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Travis King
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 5, 2023

U.S. won't invoke POW status for soldier who fled to North Korea

The decision, which could mean Travis King is not covered by protections entitled under the Geneva Convention, is highly sensitive for the U.S. military.
South Korean lesbian couple Kim Kyu-jin (left) and her wife, Kim Sae-yeon, pose with a "pregnant woman" badge during an interview in Seoul last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 6, 2023

South Korea couple beat same-sex barriers to parenthood

To fight its abysmal birthrate, Seoul offers fertility treatments, cash bonuses and free child care, but only for straight, married couples.
Members and supporters of the San Francisco Taxi Workers Alliance attend a rally outside the California Public Utilities Commission headquarters in San Francisco on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 8, 2023

Will AI be an economic blessing or curse? History offers clues

History shows the economic impact of technological advances is generally uncertain, unequal and sometimes outright malign.
Some strategists think that foreign investors, who had helped drive one of the world’s biggest rallies so far this year, may pose risks for Japan’s stock market in the second half.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 9, 2023

Global funds that drove Topix rally may now threaten Japan gains

A lack of bold policy measures by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and China's economic slowdown are also seen as curbing the bullish trend.
Shohei Ohtani's free agency is expected to be among the wildest pursuits of a player in baseball history.
BASEBALL
Aug 9, 2023

Angels hoping to stay in the Shohei Ohtani business

Whether the two-way phenom remains an Angel for two more months, or the rest of his career, is an open question.
A ship passes through the Bosporus Straits near Istanbul.
WORLD
Aug 9, 2023

Turbulent waters: How the Black Sea became a hot spot in the war

For centuries, the Black Sea has been at the center of Russia’s efforts to extend its geopolitical and economic influence.
Now in their fourth year, Hong Kong's security crackdowns have led to the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, resulting in grave manpower shortages and a stain on the city's image as place to do business.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 9, 2023

Hong Kong needs to protect its image as a financial center

In Lee’s view, while reviving Hong Kong’s role as a global financial center, it is vital to continue the crackdown on perceived threats.
The impact of China's latest metal curbs will likely be limited, experts say, as the United States is already looking for alternative supply chains.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 11, 2023

China’s gallium curbs to have limited impact on U.S. defense

China said the recent export controls are necessary to safeguard national security, but experts believe this is a way for the country to hit back at U.S.
Whether it is a hot summer or a cold winter, humans spend 90% of their time inside and there is little evidence that seasonal changes affect COVID-19 transmission significantly. 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2023

COVID-19’s summer resurgence resists easy answers

Be wary of anyone with a pat explanation for why COVID-19 waves rise and fall.
As long as coal plants are still operating, it is a good idea to make them capture their carbon dioxide emissions. But the sooner that coal is replaced by renewables, the better it will be for the planet.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 11, 2023

Carbon capture and the changing economics of power generation

Carbon capture policies could unwittingly extend the life of dirtier energy sources.
People surveying wildfire damage in the town of Lahaina in Hawaii on Friday. Emergency workers on Saturday continued to dig through the ash and rubble, with the official death toll from the fires rising to 93.
WORLD / Society
Aug 14, 2023

Seeking cause of deadly Hawaii fires, lawyers probe power lines

Attorneys from three firms say accounts suggest damaged power infrastructure owned by Hawaiian Electric Industries created the spark for the flames.
Leaders at Sweden's Psychological Defense Agency, a state agency, in Stockholm
WORLD / Society
Aug 14, 2023

Sweden is not staying neutral in Russia’s information war

Officials say the Kremlin has targeted Sweden with a concerted psychological campaign to discredit the country and undermine its bid to join NATO.
Blackstone is working on more acquisitions in Japan with several bids out and properties like hotels and data centers in the pipeline.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 14, 2023

Blackstone eyes more Japan property after selling $4.5 billion

Real estate investments in Japan have been rosy compared to other countries, where rising costs have squeezed finances and workers have shunned offices.
Aoi Suzuki’s son runs past a home in Taketomi on Iriomote Island (not to be confused with Taketomi Island, which lies to the east of Iriomote). The Suzukis run the Takemori Inn, one of the few hotels on Iriomote.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Aug 14, 2023

My annual pilgrimage to Okinawa

Navigating between different ferries can open up whole new worlds in Japan's southernmost islands.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 14, 2023

Japan panel weighs raising overtime pay for teachers

The government is set to discuss an increase in overtime pay for teachers in a bid to compensate them for long working hours and attract new applicants.
Liudmila Sezonova, a honey merchant, with her son Albert, in their home in Kupiansk, Ukraine
WORLD
Aug 14, 2023

They endured one Russian occupation. Now, they fear a second.

The Ukrainian city of Kupiansk was liberated last year. With fighting at their doorstep, residents fear what a second Russian occupation would mean.
Elizabeth Kutschke at the park with her son Ben, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 15, 2023

When a $2 million gene therapy is not enough

Ben is one of a growing number of patients with spinal muscular atrophy whose doctors are turning to additional drugs in addition to gene therapy.
Nadeshiko Japan reached the knockout stage at a fourth consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup before being eliminated in the quarterfinals on Friday by Sweden.
SOCCER / Women's World cup / From the Spot
Aug 15, 2023

Bold steps needed from JFA, WE League to maintain momentum after WWC

After Nadeshiko Japan's inspiring quarterfinal run in New Zealand, the country's soccer bodies must avoid the missteps of the post-2011 boom and bust.
A moviegoer walks past a poster of the film "The Kerala Story" at a movie theater in Mumbai on May 10.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 16, 2023

Indian movies vilifying Muslims spark fear ahead of polls

An anti-Muslim hit claims to depict "innocent girls trapped, transformed and trafficked for terror," declaring it was "inspired by many true stories."
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 16, 2023

Future of sumo could feature bigger rings — and better care

Though notoriously slow to change, the next 50-100 years could see a number of major developments that alter how sumo is contested and enjoyed.
New Paraguayan President Santiago Pena (left) shakes hands with Taiwanese Vice President Lai Ching-te at the presidential residence in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 16, 2023

Lai’s Paraguay trip shows Taipei’s embrace of diplomatic partners

The visit has also reignited a hotly debated topic in Taiwan — whether the struggle with China over diplomatic recognition is still worth it.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with the Chinese Communist Party's foreign policy chief, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta on July 13.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 16, 2023

Southeast Asia uses great power competition to dodge failures

The U.S. needs to rethink its approach toward Southeast Asia, counter China's narrative, and engage in effective public diplomacy.
A playful photo of Japanese female politicians on a work trip to Paris drew much criticism back home. The backlash may be one of the reasons women choose to avoid public service.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 16, 2023

Japan has a misery-loves-company problem

The backlash to government officials' lighthearted moment is a prime example of how to undermine workers.
Booking a flight with a layover in the city that’s the real destination for the traveler can net big bargains, but airlines prohibit the practice.
LIFE
Aug 19, 2023

'Skiplagging' flights could land you big deals or a lifetime ban

Known as "skiplagging," this travel hack sees consumers buy a ticket for a connecting flight with a layover in the city that’s the real destination.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off with a payload of 21 Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 27.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 18, 2023

Starlink lifts off in Asia as satellite internet race heats up

Elon Musk's company has carved out a niche and an opportunity through the region's natural disasters and the vast sweep of its archipelagoes and islands.
Kapo Choryumon's signature crispy chicken, like much of Hong Kong cuisine, is a blend of influences from the former city-state's long and varied history.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Chefs Table
Aug 20, 2023

Where have Tokyo’s great Hong Kong restaurants gone?

Cantonese, British and Indian cuisines have all influenced Hong Kong recipes, flavor profiles and favored ingredients over the centuries.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 18, 2023

Abe faction decides leadership structure, but can it hold?

The agreement is an acknowledgment there is no clear successor to Shinzo Abe, and it may make negotiations with other factions harder.
Social division and the polarization of the American political system are becoming more and more apparent.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023

Where is the America I once knew headed?

The sociopolitical transformation I witnessed in San Francisco is not just a West Coast phenomenon, but perhaps a nationwide trend.
It is still unclear whether BA.2.86 will be able to out-compete other strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, or have any advantage in escaping immune responses from prior infection or vaccination.
WORLD / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Aug 21, 2023

What you need to know about BA.2.86, the new COVID variant

Scientists are keeping an eye on the new lineage because it has 36 mutations that distinguish it from the currently dominant XBB.1.5 variant.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2023

BOJ adjustments show strain as record bond buying continues

Doubling the effective cap on benchmark yields in December and again last month has yet to significantly reduce the central bank's purchases.

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