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Goods are transported through a business district in Dongguan, in China’s southern Guangdong province.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Feb 24, 2025

Trump tariffs shake up China's factory heartland

The U.S. president has targeted friend and foe alike since taking office a month ago, notably slapping additional 10% duties on products imported from China.
Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi in action against the Indiana Fever at Footprint Center on June 30, 2024
BASKETBALL
Feb 26, 2025

Mercury and Team USA icon Diana Taurasi retires after 20 seasons

Taurasi is a three-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and the league's all-time leading scorer.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (center) looks on before the 2025 Super Bowl against the Eagles at Caesars Superdome on Feb. 9.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Feb 26, 2025

Chiefs GM expects Travis Kelce to play in 2025: 'He was fired up'

Kelce, 35, said earlier this month he was weighing his future in the wake of the Chiefs' 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.
Girls take care of their baby brother before leaving for school in Seoul. South Korea just recorded its first rise in fertility rates in nearly a decade.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Feb 26, 2025

South Korea's policy push springs to life as world's lowest birth rate rises

That shift in societal norms could prove pivotal in a country that has seen its birth rate plummet to the lowest in the world.
U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, attends a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 27, 2025

Trump declines to say if U.S. would protect Taiwan from Chinese invasion

Trump's refusal to comment stood in stark contrast to his predecessor, Joe Biden, who repeatedly hinted that Washington would come to Taipei’s aid.
A woman who works at a private university in Fukuoka Prefecture as a part-time lecturer is still negotiating with the university over a cut in the number of classes she teaches.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Mar 10, 2025

'Highly educated working poor': Part-time lecturers lament stagnant wages

Many worry that raising their voices could lead to a reduction in classes, which impacts pay, or even dismissal.
According to a tally released on Thursday, some 1,416 labor unions under the umbrella of the Japan Council of Metalworkers’ Union requested a monthly base salary gain of ¥14,149 ($94.84) on average in talks expected to culminate with a deal next month.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 27, 2025

Japan's metalworker unions demand record pay hike

The demand by Japan Council of Metalworkers’ Union is an early sign of continued momentum for pay growth in the country.
An immigration detention center in Bangkok. A group of Uyghurs were sent to China in accordance with international standards, Thailand's defense minister said, in Thailand's first confirmation of the deportation.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 28, 2025

Thailand sends 40 Uyghurs back to China after decade in detention

Rights experts warned that the Uyghurs were at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned.
Keio University in Tokyo's Minato Ward. The university's ethics committee has approved clinical research that would lead to the first uterine transplant procedure in Japan.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 28, 2025

Keio University ethics panel OKs uterus transplant clinical trial

The university will consider whether to carry out the research, which would be the first uterine transplant procedure in Japan.
People take photos of the Shinjuku Alta building on Friday evening.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 28, 2025

Shinjuku Alta closes its doors after 45 years

The shopping complex near the JR Shinjuku Station served as a de facto meeting point for many in one of Tokyo’s busiest entertainment districts.
The latest "Captain America" movie depicts a conflict between the U.S. and Japan over a newly discovered element, but the premise seems implausible and likely reflects a late-stage decision to replace China with Japan to avoid alienating Chinese audiences.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 28, 2025

A U.S. war with Japan? Only in ‘Captain America.’

It’s clear that Japan must be a stand-in for China — possibly a late-stage replacement in a movie that became notorious for its multiple rewrites and reshoots.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vice President JD Vance looks on in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday in Washington.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 1, 2025

How Trump and Zelenskyy’s Oval Office skirmish broke a deal

An account of a remarkable and heated Oval Office exchange that seems certain to color the course of world history for decades to come.
The Spasskaya tower of the Kremlin, center, and Saint Basil's Cathedral, right, in Moscow in 2022
WORLD / Politics
Mar 2, 2025

Trump’s clash with Zelenskyy leaves Moscow both thrilled and wary

Moscow is celebrating Trump’s shift away from unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine, but some in the Kremlin fear his unpredictability could create new risks.
Pedestrians commute through Shibuya Station in central Tokyo, an area that is almost never devoid of people.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Mar 3, 2025

As the rest of Japan shrinks, Tokyo grows

Women and young people are leading a migratory wave that the government is struggling to halt.
Ukrainian servicewomen Natalia (right), 53, and her daughter Veronika, 26, from the 100th mechanized brigade, pose for a photo at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region in Ukraine on Feb. 15.
WORLD / Society
Mar 3, 2025

'Under my wing': Mothers and daughters serving together in Ukraine

Ukrainian servicewomen Natalia, 53, and her daughter Veronika, 26, serve in the 100th mechanized brigade.
The "Ishinomaki Kokeshi" created by craftsman Takatoshi Hayashi to promote his hometown are not confined to the traditional designs of the simple Japanese wooden dolls.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 3, 2025

Ishinomaki craftsman promotes hometown with unique wooden dolls after 3/11

Starting out as a complete amateur, Takatoshi Hayashi now receives orders from abroad for his “Ishinomaki Kokeshi” as his renown spreads online.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 4, 2025

Trump says Ukraine deal still possible despite Zelenskyy feud

Trump’s relatively optimistic assessment could revive prospects for a deal that appeared to be scrapped last week to give the U.S. revenue from Ukraine’s minerals.
Carlos Alcaraz speaks to the media during a news conference in Indian Wells, California, on Tuesday.
TENNIS
Mar 5, 2025

Alcaraz chases third straight Indian Wells title

Carlos Alcaraz, coming off a quarterfinal defeat in the Qatar Open, is seeded second behind Germany's Alexander Zverev.
Japan aims to more than triple domestic cybersecurity industry sales in the next decade, from the current ¥900 billion ($6 billion) to ¥3 trillion.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 5, 2025

Japan aims to triple domestic cybersecurity industry sales in next decade

Japan-made cybersecurity products currently occupy less than half of the nation's domestic market share.
Globally, women are severely underrepresented among leading roles in cinema, with female directors accounting for just over 10% of the industry in Japan. Achieving gender equality on-set would have far-reaching consequences for the whole of society.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 7, 2025

Without women behind the camera, equality stays out of the frame

Cinema isn't only about what stories are told, but who tells them. Overcoming severe underrepresentation, women are reshaping the film industry and cultural narratives.
US President Donald Trump listens to a reporter as he speaks from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 8, 2025

Trump threatens Russia with sanctions until Ukraine peace reached

Trump's threat of banking curbs and tariffs followed a report Monday that the White House was preparing to give Russia possible sanctions relief as part of the push to end the war.
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (right) drives with the ball as Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center in Houston on March 8.
BASKETBALL
Mar 11, 2025

New Orleans Pelicans to play in Australia's first NBA games

The Pelicans will play the NBL's Melbourne United on Oct. 3 and South East Melbourne Phoenix two days later at Melbourne Park
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 11, 2025

U.S. wants no G7 Russia antagonism as allies fear blockage

The U.S. opposes language in a joint document that could harm its efforts to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left) and national security adviser Mike Waltz speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 12, 2025

Ukraine-U.S. ceasefire proposal puts onus on Putin

The Russian president may attach his own set of conditions for ending the war with Ukraine that would be difficult for Kyiv and its European allies to accept.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who said he would do everything he could to reduce active nuclear reactors to close to zero, changed his stance once he became prime minister.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 12, 2025

Government does about-face on nuclear policy 14 years after triple meltdown

The government cited the need to ensure stable electricity supplies and secure carbon-free energy sources.
If Russia emerges victorious from the Ukraine war, nuclear proliferation will ensue as states view armaments and not agreements as the only way to protect their sovereignty.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 12, 2025

Lessons from Ukraine: Allies are fickle, nukes are forever

If Russia emerges victorious from the Ukraine war, nuclear proliferation will ensue as states view armaments and not agreements as the only way to protect their sovereignty.
Secondhand clothing store "Onward Reuse Park Kichijoji" in December in the city of Musashino in Tokyo
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2025

Eyeing waste, Japanese apparel industry pushes sustainable fashion

About 60% of the clothes sold in Japan are thrown away, according to the Environment Ministry.
K-Ballet Tokyo celebrates its 25th anniversary with an extended lineup including a revival of the vibrant pirate-story ballet "Le Corsaire."
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 15, 2025

K-Ballet Tokyo marks 25 years of passion and perseverance

The dance company celebrates a milestone anniversary with an extended lineup including a revival of the vibrant pirate-story ballet "Le Corsaire."
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on Friday.
WORLD
Mar 15, 2025

Putin tells Ukraine troops in Russian region to 'surrender'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused his Russian counterpart of seeking to sabotage a ceasefire initiative.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (second from left) cheers along with other members of the Liberal Democratic Party during the party's annual convention in Tokyo on March 9.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 16, 2025

As it turns 70, LDP struggles to find its fountain of youth

Having lost 60,000 members in 2024 amid a slush funds scandal, the party is under pressure to seek out new blood, but its old ways may be a turnoff for many.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami