Search - 2022

 
 
Novak Djokovic defeated Alexei Popyrin to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Jan 18, 2024

Novak Djokovic details 15-year 'special relationship' with Melbourne tree

Djokovic has long credited a series of unusual methods for helping him become one of the greatest players ever.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 18, 2024

Japanese Communist Party picks first-ever female leader

Upper House member Tomoka Tamura takes over the chair of the 102-year-old political party — Japan’s oldest — from Kazuo Shii, who held the post since 2000.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 18, 2024

LDP political funds probe nears close with top lawmakers likely unscathed

Clerical staff of LDP factions will likely face indictment over underreporting of revenues in political funds reports, while party heavyweights will emerge largely unscathed.
Rising directorial star Sho Miyake's new relationship drama, "All the Long Nights," centers on two colleagues (Hokuto Matsumura, left, and Mone Kamishiraishi) who form a bond when they discover they both struggle with health issues.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 19, 2024

Familiar faces return to the big screen in 2024

Amid a roster of hits such as "Demon Slayer," “Doraemon” and “Detective Conan," Japanese cinema gets a little more inclusive in the year ahead.
Japan's core inflation stayed above the central bank's 2% target in December but slowed for a second straight month, reinforcing expectations it will be in no hurry to phase out its massive monetary stimulus.
BUSINESS
Jan 19, 2024

Japan’s slowing inflation supports case for BOJ to wait longer

Growth in consumer prices excluding fresh food slowed to 2.3% in December from a year earlier.
Rie Qudan speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday after being awarded the Akutagawa Prize.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 19, 2024

Akutagawa Prize draws controversy after win for work that used ChatGPT

Rie Qudan won Japan’s most important prize for early career writers for “Tokyo-to Dojo-to,” a novel that “exposes the prophecy of the AI generation.”
Honda’s sales in the United States soared 33% last year and the firm anticipates continued growth but at a more modest pace.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2024

Honda sees 2024 U.S. sales climbing 10% with boost from hybrids

Honda’s sales in the U.S. soared 33% last year to 1.3 million vehicles — with one-quarter of that total coming from hybrid models.
The health of China's economy will always be a factor in how other Asian economies fare, and some of those are doing OK despite their larger neighbor’s woes.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 19, 2024

The latest indignity for China’s flawed recovery

Neighbors whose economic fortunes were supposed to be tied to the heft of China’s rebound from the pandemic seem to be doing pretty well without it.
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz serves against China's Shang Juncheng during the third round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Saturday.
TENNIS
Jan 20, 2024

Awesome Alcaraz reaches second week at Melbourne for first time

In the unusual position of playing someone younger than himself, two-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz simply dominated 18-year-old Shang.
Keisuke Honda is joining an inflow of investment in Japan’s long-neglected startup scene.
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2024

Retired soccer star Honda sets up $100 million Japan startup fund

In a country where celebrities shy away from speaking about their money or investments, the former AC Milan midfielder faces little competition from other sports stars.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu will be wary of making too many changes after admitting that his tinkering against Iraq "had an effect on the players."
SOCCER
Jan 20, 2024

Shock Iraq defeat exposes Japan frailties at Asian Cup

The 2-1 loss leaves Samurai Blue facing a potential last-16 match with South Korea, assuming Japan still qualifies from its group.
Rougned Odor, a 10-year MLB veteran, has reportedly signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League.
BASEBALL
Jan 21, 2024

Rougned Odor signs deal with Yomiuri Giants, report says

Odor, 29, played in 59 games for the San Diego Padres in 2023 before he was released in July, batting .203 with four home runs and 18 RBIs.
Patrick Roy speaks at a news conference in 2013. Roy was hired by the New York Islanders on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Jan 21, 2024

Islanders hire Patrick Roy as head coach after firing Lane Lambert

Roy, 58, is best known as one of the NHL's greatest goalies, but he has had a second career in coaching.
A replica of the Statue of Liberty in Taipei. There are markers all over Taiwan of its courtship of the United States.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 21, 2024

Taiwan’s doubts about America are growing. That could be dangerous.

Will deepening skepticism about the United States as a trustworthy nation diminish Taiwan’s belief that it could fend off China?
Past warnings of a housing-market crash in China have never been borne out. But unless the government takes concerted action, this time may well be different.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 21, 2024

Fixing China’s real estate sector

Housing dreams to economic nightmares, the perils of China's real estate boom.
Journalist Shiori Ito sheds a tear as she speaks to reporters outside the Tokyo district court on Dec. 18, 2019, after hearing the ruling on a damages lawsuit by her, accusing a former TV reporter of rape.
CULTURE / Film
Jan 21, 2024

Japanese journalist brings lonely #MeToo battle to Sundance

Shiori Ito's fight for justice is the subject of "Black Box Diaries," a documentary she herself directed.
People remove debris at a food market following what local Russian-installed authorities said was a Ukrainian military strike in Donetsk, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 22, 2024

Ukraine shelling of Russian-controlled Donetsk kills 27, local officials say

Russia condemns attack as "a barbaric act of terrorism" but Ukrainian forces said they were not responsible for it.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump holds a rally in advance of the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 22, 2024

Trump’s 2016 win shook markets. Traders won’t get fooled again.

Wall Street is already starting to game out the impact of Trump’s possible return to the White House.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign will be studied by the political world as an example of what not to do: Strategy miscalculations, financial mismanagement and a failure to fashion a likable candidate.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 22, 2024

How the DeSantis 2024 campaign unraveled: Hubris, infighting, awkward moments

The political world will study his campaign as an example of what not to do.
By the end of the decade, nearly 700 cities are likely to have rolled out some version of urban metaverse technologies, including virtual and augmented reality applications, according to ABI Research.
WORLD / Society
Jan 22, 2024

Realities collide as 'augmented cities' emerge around the U.S.

AR can enhance life in cities, particularly for marginalized communities.
Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (right), had interviewed for several top jobs, but wasn’t hired.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 23, 2024

NFL’s diversity push challenged by teams recycling older coaches

There are seven openings — and maybe more coming — among the league’s 32 franchises, compared to just five in 2023.
Fire in the Taiga forest outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk in 2014
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jan 23, 2024

Scientists warn missing Russian data causing Arctic climate blind spots

The Arctic is warming between two and four times faster than the rest of the planet and holds glaciers, forests and carbon-rich frozen soils at risk of irreversible change.
Snow collects on solar panels in a residential district of Berlin.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jan 23, 2024

China overtakes the EU on clean-energy research, study shows

China led on the number of peer-reviewed publications in areas including solar and wind power, as well as lithium battery, heat pump and carbon-capture technology, in 2021.
Turkish lawmakers attend a session before voting on a bill regarding Sweden's accession to NATO on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 24, 2024

Turkey approves Sweden NATO bid, leaving Hungary as holdout

Sweden’s entry would bolster defense alliance, reinforcing its northern reach and improving its ability to defend the eastern flank.
An aerial view of islands in Palau
WORLD / Politics
Jan 24, 2024

Palau becomes first nation to ratify U.N. high seas treaty

The so-called High Seas Treaty was adopted by U.N. member states in June, after more than 15 years of discussions.
Taiwan's roughly three decades of democracy have fostered a growing sense of self-identity, according to a long-running study by National Chengchi University.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 24, 2024

Taiwan’s China-backing party faces crisis after election defeat

Many voters are distrustful of the KMT's commitment to eventual unification with China, a goal shared by just a minority in the island.
SUMO
Jan 24, 2024

Big names set up thrilling finale for January sumo meet

Terunofuji would appear to be the favorite as sumo's first tournament of 2024 reaches the homestretch, but a host of contenders means it could come down to the final day.
A man prays on July 19, 2019, outside the Kyoto Animation building where 36 people died in a fire caused by Shinji Aoba the previous day.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 24, 2024

Possible death penalty looms for Kyoto Animation arson suspect

The trial shed light on his upbringing, the emergence of his grudge against the studio and how he went ahead with his plan of attack despite some hesitation.
Police officers hold a traffic safety lesson for e-scooter users in December 2022 in Tokyo's Meguro Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 24, 2024

E-scooter traffic violations rise fourfold in Japan

Reports of traffic violations totaled 1,879 in the month of December, a significant increase from the 405 cases reported in July of last year.
South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians amid the war in Gaza.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2024

Should Japan support the ICJ genocide case against Israel?

South Africa has accused Israel of genocide in the International Court of Justice. The case can't be ignored, or impunity and the global order's collapse will be the price.

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