Search - 2023

 
 
A farmer plants rice seedlings using a rice transplanter in a paddy field in Kobe in June.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2023

Japan's demand for rice falls 10 years in a row

As demand wanes, the agriculture ministry has begun urging farmers to switch to growing soybeans and wheat, as well as rice used for animal feed.
An Air Self-Defense Force Kawasaki C-2 military transport aircraft is put on display at the Dubai Air Show in November 2019.
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2023

Japan mulls mounting long-range missiles on C-2 transporters

The missiles could be used for operations to attack enemy bases such as missile launch sites in counterstrike operations.
A highway runs through Saudi Arabia's arid landscape. A new horticulture project marks the biggest food-tech investment for the country, whose extreme summer temperatures have long left it reliant on food imports.
WORLD
Aug 7, 2023

Saudi city of future enlists Dutch help to grow crops in desert

The Netherlands is now the world’s second-largest agricultural exporter after the U.S., despite being one of Europe’s smallest nations.
A participant operates the "Flappy Bird," a self-made flying machine, during an event in Hong Kong in May 2014. Vietnam first caught the attention of global gamers in 2013 after Hanoi developer Dong Nguyen created, Flappy Bird, a simple but addictive game app.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2023

A decade after Flappy Bird, Vietnam becomes gaming powerhouse

Moving beyond outsourced software and sneaker factories, Hanoi views mobile games as a crucial part of its emerging tech sector.
Eisuke Sakakibara, former top finance official, says Japanese authorities are unlikely to intervene in foreign exchange markets to prop up the yen.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2023

Japan's 'Mr. Yen' Sakakibara expects no intervention

The yen has fallen around 14% since the Fed began rapidly raising rates to combat soaring inflation in March 2022.
A camp of informal gold miners in Los Amigos, in the Madre de Dios region, Peru. The Peruvian government estimates that illegal miners dump about 180 metric tons of mercury in Madre de Dios annually.
WORLD
Aug 7, 2023

Gold mining in the Amazon poisoning scores of threatened species

Miners in southeast Peru use mercury to find gold — inadvertently contaminating hundreds of species native to the area.
Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic makes a save against the United States during their match at the Women's World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 7, 2023

Sweden's Zecira Musovic 'in the zone' ahead of clash with Japan

The Chelsea stopper exploded on the global stage with her breathtaking performance in the penalty shootout win against the defending champion U.S.
U.S. star Megan Rapinoe reacts after the team's loss against Sweden in the round of 16 at the Women's World Cup in Melbourne on Sunday. Rapinoe is among the U.S. veterans who might have played in the World Cup for the final time.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 7, 2023

United States' Women's World Cup exit signals end of dominant era

This edition of the Women's World Cup confirmed that the rest of the world has caught up to the Americans.
Australia's Sam Kerr (left) and head coach Tony Gustavsson celebrate after progressing to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney on Monday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 8, 2023

Sam Kerr returns as Australia downs Denmark to reach quarters

Kerr, who has been absent with a calf injury, came on as a 78th-minute substitute to the biggest roar of the night from the crowd of 75,784.
A busy 2024 schedule will see the PGA Tour expand to 36 events for the first time since 2012.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 8, 2023

Pebble Beach joins signature stops as PGA unveils 2024 schedule

The PGA Tour unveiled a lineup of 36 tournaments in a calendar-year schedule for the first time since 2012.
Taro Aso, a former prime minister and current vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during the Ketagalan Forum in Taipei on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2023

Taiwan situation ‘tilting toward emergency,’ former Japan PM says

Taro Aso said this shift was “definitely not out of the blue” but was now “more evident,” pointing to military exercises by China around Taiwan.
U.S. President Joe Biden is flanked by Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (left) and Celeste Drake while delivering remarks at the White House in Washington in 2022.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2023

Biden's top labor adviser exits as U.S. navigates strikes: source

The departure comes at a critical time for an administration dealing with a summer of labor unrest.
New Zealand's Football Ferns earned their first-ever Women's World Cup win in their Group A opener against Norway on July 20.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 9, 2023

Kiwi players hope World Cup leaves legacy in rugby-mad homeland

Half of the tournament's 32 teams were based in New Zealand, often sharing training facilities with local clubs.
Sven Hannemann manages the forest surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Its ancient oak trees are suffering from drought induced by climate change.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 9, 2023

In Germany's Versailles, drought is killing ancient trees

Drought induced by climate change is decimating trees in Potsdam's Sanssouci Palace, forcing park managers to rethink its centuries-old forest.
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.
Phillies starter Michael Lorenzen is doused with water by teammate Alec Bohm after throwing a no-hitter against the Nationals in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 10, 2023

Michael Lorenzen tosses no-hitter in home debut for Phillies

Lorenzen struck out five and walked four in a remarkable 124-pitch outing as the Phillies completed a 7-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park.
Children from nongovernment controlled territories who attended a Russian-organized summer camp and were then taken to Russia wait for departure to Kyiv, after returning via the Ukraine-Belarus border, in Volyn region, Ukraine on April 7.
WORLD
Aug 10, 2023

Kremlin aide who took Ukraine minors to Russia tied to neo-Nazism

Russia claims its deportation of Ukrainian children, described by international prosecutors as illegal, is to protect them from "Nazism."
A demonstrator blocks a military vehicle in the city of Imphal on Aug. 3 during a protest against the killings of Kuki peoples amid ethnic violence in the Indian state of Manipur.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2023

India’s state of violence

The slow-burning horror in its northeastern state of Manipur has shaken the country and paralyzed its Parliament. And there is no resolution in sight.
The Gacha Pop playlist on Spotify offers a wonderfully scattered collection of J-pop chart-toppers, long-running favorites and next-generation names, reflecting the global ambitions of homegrown artists.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Aug 11, 2023

The summer of Gacha Pop

Spotify’s curated playlist encapsulates J-pop’s diverse range, but more than that, it shows how Japanese music travels in the world today.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 10, 2023

Hinata Miyazawa leading charge for Japan at Women's World Cup

Hinata Miyazawa had never been prolific before this year's Women's World Cup but has emerged as an unlikely star during the tournament.
Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa controls the ball during a training session in Auckland on Tuesday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 11, 2023

Rejuvenated Nadeshiko Japan 'ready to fight against anyone'

Japan, a sagging power suddenly revived, might be the most impressive contender remaining in the Women's World Cup.
Salma Paralluelo (center) celebrates with her teammates after scoring against the Netherlands during their quarterfinal match at the Women's World Cup in Wellington on Friday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 11, 2023

Spain gets past Netherlands in extra time to reach World Cup semifinals

Substitute Salma Paralluelo scored in extra time to help Spain book a place in the semifinals.
Wales coach Warren Gatland (right) says Taulupe Faletau (not pictured) is not feeling any discomfort in his calf.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 11, 2023

Wales coach Warren Gatland expects Taulupe Faletau to play at World Cup

Wales coach Warren Gatland is "pretty confident" key backrow forward Taulupe Faletau will be fit to take his place in the squad for next month's Rugby World Cup in France.
Sweden's Magdalena Eriksson celebrates her team's win over Japan as Aoba Fujino looks dejected, in Auckland on Friday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup / From the Spot
Aug 11, 2023

Nadeshiko's bright future undimmed by Sweden defeat

The flair, excitement and promise demonstrated by the team has shown that Japan can again lift the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy one day.
Nadeshiko Japan head coach Futoshi Ikeda is all but certain to continue his role through the 2024 Paris Olympics and beyond.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 13, 2023

Futoshi Ikeda wants youngsters to grow as Nadeshiko heads home

The emergence of a crop of talented youngsters has reinvigorated a Nadeshiko side set to benefit from greater stability over the next four years.
Miss Indonesia Sonia Fergina Citra (left) and other contestants at the Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok in December 2018.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 13, 2023

Miss Universe cuts ties with Indonesia organizer accused of sexual harassment

Six Miss Universe Indonesia contestants filed complaints with police accusing organizers of sexual harassment.
JAPAN
Aug 14, 2023

Japan braces for another typhoon as trains and flights canceled

Typhoon Lan is poised to make landfall in central Japan on Tuesday, with the storm set to bring a month’s worth of rain in just a few days.
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.
Australia captain Sam Kerr (center) is expected to play a larger role for her team during its Women's World Cup semifinal against England on Wednesday.
SOCCER / Women's World cup
Aug 14, 2023

Australia and England set for blockbuster Women's World Cup semifinal

Australia and England have clashed in a variety of sports over the years and will meet in the Women's World Cup semifinals on Wednesday.
M-Sys President Masao Takikawa stands in front of a Yakiton Daikoku izakaya pub that opened in Sendai's Kokubuncho entertainment district.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Aug 15, 2023

Sendai pub chain boosts performance with better work conditions

Sendai-based M-Sys has implemented a policy of offering monthly pay of ¥300,000 to new hires.

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building