Search - 2023

 
 
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Jul 5, 2024

EU voices concern at Orban Moscow visit rumor

Orban is the only EU leader to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Takuya Matsunaga (right), whose wife and daughter were killed by a runaway car in Ikebukuro in April 2019, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in October. Two men have allegedly defamed Matsunaga.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 5, 2024

Charges loom for pair accused of defaming families of traffic accident victims

The defamatory remarks were made on social media, including toward a man who lost his wife and child in a high-profile car accident in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district.
Fish swim near recovering coral reefs after bleaching in late December 2023 due to extreme weather, in Bondalem village, Buleleng regency, Bali, Indonesia, on June 20.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 5, 2024

Coral bleachings devastate Bali reefs as sea temperatures rise

Indonesia, which had its most severe dry season last year since 2019, has roughly 5.1 million hectares of coral reefs and accounts for 18% of the world's total.
Circulators on display at a Bic Camera store in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district on June 26
JAPAN / Society
Jul 5, 2024

Japan companies beat drum for heat-beating goods

Sales of air conditioners, fans, and circulators are rising with the mercury, as high electricity prices make energy-saving products increasingly popular.
Honda's Super Cub moped
JAPAN / Society
Jul 5, 2024

'Genchari' mopeds in crisis ahead of new emissions rules

The growing popularity of power-assisted bicycles and electric kick scooters has led to a decline in sales.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcomed by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Oct. 5, 2018.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 5, 2024

India's Modi heads to Moscow for first visit since Ukraine invasion

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday makes his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, walking a fine line between maintaining a longstanding Moscow alliance while courting closer Western security ties.
Power lines in the Yanqing district of Beijing in 2021
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 5, 2024

China, struggling to exploit an energy storage boom, calls for more

The drive boosts home-grown battery giants but some experts say more must be done to address low utilization and losses for operators.
Bill Gates delivers a speech at the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin in May. He and his ex-wife Melinda Gates started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has had a far-reaching impact on global health and sustainability.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2024

The economics of philanthropy

Philanthropy can help bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots. But wealthy people need more of an incentive to give than just being altruistic.
Starting from September, foreign employees on a work visa must abide by a new points-based system to keep working in Singapore.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 5, 2024

Singapore is making life tougher for global talent

The city-state could lose its position as a global business hub if it keeps tightening the rules for overseas employees in a political bid to appease local residents.
Toyota Customizing & Development, a Toyota subsidiary, broke the subcontract payment law, the Fair Trade Commission said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 5, 2024

Toyota unit violated subcontractor protection law: regulator

Yokohama-based Toyota Customizing & Development broke the law by having dozens of suppliers store metal die casts and other items without paying any storage fees.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a speech during the closing ceremony of the Asia Business Summit in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 6, 2024

Kishida keen to leverage diplomacy to buoy his administration

Diplomacy is one of Kishida's strengths, but it remains unclear if his strategy will pay off.
According to an annual survey, among all respondents who answered that their living conditions were difficult, 26.5% chose "very difficult" and 33.1% "somewhat difficult."
JAPAN / Society
Jul 6, 2024

60% of households in Japan face 'difficult' living conditions, survey finds

Among all respondents who answered that their living conditions were difficult, 26.5% chose "very difficult" and 33.1% "somewhat difficult."
Japan has finally scrapped every regulation requiring the use of floppy disks for administrative purposes.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2024

Japan finally phases out floppy disks

One of the world’s most technologically advanced nations has held on to some of the most outmoded devices.
Visitors walk past an Amazon exhibition booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jul 6, 2024

Is AI a major drain on the world's energy supply?

The spread of data centers across the globe is throwing a spotlight on the amount of energy the technology uses as well as its impact on the environment.
Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One,” which won an Academy Award for best visual effects, was made for a reported $15 million — a small fraction of the budgets used by its Hollywood competitors.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 6, 2024

Japanese cinema is having a stand-out year. Here are some films to watch.

The success of "Godzilla Minus One" gave Japan's film industry a confidence boost, but we haven't been short on must-see hits in 2024.
"Shogun" features Hiroyuki Sanada as the warlord Toranaga. The series is generating major buzz ahead of the announcement of Emmy nominations on July 17.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jul 6, 2024

All hail the era of Japan-themed prestige TV

With shows like "Shogun" and "Tokyo Vice" vying for Emmy nominations this month, it's safe to say the streamers are having a bit of a "Japan moment."
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrive to deliver a joint statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 6, 2024

Kyiv and allies slam Hungary's Orban for Ukraine talks with Putin

Hungary's six-month EU presidency gives the central European country sway over the bloc's agenda and priorities for the next six months.
Ryo Sakai, the chief of staff of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, is expected to quit his post following reports that several MSDF vessels allowed unvetted personnel to handle top secret information related to national security.
JAPAN
Jul 6, 2024

MSDF chief may quit over widespread mishandling of secret info

The latest revelation comes just months after the ministry punished five SDF members over leaks of secret information to unvetted personnel.
A gyrotron, which is used to heat plasma for nuclear fusion reactions, developed by Kyoto Fusioneering
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Jul 7, 2024

Kyoto Fusioneering looks toward a 'Made in Japan' approach for nuclear fusion

Although it recognizes that international collaboration is key, the startup sees the country playing an integral role in the fusion ecosystem.
Japanese workers' base pay increased 2.5% in May from a year ago, the fastest growth since 1993.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2024

Japan base pay jumps most since 1993 in positive signal for BOJ

Base pay increased 2.5% in May from a year ago, the fastest growth since 1993.
The PayPay app had about 60 million registered users as of October.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 8, 2024

SoftBank group firm PayPay Securities aims to double accounts

The company has been in the red since February 2021, with a net loss of ¥4.6 billion ($29 million) for the 2023 fiscal year.
Joel Embiid, who has French citizenship, will suit up for the U.S. at the 2024 Paris Games.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Jul 8, 2024

U.S. star Joel Embiid ready to hear boos from French crowd during Olympics

Embiid received his French passport in 2022 and many thought he would play for France or his native Cameroon in his first Olympics.
Hiroshi Matano, executive vice president of the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, during an interview in Washington on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 8, 2024

World Bank official backs Japan to show regional climate leadership

There is significant room for emissions reductions in the Asia-Pacific region.
Police officers stand guard during a campaign speech by a Lower House by-election candidate in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in April 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 8, 2024

Police beef up security measures ahead of upcoming election

Two years after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a review of dignitary protection is being conducted.
Asami Yoshida (center) practices with Japan at the National Training Center in Tokyo in January.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Jul 8, 2024

Asami Yoshida bringing experience and swagger to Akatsuki Japan for Paris Olympics

The veteran point guard was Japan's captain at the 2016 Olympics.
The government aims to increase the number of foreign students in Japan to 400,000 by 2033, despite a recent Justice Ministry ordinance that puts in place tougher rules on accepting overseas applicants.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2024

Can Japan boost its foreign student count to 400,000?

The government recently tightened rules for accepting overseas applicants, though it hasn't lost sight of its lofty goal of increasing foreign student numbers.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton (right) overtakes teammate George Russell during the Formula One British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jul 9, 2024

Mercedes experiencing a return to the top

Team boss Toto Wolff attributes much of the credit to technical director James Allison.
German referee Felix Zwayer during the UEFA Euro 2024 match between Romania and the Netherlands in Munich on July 2. Zwayer will referee the semifinal clash between England and the Netherlands on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Jul 9, 2024

England's Euro semifinal referee has history with Bellingham

In 2021, the midfielder received a fine of €40,000 for comments he made regarding Felix Zwayer.
Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are assembled at the company’s plant in Renton, Washington, on June 25.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 9, 2024

Boeing in talks with U.S. Defense Department on impact of guilty plea

The plea in relation to two fatal crashes involving its planes in 2018 and 2019 potentially threatens the company's ability to secure lucrative government contracts.
Protesters hold a giant French flag on the statue of Marianne as people gather at the Place de la Republique, after partial results in the second round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Paris on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 9, 2024

Debt and political deadlock keep investors nervous after French election

At the center of the euro project and the bloc's second biggest economy, France, still faces a hung parliament and taxing negotiations to form a government.

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