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According to the ministry, Japan has about 4,500 companies with annual sales of ¥10 billion or more. But many of them are concentrated in metropolitan areas.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 15, 2025

Japan to invite small businesses to declare ¥10 billion sales targets

The country has about 4,500 companies with annual sales of ¥10 billion or more, but many of them are concentrated in metropolitan areas.
Thames Water's Beddington Sewage Treatment Works near Croydon, south London, on Friday. Thames Water, and other British water companies privatized since 1989, are under fire for allowing the discharge of large quantities of sewage into rivers and the sea.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 15, 2025

A stain on Britain: Sewage contaminates its waterways and seas

Failings with the most basic services in British society, such as water and sewage, have been harming the broader U.K. economy.
Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali at a season launch event on Feb. 18 in London.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 16, 2025

Formula One boss to visit Thailand for talks on Bangkok race

The Italian ex-Ferrari boss, who has just extended his contract to remain F1 president until 2029, is keen to examine new markets as the sport soars in popularity.
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt in action during the men's super-G World Cup event in Kvitfjell, Norway, on March 9.
MORE SPORTS / Alpine skiing
Mar 16, 2025

Alpine star Marco Odermatt clinches fourth straight overall World Cup title

Odermatt, 27, had already secured the super-G globe for the third year in a row and is the runaway favorite to also clinch the downhill title.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers questions during an Upper House Budget Committee meeting Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 16, 2025

Opposition set to step up offensive against Ishiba

Ishiba, already hurt by low public support, has found himself in a bind ahead of this summer's Upper House election as the scandal shakes his image as a "clean politician."
U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, marked by betrayal and disregard for relationships, has weakened America’s global alliances, prompting countries to consider alternative allies.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 16, 2025

America is surrounded by enemies — that it created

This is not just a Trump problem; America’s whole reputation is shot.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (right) speaks to officials of Miyada in Nagano Prefecture on Saturday during his visit to the village.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 17, 2025

Japan to extend financial aid to more people moving out of Tokyo

The government plans to expand eligibility to include people taking up jobs in agriculture, medicine and welfare, as well as those becoming self-employed.
By promoting healthier aging through measures to extend workforce participation, increase social engagement and improve health care systems, Asia’s policymakers could create a “silver demographic dividend” that helps to sustain the region’s economic dynamism.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 17, 2025

Reaping Asia’s silver demographic dividend

Concerns that older workers are not as productive as their younger counterparts are overblown.
An aerial view of Thames Water's Beddington Sewage Treatment Works near Croydon, south London on Friday. Thames Water — and other British water companies privatized since 1989 — are under fire for allowing the discharge of large quantities of sewage into rivers and the sea.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 17, 2025

A stain on Britain: Sewage contaminates its waterways and seas

The pollution affects the seafood and tourism industries, while delaying construction projects and hampering the economy.
Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins (left) and Ja'Marr Chase celebrate a Higgins touchdown in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 17, 2024.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Mar 17, 2025

Bengals signing receivers Chase and Higgins to four-year deals

Chase's annual average salary of $40.25 million sets the league record for most lucrative for a non-quarterback.
A conceptual image of a jacket that can automatically adjust the temperature inside it to a level that is the most comfortable for the wearer, to be showcased by Tohan Denshi Kiki and others at the Osaka Expo
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 17, 2025

Local manufacturers to show futuristic products at Osaka Expo

Products to be showcased at the Expo include a jacket that can automatically adjust the temperature inside it.
Tokyo Creative Salon combines elements of design, fashion and less easily categorizable artistic disciplines.
LIFE / Style & Design
Mar 18, 2025

Tokyo Creative Salon sees the city as both runway and canvas

Through March 23, Tokyo’s streets, shopping centers and civic spaces will host an interdisciplinary celebration of creativity.
Despite recent market volatility and trade tariff concerns, Japan continues to see fund launches as global investors are drawn to its stock market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2025

Hong Kong hedge fund Polymer joins rush to debut pure Japan funds, sources say

The move will see the heavyweight joining a wave of fund launches in Japan.
Chubu Electric Power removed the top lid of the No. 2 reactor at its Hamaoka plant Monday, marking the first time in Japan that the dismantling of a commercial nuclear reactor has begun.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2025

Dismantling of reactor begins at Hamaoka nuclear plant

The dismantling process is the third stage of the decommissioning project at the plant in Shizuoka Prefecture.
A Taiwanese military honor guard holds Taiwanese flags during an open day event for the public at the Keelung port on the island Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 18, 2025

China sends most military aircraft near Taiwan since October

Beijing's military move came days after the democratic island’s president called it “a foreign hostile force.”
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a session of the Upper House Budget Committee in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 18, 2025

Why ousting Ishiba could be a tricky task

Passing a no-confidence motion could result in the dissolution of the Lower House within 10 days, triggering another election the opposition might lose.
The Environment Ministry has removed more than 200 species from its red list of endangered plants and fungi, with the removal largely reflecting a recovery of populations. For instance, the Cypripedium macranthos var. rebunense, which grows on Rebun Island in Hokkaido, has been moved to the "near threatened" category.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Mar 18, 2025

Japan removes 207 species from red list of endangered plants and fungi

The decrease largely reflects the recovery of populations, though 57 species were recognized as extinct.
The Crew Dragon capsule containing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams and two other astronauts descends by parachute before their splashdown off the coast of Florida, on March 18 in a still image from video.
WORLD
Mar 19, 2025

NASA astronauts 'Butch and Suni' return to Earth after drawn-out mission in space

Their return ends a mission fraught with uncertainty and technical troubles that turned into a global spectacle.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks to a television interview outside the White House in Washington on Friday. Bessent had indicated a possible delay in the activation of new reciprocal tariff rates on the United States' trading partners.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 19, 2025

Trump still intends for reciprocal tariffs to kick in on April 2

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had indicated a possible delay but the White House says trading partners would need to negotiate deals in advance to avoid new tariffs.
A man rides past a graffiti that reads "Patino FARC EP" on a road near El Plateado, Cauca department, Colombia, on March 9. The Micay Canyon mountains have been transformed into a micro-state, ruled by guerrillas fighting each other and the army.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 19, 2025

USAID suspension shutters Colombia programs, endangering FARC peace deal

In recent years, Colombia had received as much as $440 million annually in USAID assistance for more than 80 programs.
Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali (left) speaks to Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a meeting in Bangkok on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 19, 2025

Thailand eyes hosting Formula One race from 2028, prime minister says

The government will study the investment requirement, economic benefits to Thailand and the possibility of holding the competition in a street circuit.
JX Advanced Metals' stock rose as much as 6.7% in morning trading on Wednesday as it debuted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 19, 2025

JX Advanced Metals surges on debut after biggest Japan IPO since 2018

The successful debut for JX may provide a tailwind for other local IPO hopefuls to push forward with their plans to go public.
Japan's shipments abroad have advanced in the first two months of this year, as Japanese companies brace for the rollout of higher tariffs in the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 19, 2025

Japan’s exports rose more quickly in February ahead of Trump tariffs

Global trade flows face potential major disruptions as the U.S. continues to escalate its tariff campaign, targeting nations where Japanese carmakers have manufacturing bases.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba waits for a session of the House of Councillors Budget Committee to begin in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Explainer
Mar 19, 2025

What's the fuss over Ishiba's gift vouchers?

The prime minister's standing has worsened following reports that he handed out gift vouchers worth ¥100,000 ($668) each to rookie lawmakers from his party.
Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's assertion that U.S. aid cuts to programs including PEPFAR and USAID in Africa aren't causing harm is not true. Children and others are already dying as a result.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 19, 2025

Musk says aid cuts haven’t killed anyone. That's not true.

In South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries, the efforts by Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump are already leading children to die.
SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere Computing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 20, 2025

SoftBank seals $6.5 billion deal for chip designer Ampere

The move further broadens the Japanese investment firm’s push into artificial intelligence infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, at the White House on Feb. 24. American conservatives want Europe to take on more military responsibility but often scorn its structure, making France the strongest candidate for leadership.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2025

Why U.S. conservatives should fall in love with France

For American conservatives who sincerely want a capable Europe, just supporting European populism is not enough.
It has become the government's urgent priority to address the issue of an acute labor shortage in the Self-Defense Forces, as recruitment has consistently fallen short of targets.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Mar 21, 2025

Higher pay and career support planned to help boost Japan's SDF ranks

Recruitment for the Self-Defense Forces has consistently fallen short of targets, with only about 10,000 personnel hired in fiscal 2023 — half of the quota of about 20,000.
Lyft envisions a hybrid future where human drivers will complement autonomous vehicle fleets, especially during periods of peak demand.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 21, 2025

Lyft to offer driverless ride-hails ‘as soon as this summer’

The company sees its human drivers transitioning to other work such as fleet management as autonomous rides become more ubiquitous.
Ukrainian troops fire a mortar toward Russian troops at a front line near the town of Chasiv Yar, in Ukraine's Donetsk region, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 21, 2025

EU leaders vow to continue backing Ukraine, but make no concrete pledge

European Union leaders said on Thursday that they will continue to support Ukraine, but they did not immediately endorse a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide at least €5 billion ($5.42 billion) for artillery ammunition purchases.

Longform

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