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Japan's players pose for a picture after defeating Iraq in an Under-23 Asian Cup semifinal match in Doha on Monday.
SOCCER
Apr 30, 2024

Japan and Uzbekistan secure qualification for Olympic Games

Japan has maintained its record of qualifying for every Olympics since 1996.
A polling station is set up at the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai for the Lower House elections in October 2021. Japanese nationals living abroad have to travel to diplomatic missions that serve as polling stations to cast their votes during elections.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 30, 2024

Internet voting for Japanese abroad remains a distant prospect

Apart from the need to revise an existing law, concerns remain over the integrity of online identity verification and the confidentiality of votes.
A busy street in Kigali, Rwanda. Under the voluntary program, the U.K. will pay asylum seekers to move to Rwanda to help clear the backlog of refugees who have arrived in the country in recent years.
WORLD / Politics
May 1, 2024

Britain sends first voluntary asylum seeker to Rwanda, report says

The voluntary program is separate to a forced deportation program that Britain is about to embark on in the next few months.
Angels slugger Mike Trout rounds the bases after hitting a home run in a game on April 23.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 1, 2024

Angels star Trout to have left knee surgery

The 32-year-old slugger, an 11-time American League All-Star and three-time AL MVP, has struggled with injuries in recent years.
Masayuki Fukasawa (left), chief editor of Diario Brasil Nippou, and Kimiko Aso, of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, in Sao Paulo in April
JAPAN / Society
May 1, 2024

Brazil's last Japanese-language newspaper innovates to stay in print

Behind the difficulties facing Diario Brasil Nippou is declining numbers of subscribers, but the daily hopes to stay afloat by stressing its cultural role.
Nepali TikTok influencers and twin sisters Princy (left) and Prisma Khatiwada take a selfie in Kathmandu on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
May 1, 2024

Nepalis challenge TikTok ban after losing earnings, fans and a voice

The lives of owners of popular accounts were transformed by the platform, which had about 2.2 million users in the country.
A "cooling shelter" set up inside the city hall in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture
JAPAN
May 1, 2024

Municipalities setting up 'cooling shelters' in bid to prevent heatstroke

Operators of designated facilities will be asked to open them for use by people to escape the heat when a special alert for heatstroke is issued.
A vacant lot on the site of the former Tsukiji fish market where a group of companies plans to develop a commercial and residential complex in the coming years
BUSINESS
May 1, 2024

Developer hopes to tap Tsukiji's 'rich history' to create a new Tokyo hot spot

Mitsui Fudosan, tasked with renovating the former site of the famous Tsukiji fish market, hopes to build the vacant lot into a new trendy hub.
A prayer space for Muslims set up at a commercial complex in Tokyo. The Japan Tourism Agency is set to provide subsidies for the establishment of such prayer spaces.
JAPAN
May 2, 2024

Japan aims to attract more vegetarian and Muslim visitors

Pictograms showing what ingredients are included in restaurant food and souvenirs will be promoted.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024

U.S. and Saudi Arabia near defense pact meant to reshape Middle East

Though many obstacles remain, there is optimism Washington and Riyadh could reach a framework defense deal within weeks.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Syracuse, New York, on April 25.
JAPAN / Politics
May 2, 2024

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with rivals China and Russia

One of the reasons the U.S. economy is growing is because of immigrants, which countries like Japan shun, President Joe Biden said at a fundraising event.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, which allowed customers to grab grocery items from a shelf and walk out of the store, is reportedly being phased out of its grocery stores.
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2024

Amazon's AI stores seemed too magical. And they were.

There are plenty more examples of companies that have failed to mention humans pulling the levers behind supposedly cutting-edge AI technology.
Attendees at the Leap technology conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 6, 202. The oil-rich country is plowing money into glitzy events, computing power and artificial intelligence research, putting it in the middle of an escalating U.S.-China struggle for technological influence.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024

‘To the future’: Saudi Arabia spends big to become an AI superpower

Saudi Arabia was long a financial spigot for tech, but is now building its own industry.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20.
WORLD / Politics
May 3, 2024

U.S. and Saudi Arabia finalizing details of security pact, sources say

For now, negotiators have prioritized a bilateral security accord that would then be part of a wider package presented to Israel.
Forever Young, ridden by jockey Ryusei Sakai, runs during the UAE Derby in Dubai on March 30.
MORE SPORTS
May 3, 2024

Contenders prepare for 150th running of Kentucky Derby

Japanese-bred Forever Young, which starts from the 11th post, is a 10-1 contender.
Claudio de Sanctis, head of private bank at Deutsche Bank AG, during an interview in Singapore, on April 18
BUSINESS / Companies
May 3, 2024

Deutsche Bank unveils wealth targets after hiring push in Asia

Private banks are turning to the Middle East and Southeast Asia amid China's property crisis and a downturn in capital-market activity in Hong Kong.
Despite bustling cities like Tokyo and Osaka, Japan faces a rising number of abandoned properties, particularly in rural areas, which pose risks to communities and economies.
EDITORIALS
May 3, 2024

Abandoned homes will be a big part of Japan’s future

Statistics reveal a significant increase in vacant and abandoned homes, with projections indicating a further rise unless addressed soon.
An attendee holds a cardboard cutout of Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway, inside the CHI Health Center during the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2024

Buffett says Berkshire in good hands, lauds Apple despite lowering stake

The legendary investor paid tribute to his late business partner and said he expected the conglomerate’s $189 billion cash pile to keep growing.
A Lamborghini Diablo SL automobile displayed at the company's event to mark the automaker’s 60th anniversary in Seoul in September 2023. While the boost in wealth among crypto investors was mostly poured into discretionary spending, a significant portion spilled into local housing markets, the researchers found.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 6, 2024

Lamborghini bros no more: Crypto is creating a new wealth effect

Study suggests that household spending out of crypto gains is more like the patterns from traditional equity investments, such as on home purchases.
Cars pass Chinese flags on a highway ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 6, 2024

China’s billions help Xi make useful friends in Eastern Europe

China's ties with Serbia and Hungary highlight how it's helping transform a corner of Europe when much of the continent views Beijing as a strategic rival.
Over 300 companies went out of business in fiscal 2023 due to labor shortages, according to Teikoku Databank.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 6, 2024

Japan's labor crunch persists despite slight improvement

Companies involved in IT engineering fared the worst, with more than 7 in 10 saying they didn't have enough workers and had to resort to forgoing projects.
Naoya Inoue (second from left) celebrates after defeating Luis Nery to retain his IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO super bantamweight titles at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 6, 2024

Naoya Inoue dominates Luis Nery to remain undisputed super bantamweight champ

Inoue sent Nery to the canvas with in the sixth round to seal the victory.
MORE SPORTS / Weightlifting
May 7, 2024

Ukrainian two-time European champion weightlifter dies in war

Oleksandr Pielieshenko ranked fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the men's 85 kg category.
Law enforcement officers walk along the Kremlin wall near Red Square in Moscow on Dec. 31.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2024

U.S. says soldier who went to Russia detained for ‘misconduct’

A U.S. soldier was detained in eastern Russia on "charges of criminal misconduct,” the U.S. Army said Monday, a potential new flashpoint in relations between the nations already at a low since Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Luis Nery in their IBF-WBA-WBC-WBO super bantamweight title boxing match at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 7, 2024

After blockbuster boxing victory, what next for ‘Monster’ Inoue?

Some want the boxer to take on more fights outside of Japan.
Auto parts maker Toyoda Gosei makes bags and other items by reusing its mainstay air bag products.
JAPAN
May 7, 2024

Upcycling efforts spread among Japanese companies

Japanese companies are increasingly engaging in upcycling efforts, or adding new value to used products and waste materials, as part of their environmental and social contributions and to generate profits.
Brazil's Ronaldo (left) celebrates his goal against Turkey with teammate Ronaldinho during a World Cup match in Ulsan, South Korea, in June 2002.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Is Brazil still the land of soccer?

"We're at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son, Edinho, said recently.
Russian officers march during the main military parade rehearsals in Moscow's Red Square on May 5.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2024

Russia’s war economy starves crucial oil industry of manpower

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, its oil and gas sector has faced increasingly strict international sanctions aimed at limiting petrodollar revenue.
AI-powered disinformation campaigns particularly during elections can create varied and nuanced content, making detection more challenging.
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2024

If AI wrecks democracy, we may never know

AI-powered disinformation campaigns can create varied and nuanced content, making detection more challenging.
An ambitious high school freshman recruits three girls from her region to create an “idol” group from scratch in “Trapezium.”
CULTURE / Film
May 9, 2024

‘Trapezium’: Being an idol isn’t always a dream come true

The anime adaptation of a book by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka46, offers an authentic look at the pressures of show business.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji