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Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 5, 2024

Judges reject calls to dismiss Trump charges over 2020 vote, secret papers

The former U.S. president has been criminally charged in four cases as he challenges Democratic President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election.
A Wheeling-Nippon Steel facility in in Follansbee, West Virginia. Four senior Japanese officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it is still premature to declare the deal dead.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Apr 5, 2024

Why Japan is not giving up on fraught U.S. Steel deal

Four senior Japanese officials speaking on condition of anonymity said it is still premature to declare the deal dead.
A fake website claiming to be that of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (left) and the actual site
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 5, 2024

Tokyo police issue warning on phishing scam involving false claims of arrest warrants

Tokyo police issue warning against scam involving fake websites aimed at getting victims to disclose their personal information and bank account details.
Drivers in California’s Marin County rely on a single hydrogen fueling station.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Apr 6, 2024

Few stations and $200 to fill up: Life on California’s ‘hydrogen highway’

Fuel shortages and soaring prices have stalled the adoption of hydrogen cars — but proponents aren’t throwing in the towel.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center) listens to participants of the regional roundtable dialogue session on political reform held in the city of Kumamoto on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 7, 2024

Kishida eyes stricter political funds control law and aims to restore trust

"By enacting a strict law, we hope to restore public trust," the prime minister said during a dialogue session in Kumamoto.
Andrew Chafin of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on March 14.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 7, 2024

As more uniform flaws appear, Nike seeks solutions

Andrew Chafin has worn almost every shade and style across 11 seasons in the major leagues. The lefty has pitched in Chicago Cubbie pinstripes and the Kelly green of the Oakland A’s. He has covered his curls with the Detroit Tigers’ D, a timeless classic, and the Milwaukee Brewers’ ball-in-glove,...
People holding Mexican flags protest outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in Mexico City on Saturday, following the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 7, 2024

Ecuador in diplomatic storm after raid at Mexican Embassy

The Vienna Convention, a treaty governing international relations, states that a country cannot intrude upon an embassy on its territory.
Uber Japan demonstrates its ride-hailing app in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2024

Uber to launch ride-hailing services in Japan

The move is designed to cope with a shortage of taxi drivers in urban areas and tourist spots in the country.
New Zealand's men's team players do the haka after winning the Cup Final match at the 2024 Rugby Sevens Hong Kong tournament on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Apr 8, 2024

New Zealand sends Paris Olympics warning with Hong Kong sevens win

A cagey men's final was decided by two quickfire second-half tries by Scott Curry and Cody Vai.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps speak during a news conference following an AUKUS defense ministerial meeting in Mountain View, California, last December.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 9, 2024

U.S., U.K. and Australia consider working with Japan on AUKUS security pact

The three countries said they were weighing inviting Tokyo to join the pact’s second stage, with talks with Japan and others set to begin this year.
Military personnel participates in a parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, in 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

Thailand ready to receive 100,000 fleeing Myanmar, foreign minister says

Over the weekend there were local reports of intense clashes near Myawaddy town, across the border from the Thai town of Mae Sot.
Despite Japan’s strict anti-scalping laws, tickets for premium seats to sumo tournaments are being offered at massive markups on resale sites.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Apr 10, 2024

Scarcity of tickets leaves foreign sumo fans out in the cold

Almost as soon as general ticket sales began on Saturday for the upcoming May Grand Sumo Tournament, the entire meet was sold-out.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, testifies before a foreign interference inquiry in Ottawa on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 11, 2024

Trudeau rejects claim China meddled to try to help his election

Canada's prime minister said he believes the elections were "held in their integrity."
Smoke rising above buildings after an aerial bombardment in Khartoum North, Sudan, in May 2023
WORLD / Politics
Apr 11, 2024

Iranian-made drones may be turning tide to army's favor in Sudan civil war

Residents say newer drones appear to monitor RSF movements, target their positions and pinpoint artillery strikes in a city that forms part of the capital.
Dustin Johnson has a lifetime exemption to the Masters after winning the tournament in 2020.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 11, 2024

Asian Tour remains an option for LIV stars in search of ranking points

The Asian Tour has entered into a growth cycle over the last three years, expanding to 24 tournaments.
Shohei Ohtani with then-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during a news conference in Los Angeles in December
BASEBALL
Apr 12, 2024

Prosecutors say Ohtani’s interpreter stole $16 million from star

The account provided by authorities largely confirms what Ohtani told the public in late March.
Summer averages in eastern Hokkaido float in the high teens and low 20s, not necessitating widespread air conditioning usage in homes and businesses.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 12, 2024

Fear the impending heat? Escape to Kushiro, the land of no summer.

A once mighty fishing port, Kushiro now aims to capture the hearts of tourists seeking escape from sweltering urban jungles for a misty paradise.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reviews soldiers of the German armed forces in Berlin on Thursday.
WORLD / FOCUS
Apr 12, 2024

Between the U.S. and a hard place, Germany's Scholz reheats China ties

With Germany's economy slumping, the nation hopes to gain fairer access to China's markets despite promises to "de-risk" from them.
Ayuko Kato, minister for children-related policies
JAPAN
Apr 12, 2024

Japan discloses more details of costs to fight low birthrate

The planned fees that will be added to public medical insurance premiums aims to help secure funds to combat the declining birthrate trend.
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.
Ippei Mizuhara and Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani attend a news conference ahead of MLB's season-opening series in Seoul on March 16.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 12, 2024

Texts between Ippei Mizuhara and bookie show the walls closing in

Federal prosecutors say Ippei Mizuhara stole $16 million from Shohei Ohtani from November 2021 to January 2024.
“Butter” author Asako Yuzuki was inspired by the real-life story of Kanae Kijima, who was nicknamed the “Black Widow” and the “Konkatsu Killer” by the media for killing three men she dated to maintain her luxurious lifestyle of gourmet meals and a high-end cooking school.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 12, 2024

Asako Yuzuki's 'Butter' is a heady serving of food culture and feminism

The author's foodie femme fatale character was inspired by a real-life "black widow" case that caught the public's attention in 2009.
Rapidus' semiconductor foundry construction site in Hokkaido
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Chip plant wizard weathers Hokkaido’s bitter cold in latest test

Construction firm Kajima is plowing through a series of challenges to get a chipmaking factory built on time in snowy Hokkaido.
An exterior view of Qasr al-Basha in 2021 in Gaza City, where Napoleon Bonaparte slept for several nights during his campaign in Egypt and Palestine.
WORLD
Apr 15, 2024

Gaza's historic treasures saved by 'irony of history'

Invaluable artifacts remain intact thanks to the blockade that made life in the Gaza Strip such a struggle for the past 16 years.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday.
BASKETBALL
Apr 15, 2024

Caitlin Clark leads way as top star in intriguing WNBA Draft

The Indiana Fever will — barring an unfathomable change of direction — select Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.
Held April 19 to 21 and organized by the nonprofit organization Kominka Japan, the Minka Summit bridges architectural tradition with contemporary possibilities.
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 16, 2024

Minka Summit returns for third year of home design, talks and more

The Minka Summit showcases Japan's traditional homes amid modern crises and a steady build in interest.
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.
Workers clean argeli bark in the Ilam district of eastern Nepal. Thousands of miles away, in Japan, the bark will be used to make yen notes.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

On Himalayan hillsides grows Japan’s cold, hard cash

One of the poorest pockets of Asia supplies a primary ingredient for the economy in one of the richest.
Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the bipartisan select committee, said that China's incentives suggest Beijing wants more fentanyl entering the U.S.
WORLD
Apr 17, 2024

U.S. committee finds China is subsidizing American fentanyl crisis

China denies the allegation, and says the U.S. government must do more to reduce domestic demand.
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.

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