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Electronic boards display the exchange rate for the yen against the U.S. dollar and the closing numbers of Tokyo Stock Exchange share price in Tokyo on May 1.
BUSINESS / Markets / FOCUS
May 19, 2024

From Tokyo to New York, stock markets are on a record-hitting spree around the world

Of the world’s 20 largest stock markets, 14 have hit all-time highs recently.
A man is detained after Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot at close range in an assassination attempt, after a government meeting in Handlova, Slovakia, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 19, 2024

A would-be assassin stirs Europe’s violent ghosts

Political violence and polarization stalk Europe today, with ominous echoes of the past.
A couple looks out onto the Fukuoka nightscape. Due to its distance from Tokyo and its close proximity to South Korea and China, professor Tomoya Mori believes that Fukuoka is one of the few metropolitan regions of Japan that will see some form of growth in the decades to come.
JAPAN / Society / Perspectives
May 20, 2024

Why half of Japan's cities are at risk of disappearing in 100 years

Professor Tomoya Mori believes depopulation will alter the urban landscape of Japan in an unexpected way.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov attends a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with commanders of troops of military districts, in Moscow on May 15.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2024

The technocrat who’s taking control of Putin’s war effort

While other technocrats in Russian President Vladimir Putin's orbit privately see his geopolitical moves as problematic, the new defense minister is a true believer.
Kim Do-hoon is set to lead South Korea in World Cup qualifiers against Singapore and China in June.
SOCCER
May 21, 2024

South Korea appoints another interim coach for World Cup qualifiers

Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked in February after his team crashed out in the semifinals of the Asian Cup.
People hold antiwar placards in Madrid during a protest to call for a cease-fire in Gaza on Jan. 20.
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Israel's isolation deepens as European countries recognize Palestinian state

The move follows warnings by Washington over withholding arms, sanctions against violent settlers and accusations of genocide in international courts.
An Israeli officer directing traffic at the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Jerusalem on Dec. 3, 2023. Spain, Norway and Ireland said on Wednesday that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, a rebuke to Israel over its war in Gaza and its decades of occupation of Palestinian territories.
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Can European recognition bring Palestinian statehood any closer?

The recognition comes as the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor requests arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak meets with veterans at a community breakfast in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England, on Saturday during a party campaign event in the build-up to the U.K. general election on July 4.
WORLD / Politics
May 26, 2024

Sunak pledges mandatory national service in U.K. election ploy

Sunak is trying to set out a bold new agenda after he unexpectedly announced a general election on July 4.
Richard Grenell speaks at a Donald Trump rally in Florence, Arizona, on Jan. 15, 2022.  Grenell has a good chance of landing a top foreign policy job in a second Trump administration — if not as secretary of state, which requires Senate confirmation, then perhaps as national security adviser, which does not.
WORLD / Politics
May 26, 2024

He threw ‘spaghetti at the wall’ for Trump. Now he’s after a top job.

If Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidency, Richard Grenell hopes to be secretary of state. But his work raises questions, even from his former boss.
Mitsubishi Electric's TOKUI Fast Accurate Synchronized Motion Testing Robot solves a Rubik's Cube
JAPAN
May 27, 2024

Japanese robot solves Rubik's Cube in record time

Guinness World Records recognized the 0.305-second time achieved by Mitsubishi Electric's machine as a new world best, beating the previous record of 0.38 seconds.
The Bank Indonesia headquarters in Jakarta
BUSINESS / Markets
May 27, 2024

India and Indonesia stand out for EM investors in aging world

Both India and Indonesia had elections this year, showcasing to the world their ambition to transition into major economic powerhouses.
President of China Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attend the China-Africa Leaders' Roundtable Dialogue on the last day of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug. 24, 2023.
WORLD
May 28, 2024

Post-COVID, China is back in Africa and doubling down on minerals

While new Chinese investment in Africa increased 114% last year, it was centered on minerals essential to the global energy transition and China's plans to revive its economy.
Some experts are concerned about the potential for worldwide conflict within the next few years as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are likely preparing for major confrontation.
COMMENTARY / World
May 28, 2024

Echoes of 1962, the Berlin crisis and a world teetering on war

There is the potential for worldwide conflict within the next three years as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are likely preparing for major confrontation.
A mourner holds a picture of the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, as she prays during a vigil to pay tribute to him and other officials who were killed in a helicopter crash, at the Iranian Ambassador's residence in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 22.
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2024

U.S. to boycott U.N. tribute to Iran leader killed in helicopter crash

The U.N. General Assembly traditionally meets to pay tribute to any world leader who was a sitting head of state at the time of their death.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West that NATO members in Europe were playing with fire by proposing to let Kyiv use Western weapons to strike deep inside Russia, something he said could trigger a global conflict.
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2024

Think tank close to Kremlin says Russia should consider a 'demonstrative' nuclear explosion

The idea was suggested as a way to cow the West into refusing to allow Ukraine to use its arms against targets inside Russia.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (right) meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Riyadh on Dec. 8, 2022.
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2024

Xi lays out vision for greater cooperation with Arab states

China has been stepping up its diplomatic efforts in the Middle East in recent years to win new allies in its global contest for influence with the U.S.
Sokyo Ono’s “Shinto: The Kami Spirit World of Japan” reveals how a mystic sense of nature lies at the heart of Shinto.
CULTURE / Books
May 31, 2024

'Shinto: The Kami Spirit World of Japan': A helpful guide to uncovering an integral part of Japanese life

Sokyo Ono’s book provides a concise introduction to all the fundamental elements of Shinto, including its symbols, beliefs and deities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Zelenskyy arrives in Singapore to address key Asia security summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will deliver an address to the Shangri-La Dialogue Asia security conference Sunday and meet with the U.S. defense chief.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 2, 2024

Zelenskyy pillories China over reluctance to use sway to end Ukraine war

The Ukrainian president also implored Asian leaders to attend a peace conference slated for later this month in Switzerland.
The World Health Organization's headquarters in Geneva
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 2, 2024

WHO countries prolong talks on pandemic accord

Despite increasing momentum in recent months, only 17 of the draft agreement's articles had been fully approved by countries by the deadline.
The view from the top of one of the five 70-meter-deep shafts spread across the tunnel system of the ¥230 billion Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 3, 2024

Tokyo underground: Exploring what lies beneath the world’s largest city

Tokyo has developed a massive network of underground infrastructure to support its population, a system being put to the test by extreme weather.
A Palestinian youth moves containers of water past destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on May 28.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2024

Israel pushes back against Gaza ceasefire Biden has outlined

Hamas said it welcomed any proposal "based on a permanent ceasefire" as well as "a total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."
Employees assemble an electric transformer on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, on March 28.
WORLD
Jun 3, 2024

Modi plans post-election reforms to rival Chinese manufacturing

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans a raft of business-friendly measures if he wins a third term this week, including pushing through regulations making it easier to hire and fire workers, according to two government officials familiar with the matter.
Today's leaders need to balance national security measures with global cooperation to prevent the unraveling of the world's economy.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2024

The global economy is more fragile than it seems

Today's leaders need to balance national security measures with global cooperation to prevent the unraveling of the world's economy.
Al Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces withdrew from the hospital and the area around it following a two-week operation, in Gaza City on April 2
WORLD
Jun 5, 2024

Gaza's doctors were building a health care system. Then came war.

Before the war, specialist doctors were part of a strategic effort by Hamas to build a self-sufficient health care system for Gaza.
Dunkirk has revamped its seafront to create a modern promenade, new hotels have gone up and public transportation has been made free.
WORLD
Jun 5, 2024

Macron’s charms falter in Le Pen’s industrial heartland

The area around Dunkirk has suffered from the demise of industries such as steel and mining.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with senior editors from international news agencies at Lakhta Centre business tower in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 6, 2024

Putin says West wrong to think Russia would never use nuclear weapons

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow's nuclear doctrine allows the use of such weapons if the country's territorial integrity or sovereignty was threatened.
A welder works on a K9 Howitzer at Hanwha Aerospace’s manufacturing facility in Changwon, South Korea.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 6, 2024

South Korea is making weapons faster and cheaper than the U.S.

Hanwha Aerospace touts smooth production lines, intact supply chains and faster delivery times, along with lower overheads than its competitors.
Kenya's Rhonex Kipruto celebrates after finishing third in the men's 10,000 meter final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Doha on Oct. 6, 2019.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Jun 6, 2024

Kenya's Rhonex Kipruto gets six-year ban and loses world record over doping

Kipruto was banned until May 10, 2029.
Ambassador of Australia to the U.S. Kevin Rudd attends the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 17.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 7, 2024

War over Taiwan would change world, says Australia ambassador to U.S.

If Chinese President Xi Jinping, who turns 71 this month, wanted to achieve "final national unification" with Taiwan, he would likely act before he reaches his 80s.

Longform

Japan's growing ranks of centenarians are redefining what it means to live in a super-aging society.
What comes after 100?