Search - 2023

 
 
Chinese leader Xi Jinping walks past then-Foreign Minister Qin Gang (front left) and defense chief Li Shangfu (front right) as he arrives for the closing session of the National People's Congress at Beijing's Great Hall of the People in March.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 13, 2023

With purges of top officials, is China’s Xi in trouble? Hardly.

The well-known opacity in Beijing may have clouded assessments of how the turbulence is affecting Xi’s grip on power
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Oct 13, 2023

Third-place squads face long road to Japan Series

Only two teams have reached the Japan Series after finishing the regular season in third place.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem in July 2017.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 11, 2023

India’s realism comes of age in response to Israel-Hamas war

Unlike other Global South country leaders, Modi wasted no time expressing solidarity with Israel, an ally of India.
SOCCER
Oct 14, 2023

Sanfrecce outlasts Albirex for WE League Cup title

The sister team of three-time J. League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima earned its first major trophy since its 2020 inception.
New Zealand's Ardie Savea (left) shakes hands with Ireland captain Johnny Sexton after their 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Saint-Denis, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 15, 2023

All Blacks end Johnny Sexton's career with more World Cup woe for Ireland

The defeat ended Ireland's run of 17 successive test victories and denied Andy Farrell's team the chance of a first ever semifinal.
Argentina players celebrate after their 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal win over Wales in Marseille, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 15, 2023

Argentina surges into semis with battling comeback win over Wales

The Pumas will play New Zealand in Paris next week.
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton leaves the pitch following his team's quarterfinal defeat to the All Blacks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in Paris on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 15, 2023

Ireland's Johnny Sexton ends storied career with 'gutting' RWC exit

A tearful but dignified Sexton appeared at the post-match news conference after his dreams of a fairytale ending were dashed by the All Blacks
JAPAN / Society
Oct 15, 2023

Ibaraki regains ignominious crown as least attractive prefecture

This marks the 12th time the prefecture ranked last since the survey began in 2009 — after being dethroned by Saga in 2022.
Fiji's outside center and captain Waisea Nayacalevu (left) is tackled by England fly-half and captain Owen Farrell during the France 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between England and Fiji.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 16, 2023

Borthwick backs England to rise once more for World Cup semis

"A lot of people said we wouldn't get out of the pool. We got out of the pool, now we got out of the quarterfinal," said the England coach.
France's head coach Fabien Galthie (top, center) stands with his players ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal match between France and South Africa in Saint-Denis, France, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 16, 2023

France coach Galthie has no regrets over defeat to South Africa

Fabien Galthie's first thoughts after the 29-28 defeat were for the fans who had supported the team so vociferously.
Israeli soldiers inspect the burned cars of festival-goers who were attacked and massacred by Hamas militants near the border with the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2023

The real dividing line between Israel and Palestine

The choice is not between hard-line factions; it is between the fundamentalists on both sides and all those who still believe in the possibility of peace.
Australia head coach Eddie Jones speaks at a news conference in Sydney on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 17, 2023

Eddie Jones says he's committed to Australia, stands by youth push

The 63-year-old Australian, whose mother and wife are Japanese, has been linked with the vacant Japan head coaching job.
Gala Espel’s “Archeology of the Future” fuses digital technology with handcraftsmanship to create silverware and jewelry of industrial forms and natural motifs.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Oct 17, 2023

Designart’s young creators foreshadow the future

On: Design this month focuses on the work of five creators selected by Designart judges for its 2023 Under 30 program.
Chinese civil servants and employees of state-linked enterprises are facing tighter constraints on private travel abroad and scrutiny of their foreign connections.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 17, 2023

China tightens curbs on foreign travel by bankers and state workers

Individuals' accounts varied but were consistent in describing heightened scrutiny of overseas travel even after China reopened borders in January.
Elon Musk’s X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is allowing child sexual exploitation material to rampantly proliferate, according to Australian regulators, the latest in a growing list of legal challenges the company is facing.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023

Australian regulators latest in series of legal woes for Musk's X

X is allowing child sexual exploitation material to rampantly proliferate across the platform, according to Australian regulators.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 17, 2023

Marines and Carp hope to maintain Climax Series momentum

The CL and PL league champions, the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes, will enter the fray with places in the Japan Series on the line.
The NFL has used flag football to grow its global fan base.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Oct 18, 2023

NFL wants to clear a path to Olympics for players

Some NFL players have already expressed interest in competing for the U.S. team.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023

Japan tries 'nudge theory' in bid to curtail littering by tourists

Thea measures come as littering and other problems related to overtourism are worsening in popular destinations.
Foreign tourists in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward on Wednesday
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023

Foreign visitors to Japan hit 96% of pre-COVID level in September

The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure was 2.18 million last month, up slightly from 2.16 million in August.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. The central bank announced an emergency bond-buying operation on Wednesday after the 10-year Japanese government bond yield hit a new decade high.
BUSINESS
Oct 18, 2023

Bank of Japan steps into debt market to slow rising bond yields

The operation had no immediate impact on the benchmark 10-year yield, which earlier in the day touched 0.815%, a fresh decade high.
Police officers work after a operation against a deadly shooting suspect, in Schaerbeek, Brussels, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
Oct 18, 2023

Brussels attack underlines challenges for new EU migration pact

Monday's shooting came at a time of heightened concerns across Europe linked to the Israel-Hamas war and alarm over increasing arrivals of migrants.
Busan International Film Festival host Song Kang-ho presents the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award to veteran Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat at the 2023 edition of the Asian film festival.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2023

Film fans flock to Busan festival despite scandal

Busan International Film Festival remains a prestige Asian movie event amid internal strife and budget cuts.
Commuters ride on rickshaws on a flooded road after heavy rains in Dhaka in September.
ENVIRONMENT / ANALYSIS
Oct 19, 2023

Can pre-disaster cash and aid help fix climate loss and damage?

Anticipatory action can help avert the worst effects of climate-related disasters.
United Airlines planes on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 19, 2023

Airline investors worry travel boom may be coming in for a landing

Strong demand from travelers has so far allowed carriers to mitigate inflationary pressure with higher fares.
Japan's exports rose more than expected in September, led by shipments of cars and medical supplies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 19, 2023

Japan exports rise more than expected in support for recovery

The value of exports gained 4.3% from a year earlier, led by shipments of cars and medical supplies in the first overall rise in three months.
While there should be a balance between entrepreneurial innovation and environmental responsibility, pollution should be the primary concern, not economic growth.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 19, 2023

Embracing the green growth mindset

Some high-carbon economic activities need to shrink while low-carbon, high-efficiency sectors need to grow.
The All Blacks perform the haka before their World Cup match against Uruguay in Lyon, France, on Oct. 5
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Oct 19, 2023

All Blacks hit reset button ahead of semifinal against Argentina

New Zealand edged Ireland in a pulsating quarterfinal last weekend to reach the semifinal round at the Rugby World Cup.
Tourists enjoy the sunset at Bali's Canggu beach in 2021.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 19, 2023

In Bali, 'sea-sun-sand' tourists threaten ancient rainforest

The island seeks to limit visitors without scaring off too many job-creating visitors with exorbitant taxes.
Labyrinth organizer Russell Moench sparked controversy with transphobic tweets, leading booked artists to pull out of the highly regarded electronic music festival’s 2023 edition.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 20, 2023

Art and politics clash at Labyrinth 2023

A controversy surrounding the prestige electronic music festival sparks an old debate over separating art and the artist.
Chinese President Xi Jinping during the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Wednesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 20, 2023

Europe’s snub turns Xi’s Belt and Road into Global South party

The Chinese leader appears to have reformed the initiative as a club for emerging economies known as the Global South.

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