Search - 2021

 
 
Kabul is diverse and culturally rich, like the rest of Afghanistan. Yet the country has struggled with political inclusivity.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2023

Japan can help pave the way for an inclusive Afghanistan

A new generation of Afghan leaders wants to be included in the country's future. Japan is well-positioned to facilitate dialogue with the Taliban.
Ukraine's Kateryna Volodko hits a return against Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic during a qualifying match prior to the start of the WTA Guangzhou Open in Guangzhou, China, on Saturday.
TENNIS
Sep 17, 2023

Women's tennis returns to China after Peng Shuai boycott

The WTA tournament in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou will be the first in mainland China since 2019.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Sep 17, 2023

Climate litigation remains a tough sell in Japan despite wins overseas

So far, Japan has seen just four climate lawsuits, all concerning the construction and operation of coal-fired power plants.
Sebastian Coe greets Mitsugi Ogata, president of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, during the closing ceremony of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Aug. 27.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 18, 2023

Sebastian Coe looks forward to full stadiums in Tokyo for worlds

Sebastian Coe says athletics will still be dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 in 2028.
China with its government subsidies has become a dominant player in the EV market, causing concern in Europe and the United States.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 19, 2023

EV leadership means more than just sales figures

EV dominance matters because electric vehicles are the future.
Many of the wealthy in Japan are becoming more keen to park their cash in private assets like equity, credit and real estate that aren't traded in public markets.
BUSINESS
Sep 20, 2023

Brokers tap demand for private assets among Japan's wealthy

Private assets are booming globally after decades-high inflation and rapid interest-rate hikes weighed on both shares and bonds.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
WORLD / Politics
Sep 20, 2023

Janet Yellen defends climate progress as critics push harder

The U.S. Treasury chief has made climate change a top priority. For some that’s a great relief. For others, it’s a distinction that’s too easy to claim.
Israeli soldiers clash with Palestinians during a raid into Jericho in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in March.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2023

Israel’s moment of reckoning is long overdue. The occupation must end.

For Israel's far right, judicial reform is one step toward annexing the West Bank. Ending the occupation is the only way to stop anti-democratic forces.
Singapore has topped Hong Kong for the first time in the Economic Freedom of the World Index.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 21, 2023

In first, Singapore tops Hong Kong to become ‘world’s freest economy’

Hong Kong fell to second place in the Economic Freedom of the World Index for the first time since its began in 1970.
Paternity leave has not taken root in Japan due to concerns over decreases in income and disruptions to the work side of life.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 24, 2023

Japan local governments working to encourage paternity leave

From Saga to Yamanashi, local officials are trying a variety of policies to give their male employees a chance to better participate in family life.
Kamila Valieva's doping case has divided the figure skating community since it first came to light during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Sep 26, 2023

Top sports court to hear Russian skater Kamila Valieva's doping case

Tuesday's hearing follows Valieva's exoneration by Russia's anti-doping agency, which ruled that she bore "no fault or negligence" for the positive test.
JAPAN
Sep 27, 2023

Talks on imperial succession stall under Kishida administration

The prime minister has said that ensuring stable imperial succession is "an issue that cannot be put off," but no concrete steps have been taken.
MUFG Bank is aiming to foray into space by investing in startups.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 27, 2023

MUFG Bank among firms to lead $290 million Sierra Space fundraising

Sierra Space is among a handful of space industry players attempting to build a private space station.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 27, 2023

Ex-LDP member's indictment puts spotlight on green energy goals

A Lower House member and the former president of a major offshore wind-power company were each charged with bribery by Tokyo prosecutors.
BUSINESS
Sep 27, 2023

Industry ministry sees LNG stocks recovering toward winter

LNG stocks have been declining since May as a long, hot summer boosted the use of air-conditioners, lifting demand for power and fuels.
The race to develop ever bigger and more efficient wind turbines may have been too hasty, some executives and analysts said.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / ANALYSIS
Sep 29, 2023

Wind power industry drifts off course

The race to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is putting pressure on manufacturers and supply chains
JAPAN
Sep 29, 2023

Charges dropped again over death of detained Sri Lankan woman

The decision by the Nagoya District Prosecutor's Office effectively ends its probe into the case of Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington in December 2014.
WORLD
Sep 29, 2023

Long-serving U.S. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein dies at 90

Feinstein was a Washington trail-blazer who among other accomplishments became the first woman to head the influential Senate Intelligence Committee.
Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda is the first Japanese driver in Formula One since 2014.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 30, 2023

Foul-mouthed Yuki Tsunoda becoming cult star in Formula One

Tsunoda's foul mouth and devil-may-care attitude have inspired a cult following and an international appeal.
A video grab shows the acting President of Myanmar's National Unity Government, Duwa Lashi La, speaking during an interview from an undisclosed location in Myanmar, in November 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 2, 2023

Myanmar resistance leader claims majority control over territory

Violence has intensified as the military dictatorship faces a crumbling economy, growing dissent and a multi-front conflict.
The Nasdaq market site in New York. Dozens of Japanese startups are preparing to list on the Nasdaq in the next few years.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 2, 2023

Nasdaq helps Japan startups escape risk-averse home market

An unprecedented number of entrepreneurs turn away from an aging, risk-averse home market.
An employee prepares tables and chairs outside a restaurant in Bucharest, Romania.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2023

EU membership supercharged Romania. Ukraine faces a tougher task.

Romania’s accession offers lessons that can help Kyiv along the way and offer an indication of the potential rewards.
North Korea's Kim Il Gyong competes in the women's weightlifting 59-kg division at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Monday.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 3, 2023

North Korean weightlifters continue Asian Games domination

The performances of the North Koreans on Monday, which included another world record and two golds, shocked some of their competitors in Hangzhou.
People protest outside Myanmar's embassy in Jakarta in February 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 5, 2023

Activists say Indonesian state weapons makers supplying Myanmar

Groups filed a complaint to Indonesia's human rights commission alleging that three state-owned arms makers had been selling equipment to Myanmar.
Employees monitor the production of Covishield, the local name for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, at the Serum Institute of India in Pune, Maharashtra, India.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2023

Top vaccine maker seeks growth by selling shots to globetrotters

Serum Institute of India plans to start production of yellow fever and dengue shots for travelers to countries where those diseases are endemic.
LeanIn.Org founder Sheryl Sandberg
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 5, 2023

Women are asking for promotions, but men keep getting them

Women want to be leaders in the workplace, but employers are still passing them by in favor of their male counterparts.
Pump jacks in an oil field in Midland, Texas. Big Oil is responsible for the bulk of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and pressure for action is building.
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2023

Exxon Mobil's megadeal to test climate-aware shareholders

Negotiations between Exxon and Pioneer are advanced but have not yet led to an agreement over the acquisition.
A man carrying shovels walks along an area affected by a flood near the bank of the Teesta River in Singtam, Sikkim, India, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 7, 2023

A calamitous flood shows the dangers lurking in melting glaciers

At least 26 people were killed in the tiny state of Sikkim. But as much as the disaster was a shock, it was hardly a surprise.
The remains of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel lies on a road where it fell in Ashkelon, southern Israel, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Oct 11, 2023

Who is the secretive Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel?

Mohammed Deif has topped Israel's most wanted list for decades, held responsible for deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
Caroline Ellison (left), former chief executive officer of Alameda Research LLC, exits court in New York on Tuesday. Her ex-boyfriend and former boss, FTX Co-Founder Sam Bankman-Fried, is charged with seven counts of fraud and money laundering following the collapse of his cryptocurrency empire last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 11, 2023

Sam Bankman-Fried's ex says he directed her to commit crimes

In her first day of testimony, Caroline Ellison, 28, portrayed Sam Bankman-Fried as the brains behind fraudulent operations at FTX.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji