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Kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke V, now Onoe Kikugoro VIII (front center), gives a greeting during the classical hand-clapping ceremony called "koshiki kaoyose teuchishiki" in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 2025

Kabuki actor Kikunosuke assumes the name Onoe Kikugoro VIII

Onoe Kikugoro is a prestigious stage name in the world of the traditional Japanese performing art.
Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks controls the ball while being guarded by forward Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in February.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 30, 2025

NBA mulling All-Star Game change: USA vs. World

Silver said an international format is appealing because the game will air on NBC during the middle of that network's Winter Olympics coverage.
A drone view shows the car market in Sarmada town, Idlib, Syria, on March 17.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 30, 2025

A tale of two Syrias: Free-market opening sows resentment of new rulers

Bashar Assad's mismanagement helped push the country of 24 million into an economic tailspin, amid Western sanctions and brutal civil war.
Chiyoshoma (right) battles Churanoumi during the New Year Basho in Tokyo in January. The Mongolian's drop down the sumo rankings ahead of the May tournament was one of the biggest surprises of the latest banzuke.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 30, 2025

Puzzling decisions and opaque rankings are all part of sumo's charm

There are always a handful of head-scratching promotions and demotions, and the latest banzuke is no exception.
Prime Minister Shigaru Ishiba and CDP head Yoshihiko Noda at a parliamentary session in Tokyo on April 23.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 30, 2025

Ishiba hears advice from across the aisle on how Japan should handle Trump

A shared sense of national crisis and a desire to appeal to voters ahead of the July Upper House elections is pushing opposition parties to speak up.
The prices of 478 products, including House Foods' curry mixes, will be raised in May.
BUSINESS
Apr 30, 2025

Price hikes set for 478 food products in May

The monthly number of food products with higher prices will rise 1.9% from a year earlier, the fifth consecutive monthly increase.
A woman takes part in an OpenNyAI field trial in Bengaluru, India, in April 2023. The AI trial was aimed at helping some of the nation’s poorest people access money from government anti-poverty programs.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 30, 2025

Will AI close or widen the development gap?

The social, economic and political effects of AI will not naturally bend toward inclusion or equity across the global economy.
The focus of this summer's election will be whether Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition can secure a majority of 125 seats in the Upper House, including seats that are not up for grabs in the upcoming race.
JAPAN / Politics
May 1, 2025

315 people gearing up to run in Japan's Upper House race

The focus will be on whether Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling coalition will secure an Upper House majority of 125 seats.
Shedeur Sanders laughs during an NBA game between the Mavericks and Nuggets in Dallas, on Jan. 14.
MORE SPORTS / Football
May 1, 2025

NFL fines Falcons and Jeff Ulbrich in fallout after prank call to Sanders

The NFL fined the Falcons for allowing Sanders' private information to be leaked.
Shimane University adopted colorful and stylish furniture in classrooms at its new building for the Faculty of Materials for Energy. The university has been improving facilities to be more appealing to female students.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 12, 2025

Japanese universities expanding female quotas in science

The initiative is aimed at correcting a gender imbalance in science-related fields, but also raises concerns over discrimination.
The Bank of Japan has been signaling caution in the face of uncertainty.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 1, 2025

Bank of Japan holds rates as expected but surprises with growth forecast cut

The policy board made no adjustment to the short-term policy rate, currently 0.5%, at a two-day meeting that concluded Thursday.
Michael Block signs autographs during a practice round for the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 15, 2024.
MORE SPORTS
May 2, 2025

Club pro Michael Block qualifies for PGA Championship

Block tied for 15th with the aid of a hole-in-one at the par-3 15th hole in the final round of the 2023 PGA Championship.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick (far left), U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) and Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator. The second round of tariff negotiations between Japan and the United States were held on Thursday in Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 2, 2025

Second round of U.S.-Japan tariff talks ends inconclusively in Washington

Neither foreign exchange rates nor defense spending were discussed, said Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator.
McLaren drivers Lando Norris (second from left) and Oscar Piastri (third from left) speak with members of the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
May 2, 2025

Lando Norris not yet worried about Oscar Piastri's lead in F1 standings

Piastri has won three of the last four races and will be chasing his third straight victory in Miami on Sunday.
A carbon removal plant. Direct air capture and other technologies delivered less than 320,000 tons of carbon removal credits last year.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 2, 2025

Why investors are souring on this once red-hot climate tech

Venture capital funding of U.S.-based startups developing direct air capture (DAC) was down more than 60% in the first three months of 2025.
The Bank of Japan signals rate-hike uncertainty and slashes growth forecasts amid rising trade and inflation concerns, as the central bank's earlier optimism is upended by U.S. President Trump's tariff moves.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 2, 2025

Bank of Japan will struggle to justify hikes after this

Few anticipated how dovish the BOJ would sound on the future direction of rates or how gloomy it would be on the near-term prospects for achieving the inflation goal.
Time Out Market Osaka, located in the basement of Grand Green Osaka's South Building, is the London-based media and hospitality business' first Asian edition of their food market.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 4, 2025

More than a food court: Time Out Market curates Osaka’s best flavors

After whetting appetites in cities like New York and Dubai, Time Out Market, the food event of the eponymous magazine and media group, has opened its first Asian edition in Osaka.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been a staunch advocate for constitutional reform.
JAPAN / Politics
May 3, 2025

Despite shifts in Japan's political landscape, constitutional revision still far off

Weak political leadership, traditional sensitivity around the issue, and new policy priorities have forestalled a larger debate over the Constitution.
People walk on the Grand Ring on the opening day of the Osaka Expo on April 13.
JAPAN
May 3, 2025

Organizers broadly agree to preserve part of Osaka Expo ring

A concrete plan to determine which section will be conserved is due to be finalized at a meeting next month.
U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peters Square in Vatican City on April 26.
WORLD / Politics
May 4, 2025

Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage

The U.S. president, who is not a Catholic, posted the image less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arrives at an assembly area for People's Action Party supporters on Saturday, the day of a general election.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 4, 2025

Singapore’s ruling party keeps majority in victory for PM Lawrence Wong

The results may underscore how voters in countries disrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade wars are increasingly rallying behind incumbent governments.
Ahead of Children’s Day, a survey of kids entering elementary school in Japan found their top dream job was cake shop and bakery worker, followed by police officer and athlete.
JAPAN / Society
May 4, 2025

Cake shop workers and police officers high on dream job list in Japan

Cake shop and bakery worker topped the overall rankings covering both boys and girls, chosen by 11.7% of the respondents.
Excitement for Nintendo's next console is high, but a vocal contingent of fans are voicing criticism over the company's pricing strategy.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
May 5, 2025

‘Drop the price’: Behind the pushback on Nintendo’s Switch 2

Nintendo games have never been cheap, but the company seems to be nickel-and-diming more than ever with its new console.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing Washington en route to Michigan for back-to-back events on the 100th day of his second term, on April 29.
WORLD / Politics
May 5, 2025

'I don't know': Trump pleads ignorance on the supreme law of the land

In an interview, Donald Trump said he wasn’t sure if he’s obligated to uphold the Constitution. The remarks, tied to his deportation policies, drew criticism from legal experts.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters about Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations at his official residence on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 5, 2025

Tariff talks with U.S. seen influencing Japan's Upper House election

The outcome of the ongoing bilateral negotiations will have a major impact on this summer's election in the Upper House.
The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles in 2024. U.S. President Donald Trump says the U.S. movie industry is dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries are offering to draw American filmmakers.
BUSINESS
May 5, 2025

Saying Hollywood is dying, Trump orders 100% tariff on non-U.S. movies to save it

No details were provided on how the tariffs would be implemented.
The health ministry and some municipalities are turning to spot workers to solve the labor shortage in the nursing care industry.
JAPAN / Society
May 5, 2025

More nursing care facilities in Japan embrace 'spot work' amid labor shortage

The demand for care providers is expected to rise to around 2.4 million by fiscal 2026 and about 2.72 million by fiscal 2040.
The imperial family attends a spring garden party at the Akasaka Imperial Gardens in Tokyo on April 22.
JAPAN
May 5, 2025

Imperial Household Agency’s YouTube channel surpasses 100,000 subscribers

Launched on April 1, the channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers in just a week.
Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga throws during his start against the Brewers on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 6, 2025

Cubs place Shota Imanaga on injured list with hamstring strain

Imanaga was injured in the sixth inning of a scoreless pitcher's duel Sunday when he reached for the back of his left leg in pain.
The Hollywood sign is framed by palm trees as Donald Trump unveils a 100% tariff on films made outside of the U.S., in Los Angeles, California, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 6, 2025

Trump tariff order on movies leaves film industry flummoxed

Tariffs on movies might prove more difficult to implement than even the highly integrated North American automobile industry.

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