Search - 2023

 
 
Australia rugby head coach Joe Schmidt ahead of his team's clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Nov 19, 2024

Australia not focusing on Grand Slam sweep after thrashing Wales

Sunday's result condemned Wales to a national record 11th consecutive test defeat.
From left: Pakistani education activist and producer Malala Yousafzai, U.S. actress Jennifer Lawrence, producer Justine Ciarrocchi and director Sahra Mani attend the Los Angeles premiere of "Bread and Roses" on Nov. 14.
WORLD / Society
Nov 19, 2024

Phone documentary details Afghan women's struggle under Taliban rule

Exiled Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani reached out to a dozen women after the fall of Kabul in 2021, tutoring them on how to film themselves for the purpose of the film.
After three students took a car for a joyride on the grounds of Saitama Sakae High School and crashed it, attention has turned to whether the school can be held responsible for failing to keep the car keys out of reach of students.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 19, 2024

Saitama high school apologizes for negligence leading to fatal car crash

A student in the passenger seat suffered severe head injuries after the car rolled over, and was later pronounced dead.
Mika Abe (right) opened a restaurant committed to animal welfare in Sendai in November.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Dec 2, 2024

Restaurant committed to animal welfare opens in Sendai

Muku offers dishes including grilled pork from pasture-raised pigs and poached eggs from cage-free chickens, served as part of a salad bowl.
Huawei’s struggles reflect how years of U.S. sanctions have scored initial success at freezing Chinese technology advancements at current levels, and deprived its national champions of the chance to graduate to the next level.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 20, 2024

China’s chip advances stall as U.S. curbs hit Huawei AI product

Huawei's hurdle has implications for China's broader ambitions, suggesting the country will lag further behind the U.S. in 2025 when newer chips emerge.
People walk near the entrance of the venue of the United Nations climate change conference COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 20, 2024

Development banks seek private money for climate change fight

Development banks committed to increasing their lending to poorer countries to $120 billion a year by 2030.
Family members hug each other in front of the bus to Minsk, Belarus, at the Warsaw West bus station on Oct. 30.
WORLD / Society
Nov 20, 2024

Ukrainians brave arduous journeys to Russian-occupied homeland

For a year now, Russia has only been letting Ukrainian citizens travel to occupied zones through a special checkpoint set up in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
Asian banks are shifting focus from trade financing to wealth management and capital markets to offset potential losses from U.S. tariffs and capitalize on growing regional and global wealth.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 13, 2024

The wealthy will shield Asian banks from Trump tariffs

Asian banks are shifting focus from trade financing to wealth management and capital markets to offset potential losses from U.S. tariff.
A post-election analysis by the polling company Blueprint discovered that the top reason why American swing voters eventually supported Donald Trump over Kamal Harris was culture (+28) followed by inflation (+23).
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2024

It’s too soon to say wokeism is dead

The Republicans ran the most unwoke man in America for the presidency, Donald Trump, and were amply rewarded for it.
Originally debuting on a coin purse, Hello Kitty became a national phenomenon in Japan and is now the second highest-grossing media franchise worldwide.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 20, 2024

Hello Kitty looks pretty at 50 (and is worth more than ever)

Kitty’s broad appeal, especially to adults, helped popularize the Japanese concept of kawaii (cuteness), which has since become a global trend.
Scientists worry that if H5N1 spreads through commercial pig farms, it could evolve into a form capable of causing a human pandemic.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 20, 2024

Bird flu in pigs is one step closer to endangering humans

Flu viruses have historically been transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs — either on farms or at agricultural fairs.
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
JAPAN
Nov 20, 2024

Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record

Travelers spent ¥5.86 trillion in Japan through September of this year, preliminary figures show, eclipsing the ¥5.3 trillion they spent in all of 2023.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands during a signing event in Brasilia on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 21, 2024

Xi and Lula elevate China-Brazil ties in state visit

The state visit capped a regional tour by Xi that showcased Beijing's growing diplomatic clout during a tricky government transition in Washington.
Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal celebrates after closing out an inning during Detroit's playoff series with Cleveland last month.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 21, 2024

Braves' Chris Sale and Tigers' Tarik Skubal collect Cy Young honors

Both left-handers won the pitching Triple Crown and were the clear favorites in Cy Young Award voting.
Korea Zinc Chairman Yun B. Choi, a grandson of a co-founder, last week agreed to scrap a controversial plan to issue new shares in the zinc refiner to help fend off a takeover attempt.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 21, 2024

Korea Zinc takeover battle tests Seoul's resolve on tackling 'Korea discount'

South Korean firms tend to have lower valuations compared to their overseas peers due to low dividend payouts and the dominance of family-run conglomerates.
A car carrying suspect Ryotaro Masuda, who was indicted for allegedly beating his 25-year-old girlfriend to death, leaves the Shibuya Police Station in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 21, 2024

Man charged with murder allegedly made victim date other men for money

Investigators suspect Ryotaro Masuda beat his girlfriend repeatedly and invested money she received from coerced involvement with other men.
Out of over 16,000 pharmaceutical products, 3,103 — or 18.5% — were either in limited or suspended supply as of the end of October, according to a recent survey. Of these, over 60% are generic drugs.
JAPAN
Nov 21, 2024

Japan's generic drug shortage continues as flu season kicks off

The supply shortfall is due to a string of scandals that hit the generic drug industry in recent years as well as other structural problems.
Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, gestures as he speaks during a rally for then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 21, 2024

Lutnick's China ties draw fire after Trump taps him for U.S. trade roles

The ties raise questions about whether Lutnick could be unduly influenced by Beijing when making decisions as U.S. trade representative and commerce secretary.
Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Padres during the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last month.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 22, 2024

Shohei Ohtani wins National League MVP award

Ohtani won an MVP award for the third time in four seasons.
The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with a Hamas commander who Israel says was killed in Gaza months ago.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Nov 22, 2024

ICC issues arrest warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu on Gaza ‘war crimes’

The Israeli government has repeatedly denied the allegations and said its operations against Hamas comply with international laws.
Members of nonprofit organization Moyai Support Center for Independent Living give out food packs to people in need in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo in October.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 22, 2024

Nearly 30% of children from struggling families do not enjoy school

The figures came from a survey by Usnova, whose chief Koji Ogawa said, "Measures against child poverty are of utmost priority."
Fans display extra editions of a newspaper featuring Shohei Ohtani on Friday after the Dodgers slugger was named National League.
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 22, 2024

Japanese fans rejoice after Ohtani's MVP win

Japanese baseball fans rushed to grab the latest newspaper editions on Friday after Ohtani was named the National League's Most Valuable Player.
The remains of the original Moji Station in Kitakyushu
JAPAN / Society
Nov 22, 2024

133-year-old Kyushu railway station remains to be partially preserved

Sections of the foundation of what used to be the locomotive shed — which experts believe is the most important element of the remains — will be kept.
The private equity landscape is rapidly changing in Japan, where more than $12 billion in such transactions have been announced this year, after reaching a record in 2023.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 22, 2024

KKR-Bain brawl worth $4 billion highlights Japan private equity boom

The saga shows how fast the private equity landscape is changing in Japan, where more than $12 billion in such transactions have been announced this year.
Sony's potential acquisition of Kadokawa, the publisher behind Elden Ring, represents an opportunity to expand its intellectual property across gaming, anime and other media provided it learns from past failures.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 22, 2024

Like in Elden Ring, Sony must learn from its mistakes

The Japanese firm’s proposed deal for Kadokawa has great potential — if it can avoid getting stuck in the same mazes as before.
Amid a slowing economy, Beijing has avoided large-scale fiscal stimulus to prevent further debt buildup, focusing instead on modest measures to alleviate regional financial stress without adding new borrowing.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 21, 2024

No, China doesn’t really have a debt crisis

Beijing is gun-shy about fiscal stimulus due to concerns more debt will build up. This thinking is muddled.
Suspect Kenichi Hosoya enters the Asakusa Police Station in Tokyo on Friday. The handcuffs and waist ties are blurred for privacy reasons.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 22, 2024

Tokyo couple served fresh arrest warrants over family murders

The couple was served arrest warrants for the fourth time, following warrants over the deaths of their second daughter, the husband's father and his sister.
Samurai Japan infielder Shugo Maki celebrates after hitting a grand slam against Venezuela in the sixth inning of their game at the Premier12 at Tokyo Dome on Friday.
BASEBALL
Nov 22, 2024

Shugo Maki hits grand slam to power Japan to victory over Venezuela at Premier12

Japan is 7-0 in this year's tournament.
After almost a decade of traveling around the world, a working holiday during the 2019 ski season in Nozawa Onsen was to be Rowie Geraerts’ last hurrah before she settled down in Australia.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 25, 2024

How a solo yoga teacher built a wellness community in the Japanese Alps

A budding entrepreneur from Australia, Rowie Geraerts has created Shizen Collective in Nozawa Onsen — a new home for herself, locals and visitors.
Scott Bessent speaks at a campaign event for Donald Trump in Asheville in North Carolina in August.
WORLD
Nov 23, 2024

Trump taps Scott Bessent for U.S. Treasury

Bessent has advocated for tax reform and deregulation, particularly to spur more bank lending and energy production.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan