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Riot police approach a site where a murder suspect had barricaded himself in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, on May 26.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 10, 2024

Former Asahi photographer indicted for entering home of murder suspect

The photographer reportedly told the newspaper's internal investigation that he had entered without knowing it was the defendant’s home.
Indian folk singer Maithili Thakur speaks during an interview at her residence in New Delhi on April 2. Thakur thought she was successfull with millions following her Hindu devotional tunes on social media — but then Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent her popularity stratospheric.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 10, 2024

Modi taps India's influencers to rally millions ahead of key elections

Many social media stars given government-organized awards have a striking similarity in their promotion of India's Hindu-majority culture.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is interviewed Tokyo on April 5. Kishida left for the U.S. on Monday amid record low poll numbers due to his handling of the political funds scandal that has rocked the LDP.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 10, 2024

Will Kishida dissolve parliament in June?

Speculation has been fueled by comments from Kishida’s fellow Liberal Democratic Party members and the prime minister himself.
Although intelligence agencies are engaging more with the public than they used to, spy-themed entertainment is still the primary source of education about espionage.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2024

James Bond and Jason Bourne ruined spies for all of us

The average person knows deep down that what they see in the movies and on TV isn’t the same as reality, but they don’t know how or how much.
Discomfort and life lessons ensue after a 60-something-year-old man (Shofukutei Tsurube, center) marries a much younger woman (Ayami Nakajo, left) while living with his 39-year-old daughter (Noriko Eguchi) in “Amalock.”
CULTURE / Film
Apr 11, 2024

‘Amalock’: Family comedy plays questionable age gap for laughs

Noriko Eguchi delivers a relatable performance as a woman who is disconcerted by her father’s marriage in Kazuhiro Nakamura’s film.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 12, 2024

'The world needs the United States': Kishida warns Congress over risk of American retreat

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida became just the second Japanese leader to address a joint meeting of Congress, pledging to stand side-by-side with the U.S.
A brine pool at an SQM lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The industry that deals with one of the world’s most important commodities is asking whether it's doomed to repeat a boom and bust cycle again and again.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 12, 2024

Lithium industry braces for long-term oversupply after price instability

Those involved with the commodity are asking whether they're doomed to repeat a boom and bust cycle again and again.
Yagana Yamani, 25, one of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from their dormitory by Boko Haram Islamist militants in 2014, in her home in Chibok, Nigeria
WORLD / Society
Apr 12, 2024

A decade on, tragedy of Nigeria’s Chibok Girls endures outside the spotlight

Roughly 90 Chibok girls are still missing, and a third are believed to have died in captivity.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, in December at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
BASEBALL
Apr 12, 2024

How Ippei Mizuhara allegedly wired millions from Shohei Ohtani’s account

Crucially for Ohtani, a U.S. investigation clearly paints him as a victim without any involvement in or knowledge of his interpreter's gambling woes.
Dolls of Myaku-Myaku, the 2025 Expo's official mascot, at an official store for the event in Osaka on April 2
JAPAN / Society
Apr 12, 2024

Transport becomes most pressing issue one year out from Osaka Expo

As organizers look ahead to recruiting volunteers and planning events for the six-month expo, another concern has emerged: transportation logistics.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives for a tour of a new Toyota battery factory in Liberty, North Carolina, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 13, 2024

Kishida touts U.S. visit success, saying snap election not on his mind

The prime minister, who is due to fly back on Saturday, will be hoping the diplomatic success can translate into a bump in his low approval ratings.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, attends an event in Seoul on Thursday. He is one of the most polarizing political figures in South Korea with a fervent base of supporters on the left and a large block of opponents in the conservative camp.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2024

Indicted opposition leader is South Korea’s top contender for president in 2027

The victory of his party in Wednesday's parliamentary elections was quite a turnaround for Lee Jae-myung.
A protester demands the United Kingdom make reparations for slavery, outside the British High Commission, in Kingston, Jamaica, in March 2022.
WORLD / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Apr 13, 2024

Slavery tribunal? Africa and Caribbean unite on reparations

A tribunal was proposed last year, and it has now gained traction within a broader slavery reparations movement.
The Takashimaya department store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 13, 2024

Man arrested for stealing ¥10 million gold tea bowl in Tokyo

Security camera footage showed a man putting the bowl in his backpack and fleeing toward Nihonbashi Station about 30 minutes later.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an unpopular leader at home, whom many hold responsible for failures that led to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Iran attack tests Netanyahu’s political staying power

For almost three decades, Netanyahu has warned that a nuclear Iran would be catastrophic.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint news conference at the White House on Wednesday
BUSINESS / EXPLAINER
Apr 15, 2024

Biden-Kishida summit drives home U.S.-Japan economic union

The leaders used their meeting to bake economic cooperation into the allies' relationship in hopes of making it harder to pull out of in the future.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses supporters during an election campaign rally in Pushkar, India, on April 6, ahead of the country's upcoming general election starting Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 15, 2024

For Modi, the Indian election is less about winning and more about by how much

For Indian leader Narendra Modi, an upcoming parliamentary election is less about winning and more about by how much.
This pure gold tea bowl was stolen last week during a department store event and has been found at an antique shop in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2024

Stolen pure gold tea bowl recovered at Tokyo antique shop

During the exhibition, the pure gold tea bowl was on display with no lock or alarm system.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak inside 10 Downing Street in central London on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

British PM Sunak's Rwanda deportation plan set to pass Parliament

Britain's prime minister says he is "highly confident" his plans to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda will work.
From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 16, 2024

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

We discuss everything from accessibility in Tokyo to dealing with trains and the country’s shifting attitudes.
A direct military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities by the U.S. and its allies would likely only delay its program while risking regional war and increasing the likelihood of Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons in the long run.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 16, 2024

Iran hawks want to strike now. They're wrong.

One thing Iran hawks get right, starting with the contention that by attacking Israel directly on Saturday night, Iran changed rules of engagement.
Chinese runner He Jie, Ethiopian Dejene Hailu Bikila and Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat take part in a half-marathon in Beijing on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Apr 17, 2024

Did three African runners let a Chinese runner win a race in Beijing?

The results of a half-marathon are under investigation after footage of the finish led many to question whether three runners had deliberately slowed down.
"Great Japan History Briefing Session, the 15th Empress Jingu." Expedition in Korea. The legendary Empress Jingu setting foot in Korea. Painting by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi in 1880.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Apr 18, 2024

What would Sigmund Freud have thought of Japan’s largely peaceful history?

In an exchange of letters, Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud discussed human nature when it comes to why people go to war. How does Japan fit in?
A member of Ukraine’s 17th Tank Brigade on patrol near the front line in the Donetsk region of southeastern Ukraine on Jan. 4.
WORLD
Apr 17, 2024

Ukraine’s big vulnerabilities: Ammunition, soldiers and air defense

Even if outside aid comes through, Ukraine's third year pushing Russia back will be extremely tough as they continue to be outgunned.
In the new Disney+ series “House of the Owl,” Min Tanaka (left) plays a powerful political fixer, or “kuromaku,” who has a troubled relationship with his adult children, particularly his idealistic son, played by Mackenyu.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Apr 18, 2024

'House of the Owl' brings Hollywood values to Japanese TV

Min Tanaka plays a powerful political fixer in the 10-episode show, which centers on the behind-the-scenes machinations of "kuromaku."
Since launching in 1961, the iconic Salone del Mobile furniture fair has firmly established Milan’s status as a leading force in the global design world
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 18, 2024

Salone del Mobile’s Maria Porro: ‘Italy and Japan share many things’

Maria Porro became the leading global design fair's first female and youngest-ever president when she was named to the position in 2021.
France's President Emmanuel Macron (left) and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (right) talk as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (center) uses a phone during an informal European Union leaders' summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

EU weighs response to Russian 'interference' in election run-up

Several EU states want to sanction Russia for their suspected disinformation campaigns ahead of European elections set for June.
Efforts by Russia and China to shape U.S. politics through propaganda and cyberattacks have been less pronounced during this year’s election cycle than they were in 2016 and 2020, Microsoft said on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Microsoft sees slowing in Russian and Chinese efforts to sway U.S. vote

Researchers concluded that there have been few signs of people being broadly swayed by sophisticated deepfake videos made with AI by the nation-states.
Ideal or not, the reality of the world is that one currency, the U.S. dollar, is first among equals.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2024

Asian currencies can't fight the dollar on a rampage

Markets tend to reflect economic performance. And ideal or not, the reality of a world is one currency, the U.S. dollar, is truly first among equals.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda hinted at a chance of a rate hike in the second half of this year by highlighting the likelihood of improvement in the price trend.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2024

More economists see BOJ rate hike in October, flag July risk

All 54 economists except for one predict no policy change at the central bank’s two-day meeting ending on April 26.

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