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One irony of the U.S. election outcome is that, on almost every issue that voters identified as a priority, Donald Trump’s proposals would likely make matters worse.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 7, 2024

Once again, America needs to deal with Donald Trump

Dealing with a reckless president is an exhausting job, but it can and must be done — and it’s a job for members of both parties.
Rikuto Nagata was handed an indefinite prison term for his involvement in a total of six robberies in four prefectures in recent years.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 7, 2024

Man sentenced to indefinite term for serial robberies in Japan

Rikuto Nagata was indicted on charges including robbery resulting in death
Onosato (left) and his stablemaster Nishonoseki celebrate after his victory at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September.
SUMO
Nov 8, 2024

New ozeki Onosato tops list of contenders aiming for glory in Kyushu

Onosato could become the first wrestler since Hakuho in 2006 to win a championship in his debut at sumo’s second-highest rank.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has aligned with Russia to bolster his nuclear weapons capabilities and gain military support, including sending troops to aid Russia. That partnership could provide Pyongyang with valuable combat experience while modernizing its military assets.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 8, 2024

Trump will walk into a new North Korean headache

Traditional methods of containment have not worked effectively and Trump’s past efforts to engage with Kim have failed to curb his nuclear ambitions.
It is difficult to know what Donald Trump will do in a second presidency. His campaign was filled with bold promises, but so too was his first.
EDITORIALS
Nov 8, 2024

Prepare for a bumpy ride in a second Trump term

It is difficult to know what Donald Trump will do in a second presidency. His campaign was filled with bold promises, but so too was his first.
Prime Minister of Mauritius and candidate for the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM) Pravind Jugnauth (C) is surrounded by supporters during a campaign rally in Mahebourg on Oct. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

Dynasties battle to lead Mauritius with democracy out of favor

Members of just three families have led the Indian Ocean archipelago since it gained independence from Britain in 1968.
Nobuyuki Baba, leader of opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai, speaks to reporters on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

Nippon Ishin chief refuses to cooperate with Ishiba government

Nobuyuki Baba said that Nippon Ishin cannot work with Ishiba's LDP cabinet until issues of politics and money are resolved.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 11, 2024

Ishiba battles for survival in parliament vote as Trump looms large

Lawmakers were set to decide on Monday whether Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba remains the country's leader
A Ukrainian Army vehicle passes through the destroyed Russian border post at the Sudzha crossing with Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia on Aug. 12.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2024

50,000 Russian and North Korean troops mass ahead of attack, U.S. says

Ukrainian officials expect a counteroffensive in western Russia to begin in the coming days as North Korea’s troops train with Russian forces.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda attends a commemorative ceremony at the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on July 3, the day new yen notes went into circulation.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

Japan needs tighter monetary policy to restore balance

Japan’s economy undoubtedly suffers when the yen is too strong; that is why some advocate for a more expansionary monetary policy.
People farm in the Punakha valley, Bhutan, in 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2024

Buddhist Bhutan to build 'mindfulness city' to create jobs and woo investment

The Gelephu Mindfulness City will lie in a special administrative region with separate rules and laws.
Manchester United had three wins and a draw in four matches under interim coach  Ruud van Nistelrooy.
SOCCER
Nov 11, 2024

Ruud van Nistelrooy ends interim role at Manchester United on high note

Ruud van Nistelrooy lingered on the Old Trafford pitch after Manchester United thrashed Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday in his final game as interim boss, but the Dutchman said it was more about celebrating a great moment than a potential goodbye.
Pocky Day has grown into an informal annual tradition since its introduction in 1999, with stores across Japan offering special edition flavors and creative packaging to mark the occasion on Nov. 11.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2024

Pocky Day: Japan’s sweetest occasion

Since 1999, Nov. 11 has marked Pocky Day, the date being a nod to the stick-like shape of the beloved treat.
BayStars manager Daisuke Miura is tossed into the air as the team celebrates after Game 6 of the Japan Series on Nov. 3.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 11, 2024

BayStars manager Daisuke Miura says team never lost faith during Japan Series run

The BayStars defeated the Hawks to win the Japan Series for the first time since 1998.
Shares in retailers may rise after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba formed a minority government that may cut taxes to lure cooperation from opposition parties.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 12, 2024

Minority government in Japan can help retail stocks and utilities

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may cut taxes to keep smaller parties on side — increasing workers’ disposable income.
Former Olympus President Stefan Kaufmann
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 12, 2024

Papers sent on ex-Olympus president over illegal drug purchase

The 56-year-old ex-head of the Japanese medical equipment maker has admitted to the alleged violation of the special law on narcotics.
Andrew Harper, climate advisor for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), looks on during a visit to a neighborhood partially destroyed by the floods that hit Porto Alegre, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on June 23.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 12, 2024

Climate crisis worsening 'hellish' conditions for displaced people, U.N. reports

Weather-related causes have displaced approximately 60,000 people per day over the past decade, data shows, adding to those uprooted by other disasters.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who doubles as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks at a gathering on the party's political reform plans on Tuesday in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 12, 2024

Ishiba's minority government begins first day of business with focus on reform

With the ruling coalition no longer having a majority, Ishiba will likely be forced to make significant concessions to the opposition camp.
Reiko Okada shows her ink paintings that depict female students making paper balloons as she talks about her wartime experience on Okunoshima island in Hiroshima Prefecture.
JAPAN / History / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Nov 25, 2024

The stories behind Japan's WWII 'balloon bombs'

Former students are detailing wartime work that had the potential to unleash devastation.
A member of Pakistan's Airport Security Force stands guard near the wreckage of vehicles after an explosion near Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Oct. 6.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

Beijing pushes to join security efforts for citizens in Pakistan, sources say

Last month's airport bombing that killed two Chinese engineers was the latest in a string of attacks on Beijing's interests in Pakistan.
Vivek Ramaswamy (left) and Elon Musk (right) will lead a new Department of Government Efficiency tasked to slashing government bureaucracy and waste, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

Trump names Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead 'DOGE' efficiency department

The appointments to the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency reward two Trump supporters from the private sector.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington. The U.S. Constitution assigns to the Senate the power to confirm a president's nominees for life-tenured seats on the federal judiciary.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2024

U.S. Senate Democrats rush to confirm judges before Trump takes office

Democrats are on a crusade to confirm as many new federal judges nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden as possible.
Masato Kanda, then-vice minister of finance for international affairs, in January 2022
BUSINESS
Nov 13, 2024

As pain from weak yen deepens, Japan's ex-currency chief Masato Kanda warns of action

Kanda's warning came as the Japanese currency weakened to a three-month low of near ¥155 to the dollar.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after a signing ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in April 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Lula’s embrace of Xi sets up a clash over Trump’s China policy

Brazil’s geography and colonial history meant that it has traditionally looked to the Atlantic for commerce. Now it’s deepening ties with the Asia Pacific.
Tesla CEO and X owner Elon Musk walks on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

How will Musk's new U.S. government efficiency panel work?

Although the U.S. president-elect has said little about how the group will operate, Elon Musk previously set a goal of cutting $2 trillion of federal spending.
An oil pump jack in Midland, Texas
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Nov 14, 2024

Republican sweep opens way to boost oil and gas development

Oil producers, however, may be reluctant to drill new wells with U.S. output already at a record high.
The Japanese government and the ruling coalition led by the Liberal Democratic Party are discussing a plan to set the date for convening an extraordinary session of parliament on Nov. 28.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Japan eyes extraordinary session of parliament from Nov. 28

The session will be convened to discuss a fiscal 2024 supplementary budget that will finance a planned economic package.
The Azerbaijan pavilion during the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 14, 2024

Hopes pinned on low-key COP29 to thrash out climate-finance details

The Baku summit aims to reach new agreement for climate-related transfers from rich to poor countries, intended to replace a $100 billion annual target set in 2009.
While baldness can often be the butt of jokes in Japan, it can also be a powerfully freeing act of self-acceptance for those struggling with hair loss.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 16, 2024

Thinning up top? Hair loss in Japan is not the end.

Among Asian countries, Japan has the highest rate of alopecia at around 26%, as well as 7.8% of women experiencing some form of hair thinning.
Originally from Hiroshima, chef Kenichi Nishi moved to Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, to have better access to the top-flight seafood of Sasue Maeda.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Nov 17, 2024

Chisou Nishi Kenichi: Modern French with unrivaled Shizuoka seafood

When a chef relocates to be within walking distance of his favorite fishmonger, you know the fish must be truly special.

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