeral’: Ambitious drama reflects on love that doesn’t die

Koji Seki brings gravitas to his role as a man tasked with serving as chief mourner for his dead ex-wife in Noriko Yuasa’s drama.
A strait-laced tax officer (Seiyo Uchino) teams up with a gang of con artists to take down a crooked property developer in “Angry Squad: Civil Servant and Seven Swindlers.”
CULTURE / Film
Nov 21, 2024

‘Angry Squad’: A caper comedy with a lot of heart

The film’s two-hour running time breezes by as a strait-laced tax officer joins a colorful crew of con artists.
Asian banks are shifting focus from trade financing to wealth management and capital markets to offset potential losses from U.S. tariffs and capitalize on growing regional and global wealth.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2024

The wealthy will shield Asian banks from Trump tariffs

Asian banks are shifting focus from trade financing to wealth management and capital markets to offset potential losses from U.S. tariff.
Their trucks, sometimes driven by Someya herself, go around Tokyo collecting used cooking oil from restaurants and households.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Nov 27, 2024

Turning tempura oil into fuel: 30 years of environmental efforts by Tokyo entrepreneur

"Seeing all the used cooking oil being collected, I thought Tokyo is basically an oil field."
Students at Fujinokuni Junior High School in the city of Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, learn how to write postcards in Japanese.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chubu
Dec 2, 2024

Night schools offer alternative route to completing compulsory education

More such schools are being set up, which would provide learning opportunities to those unable to complete junior high school education.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo