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Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2018

Steve Mnuchin hints at Fannie-Freddie changes to end U.S. state control

The Trump administration wants to work with Congress on freeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government control, though it's considering pursuing some changes on its own, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 19, 2018

Trump willing to look at extraditing Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, but still noncommittal

U.S. President Donald Trump told his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Washington "would take a look at" the possibility of extraditing a U.S.-based Muslim cleric who Ankara suspects of being behind a 2016 coup attempt, but he made no commitment, the White House said on Tuesday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2018

French pair invent plastic-to-fuel recycling system fit for African bush

A French actor and a self-taught inventor have designed a low-tech machine that converts plastic waste into diesel and gasoline, which they say could help fight pollution and provide fuel for remote communities in developing countries.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 19, 2018

Toxic pesticide U.N. had urged banned found in temple food that killed 15 in India

A toxic pesticide that a U.N. agency wanted India to ban a decade ago contaminated food that killed at least 15 people at a temple last week, police said on Tuesday.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 19, 2018

'Very pregnant' U.K. duchess Meghan Markle makes Christmas trip to care home

Meghan Markle, Britain's Duchess of Sussex, joked she was feeling "very pregnant" as she carried out a solo official engagement on Tuesday, a day after her father had made headlines by pleading with her to get in touch with him.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 19, 2018

Russian freighter refloated after running aground off southwest England

A Russian bulk cargo ship that ran aground off southwest England on Tuesday has been successfully refloated and is being towed out to open sea.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 19, 2018

Sue, the world-famous T. rex, gets a new lair in Chicago

Sue, the largest, most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed, gets to show off its new lair this week at the Field Museum in Chicago.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 19, 2018

Michael Flynn's ex-business partner pleads not guilty in Turkey lobbying case

Bijan Rafiekian, the ex-business partner of former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn, entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday after being charged with unregistered lobbying for Turkey aimed at extraditing a Muslim cleric living in the U.S.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 19, 2018

Ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn admits he knew lying to FBI was a crime

President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, said on Tuesday he knew lying to the FBI was a crime as he stood by his guilty plea in a case stemming from the investigation into possible collusion between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 18, 2018

Mobile phones spreading 'decadent and reactionary ideological culture,' North Korean media warns

North Korea's main state newspaper warned on Tuesday of the "negative impact" from mobile phones use around the world, as both legal and illicit communications devices proliferate in the isolated country.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2018

Standing room only: JR East tells riders in Tokyo to stand on both sides of escalators to block pesky walkers

When a train is about to depart a station, passengers hear an announcement saying, "Please stand clear of the closing doors."
EDITORIALS
Dec 18, 2018

Patchwork steps in government's 2019 tax reform

Heavy fiscal measures to ease the impact of raising the consumption tax on households could raise doubts over the very purpose of the increase.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 18, 2018

The U.S.-North Korea deadlock

Both Washington and Pyongyang are going to need to make concessions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 18, 2018

Lies, damned lies, and artificial intelligence

As algorithmic decision-making spreads, it is exposing social and economic inequities that were long hidden behind 'official' data.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 18, 2018

How Abe is changing Japan's foreign policy apparatus

The prime minister has seized the diplomacy initiative from the bureaucracy.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Dec 18, 2018

Music in 2018: Saying goodbye to Heisei with 'U.S.A.'

The final full year of the Heisei Era was one of the most discombobulating for Japanese music this decade. Nostalgia for the soon-to-end era clashed with efforts to figure out where J-pop goes moving forward. Tunes covered in cobwebs suddenly became the soundtrack for viral dances on trendy video apps....
Japan Times
CULTURE
Dec 18, 2018

YouTube in 2018: Controversy, contributors and (allegedly) child-friendly content

YouTube in Japan had an identity crisis in 2018. The video-sharing site only grew in importance this year, as the top creators associated with the platform achieved acceptance by the country's mainstream media gatekeepers while famous names migrated over.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / B. League / HOOP SCOOP
Dec 18, 2018

Ehime's Andrew Fitzgerald looks back on record-setting scoring performance

Andrew Fitzgerald scored the Ehime Orange Vikings' first two points on an outside jumper on Sunday, and never stopped scoring.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 18, 2018

Lovot, Japan's new touchy-feely family robot, aims to spread a little love

Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world, but it also might be the loneliest. So much so that its people may need to be taught how to love by a robot.
Japan Times
Rugby
Dec 18, 2018

Volunteers audition for Rugby World Cup roles

Tokyo resident Masaru Seto knows why he wants to become a volunteer at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 18, 2018

On anniversary of Deng reforms, defiant Xi says no one can tell China what to do

President Xi Jinping said China would stick to its policy agenda, despite pressure from the U.S. and others to allow more competition in its economic system.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 18, 2018

U.S. and North Korea in holding pattern ahead of Kim New Year's address and second leaders' summit

The United States and North Korea have reached a holding pattern in denuclearization talks as both sides seek the upper hand ahead of a key New Year's address by leader Kim Jong Un and a second summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump next year. But criticism out of Pyongyang has been emerging...

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight