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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 22, 2021

Imagine the COVID-19 economy before Amazon and Zoom

Online services such as Zoom and Amazon have proven their worth during the pandemic. And COVID-19 may ultimately push our society to learn new ways of using digital technologies.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jul 21, 2021

Japan sets 60% target for nonfossil fuel energy sources by fiscal 2030

Difficulties boosting nuclear power and increasing solar and off-shore wind mean the new energy plan's goals will be difficult to achieve, experts say.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 21, 2021

Generation Z should fear a guaranteed income

A new paper suggests the skeptics may be right: A universal basic income may cause more harm than good for a very high cost.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 21, 2021

Taiwan angers China with first Europe office using its name

Lithuania has backed Taiwan before, donating COVID-19 vaccines and supporting participation in the World Health Assembly.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 20, 2021

China's swimmers race to escape country's doping past

The country's swimming program has seen its reputation tarnished by a series of scandals, most notably when one female swimmer was caught with 13 vials of human growth hormone.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 20, 2021

No Bolt, no problem for the quiet Olympics

With the world's largest sporting event, officials are venturing into new territory as they seek ways to keep the excitement alive and people protected from COVID-19.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 19, 2021

From LDP 'prince' to punchline: What happened to Shinjiro Koizumi?

In addition to being regularly lampooned on social media, the environment minister has struggled to maintain his influence amid COVID-19 and as a Cabinet insider.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 19, 2021

Latest U.S. Alzheimer's drug fix is a patch job

Most of the FDA's decisions don't receive national attention, which means they may not be rectified until substantial harm is done.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 18, 2021

Cuba’s protesters deserve American support

U.S. President Biden needs a way to maintain pressure on the government while moderating penalties that have unavoidably worsened the economic plight of ordinary Cubans.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 18, 2021

COVID-19 still killing Americans faster than guns, cars and flu combined

After 10 weeks of global declines in COVID-19 deaths, the highly transmissible delta variant is driving a new uptick.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 15, 2021

China is the first crack in the COVID-19 recovery

The shift by China's central bank is jarring because the nation spent months conveying the idea that it was comfortable trimming — not adding — support for the economy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 14, 2021

Nord Stream 2 will overshadow U.S.-German relations for years

Called Nord Stream 2 and more than 90% finished, it doubles the amount of gas Russia can export directly under the Baltic Sea to northwestern Europe.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 13, 2021

The U.S. military needs a lot more recruits

Defending against new threats will require the U.S. to replenish its all-volunteer force — a task made harder by the dwindling number of Americans willing and able to serve.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 12, 2021

How to keep crypto from crashing the financial system

The volatility, transaction costs and carbon footprint of Bitcoin, for example, have made it largely useless for purposes other than speculation and ransomware (and even there it has flaws).
Then-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump addresses the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in November. REUTERS
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 23, 2025

'America First' didn't just return — it has always been there

The Trump administration is no different from previous administrations and remains as inherently "America First" as ever.
Mark Zuckerberg’s push to loosen moderation policies at Meta puts the company on a collision course with regulations in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2025

Zuckerberg's newfound libertarianism is worrying Brazil

Meta's loosened moderation policy puts it on a collision course with regulations in Latin America’s largest economy.
Supporters of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol protest in Seoul on Tuesday. The previous leaders of the U.S. and Japan, along with Yoon, focused on strengthening alliances and regional stability through cooperation whereas newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign policy may prioritize transactional relationships.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 24, 2025

Japan and South Korea were stable U.S. allies. Not anymore.

Political paralysis in the U.S., Japan and South Korea has left a leadership vacuum in the Indo-Pacific.
Former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney speaks on the day he announces that he is running to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the ruling Liberal Party, in Edmonton, Alberta, on Jan. 16.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 26, 2025

Trudeau’s Cabinet lines up behind Carney as ex-banker brushes up on French

The support shows that many believe the former central banker is the best bet to counter Donald Trump’s trade threats and boost the Liberal Party’s electoral fortunes.
The Middle East is at a pivotal moment and U.S. President Donald Trump has the chance to reshape the region, with potential solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon's civil war, Syria's restoration and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 23, 2025

U.S. President Trump, you can remake the Middle East if you dare

U.S. policy must be to ensure that all three stages of this ceasefire agreement are carried out and followed by a real diplomatic process for a wider settlement.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders including a flurry of actions on immigration in the hours after taking office.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2025

America’s mass deportation clash is unprecedented

So when ICE moves from selective targets aimed at serious criminals to the mass roundups Trump promised, that is when the public may recoil.
The third patient to receive a genetically engineered pig kidney is thriving post-transplant, providing valuable insights into animal-to-human organ replacement and bringing the field closer to clinical trials. 
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2025

Why a recent pig kidney transplant is a major advance

The 53-year-old woman who received the genetically modified animal organ is the ideal recipient to push science forward.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, via videoconference on Thursday.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 27, 2025

The Davos ‘vibe shift’ is no surprise

This year, Davos was different. Significant slices of corporate America have been divesting themselves of the world-saving ideals that Davos is built on.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy in action as he tees off on the eighth during the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic on Jan. 19.
MORE SPORTS
Jan 29, 2025

Rory McIlroy continues 'pivotal' year at Pebble Beach

Not only does McIlroy have his first TGL experience under his belt, he also began his season with a T4 finish at the Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.
Though vegan restaurants have been on the upswing since 2017, Japanese vegans still lack a wide variety of options.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Jan 29, 2025

In meat- and fish-loving Japan, veganism is making a comeback

Tourism, climate goals and animal rights concerns are sparking a plant-based renaissance in a country famous for sushi and pork ramen.
People were more concerned about the direct and specific impact of the Bank of Japan's latest rate hike on their personal lives, according to an artificial intelligence-driven analysis of various platforms, including social media.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 29, 2025

Japan begins feeling the pain of BOJ rate hikes more concretely

As time goes on, the BOJ’s rate increases appear to be having a stronger impact on people’s everyday lives, shifting from more abstract concepts to more concrete effects.
Members of the popular Japanese pop group SMAP, including scandal-plagued Masahiro Nakai (right), perform in Beijing in September 2011.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 29, 2025

A pop-star sex scandal shows the death throes of old Japan

As the leader of a now-defunct boy band SMAP, the 52-year-old Nakai has been a ubiquitous mainstay in Japanese life for decades.
China-backed hackers are increasingly targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including energy grids, telecom networks and government agencies.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 30, 2025

Trump’s bigger China cyber threat isn’t TikTok

China-backed hackers are infiltrating U.S. critical infrastructure, telecom networks and government systems, exposing vulnerabilities that demand stronger cybersecurity measures.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s reluctance to engage with newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump while strengthening ties with China raises concerns about Japan’s strategic priorities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 31, 2025

Ishiba nudges his ‘little Japan’ closer to China

Prime Minister Ishiba’s reluctance to engage with Trump while strengthening ties with China raises concerns about Japan’s strategic priorities and its alliance with the U.S.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years