Search - i

 
 
Russian Communist Party supporters attend a ceremony in Red Square on March 5, 2021, marking the 68th anniversary of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s death.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2023

In Russia and Israel, national derangement runs wild

How can a priest bless a statue of Stalin and rabbis praise Nazism? In societies that are coming undone, absurd claims take root.
A clothing packaging warehouse near Barcelona last month
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 1, 2023

Fast fashion firms prepare for EU crackdown on waste mountain

Fast fashion, or making and selling cheap clothes with a short lifespan, is "highly unsustainable," the European Commission said in July.
Japan's economic output ran above full capacity in April-June for the first time in nearly four years, a government estimate showed, suggesting that conditions for ending its policy of ultralow interest rates could be falling into place.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 2, 2023

Japan's economic output runs above capacity in signal for BOJ

The data suggests that conditions for Japan to end its policy of ultralow interest rates could be falling into place.
Huge waves pummel the city of Yilan as Typhoon Haikui makes landfall in eastern Taiwan on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Sep 3, 2023

Typhoon Haikui makes landfall in Taiwan

Authorities said they had evacuated more than 2,800 people across seven cities — the majority of them from the mountainous county of Hualien.
Ons Jabeur defeated Marie Bouzkova to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open in New York on Saturday.
TENNIS
Sep 3, 2023

Ons Jabeur beats Marie Bouzkova to reach fourth round at U.S. Open

Jabeur said she was feeling like a "zombie" due to illness but came back from the dead to overcome Bouzkova.
Niger's Army sergeant and artist Maman Sani Maigochi performs as supporters of Niger's National Council of Safeguard of the Homeland gather at Place de la Concertation in Niamey.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 4, 2023

Civilian and military artists back Niger coup with rousing tunes

Videos mix footage from army promotional videos with images of swaying military dancers, against a soundtrack of silky rhythms.
A schoolgirl wears a padded hood for protection from falling debris during an earthquake simulation exercise at an elementary school in Tokyo. The government estimates a 70% chance of a magnitude 7 event striking directly underneath the capital in the next 30 years.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 4, 2023

Tokyo has lived on the brink of the ‘Big One’ — for a century

The Great Kanto Earthquake demolished the nascent Japanese capital, killing more than 100,000 people — some 3% of the city’s population at the time.
JAPAN
Sep 4, 2023

Japan boosts fishing sector aid after Fukushima water release

The increased aid comes as more than 100 fishermen and locals living near Fukushima prepare to file a lawsuit this week seeking to stop the discharge.
The total value of unpaid household tasks was ¥111 trillion for women and ¥32 trillion for men in 2021, according to a recent Cabinet Office report, indicating the amount of men's work around the home is less than a third of what women do.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 4, 2023

Japanese women are missing out on ¥111 trillion in unpaid wages

A recent report has highlighted both the wage gap between men and women, as well as the sheer amount of uncompensated work that gets done in Japan.
Nihon Coffin showcases its products at Endex Japan 2023, an annual funeral and cemetery exhibition that was held at Tokyo Big Sight from Aug. 29 to 31.
BUSINESS
Sep 4, 2023

End-of-life companies look to innovate as Japan's deaths keep rising

A record 1.57 million people died in 2022, up from 1.25 million in 2012, and facilities to store dead bodies are becoming increasingly scarce.
Japan's Michael Leitch attempts to break free during a match against Italy in Treviso, Italy, on Aug. 26.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 4, 2023

Japan's veterans prepare to scale Everest again at Rugby World Cup

The Brave Blossoms will start their World Cup campaign against Chile in Toulouse, France, on Sept. 10.
A rainbow at the site of this year’s Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada
WORLD / Society
Sep 4, 2023

What is Burning Man, and why have Paris Hilton and Elon Musk shown up?

The festival has been described as a site of countercultural revelry that draws both hippies and Silicon Valley types.
Nestled behind a seawall on the Pacific coast are the Minamisoma Mano-Migita-Ebi solar power plant and the Manyo no Sato wind farm. The 2011 tsunami struck this portion of the coast with a wave that is reported to have been around 18 meters high.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Sep 5, 2023

How a nuclear disaster turned Fukushima into a renewables leader

Following 3/11 — and the cratering of support for nuclear energy — Fukushima positioned itself at the forefront of Japan’s low-carbon transition.
Southeast Asian officials at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 5, 2023

ASEAN leaders seek to assert bloc's relevance at annual summit

ASEAN is seeking to clarify its relevance as cracks emerge in its response to the conflict in Myanmar.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting in Sochi, Russia, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 5, 2023

Turkey's Erdogan says Black Sea grain deal can be restored soon

Russia quit the deal in July, complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious obstacles.
Women work in a warehouse in on the outskirts of Chennai, India.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 5, 2023

India's women gig workers organize with WhatsApp and secret meetings

Once seen as promising greater autonomy and higher earnings for women in India, the system is now riddled with issues.
A rendering of the planned Pace Gallery, scheduled to open in the first half of 2024, at the Azabudai Hills complex in central Tokyo
CULTURE / Art
Sep 5, 2023

New York’s Pace Gallery plans Tokyo expansion in 2024

The move comes as Japan looks to more seriously position itself as an art market hub, with officials seeking to capitalize on Tokyo’s cultural cache.
Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the command post of an operational-tactical group in Donetsk, Ukraine, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 5, 2023

Allies question Ukraine's war strategy, irritating Kyiv

Over the past two weeks U.S. media have been quoting anonymous military sources questioning Ukraine's strategy. On the record, criticism remains muted.
A woman shops for medicine at a drugstore in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 5, 2023

More young women overdosing on over-the-counter drugs

In a country where illicit drugs are hard to obtain, many have begun to abuse cough and cold medications, which are legal and easily accessible.
Japan flanker Kazuki Himeno takes part in a training session in Toulouse, France, on Tuesday, ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 6, 2023

Japan will not take 'gritty' Chile for granted at World Cup

Chile will be making its Rugby World Cup debut on Sunday when the side runs out against Japan, the hosts of the 2019 edition.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is attending the Association of Southeast Asian nations' summit in Jakarta and the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 6, 2023

China’s No. 2 steps onto world stage as Xi skips G20 in India

Chinese Premier Li Qiang's debut at the ASEAN and G20 summits will increase his global visibility, but they're unlikely to boost his political influence.
Personnel from the Self-Defense Forces take part in a nuclear, biological and chemical weapons exercise at New Chitose airport in Hokkaido in July 2012.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 7, 2023

Japan has plenty to offer in the field of detecting threats

With the spread of chemical, nuclear and biological weapons, the time is right to put domestic tech to good use.
Hajime Takata, a member of the policy board at the Bank of Japan
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2023

BOJ policymaker sees signs of change in deflationary mindset

Conditions for phasing out the bank's massive stimulus seem to be falling into place, central bank policymaker Hajime Takata said.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki hits a one run double against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field, Chicago, on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB / Baseball
Sep 6, 2023

Seiya Suzuki looks to stay hot as Cubs take on Giants

Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki is off to a sizzling start in September.
A Progressive Party of Maldives worker poses with an "India Out" flag in Male, Maldives, in March 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 6, 2023

Maldives election could be key for China-India rivalry

A presidential election on Saturday could determine whether China or India wins a competition for influence over the tiny Indian Ocean island chain.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken before a meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 7, 2023

Blinken vows to give Ukraine what it needs for offensive

Blinken's visit comes as Zelenskyy has escalated a crackdown on corruption, which remains a major concern for allies.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska speaks in Kyiv during "The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen," which focused on the stigmatized issue of mental health in the war-torn country.
WORLD / Society
Sep 7, 2023

Tears, stars and 'soft power' at Kyiv mental health summit

Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska has led a high-profile campaign encouraging Ukrainians to openly discuss mental health problems.
People make their way through Tokyo's Ameyoko shopping district. In a sign rising inflation is already taking a toll on consumption, Japan's household spending suffered its biggest drop in nearly 2½ years in July.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 7, 2023

China's economic gloom hangs over Japan's long-awaited recovery

If Beijing fails to shore up demand with meaningful stimulus, that could potentially delay an exit from the Bank of Japan's ultraloose monetary policy.
Cuban American soprano Lisette Oropesa stars as Violetta in a restaging of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” directed by Sofia Coppola in her opera directing debut in 2016
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 8, 2023

Rome Opera's tragic heroes resonate in modern times

For its Japan tour, the company will perform lavish productions of "La Traviata," directed by Sofia Coppola, and "Tosca," by Franco Zeffirelli.
Children try to salvage their belongings from the rubble of their house after a demolition drive by the authorities at a slum area near the upcoming G20 Summit main venue in New Delhi, in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 8, 2023

Many slums disappear from Indian capital ahead of G20 summit

In 2021, housing minister Hardeep Singh Puri, told parliament that 13.5 million people lived in the city's unauthorized colonies.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear