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An Israeli military helicopter flying away from the helipad of a hospitalin Tel Aviv, Israel, after transporting a patient on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

Israel deploys expansive facial recognition program in Gaza

Members of Israeli intelligence and its military are concerned about the experimental surveillance effort's false positives and cases of mistaken identity.
Residential skyscraper buildings beyond luxury villas on the waterfront of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai
BUSINESS
Mar 28, 2024

Dubai’s glitz dims for Russians on costs and U.S. sanction pressures

Two years ago, Dubai became a hot favorite with Russians looking to park money or build new lives after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing-based Chinese influencer Chang Feifei has taken on many jobs to promote travel destinations in Japan, including from Universal Studios Japan and the Hankyu and Hanshin department stores.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Mar 28, 2024

Influencers — Japan’s secret weapon to promote niche tourism spots

Followers' trust in — and reliance on — social media for travel info, even when the content is sponsored, is a key factor.
The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier vessel True Confidence in Ravenna, Italy, in 2022
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Mar 28, 2024

Deaths on Houthi-ravaged vessel herald perilous era for Middle East shipping

The experience of the True Confidence shows the threat to the oil tankers, cargo carriers and seafarers who are still using this vital waterway for trade.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the 344th Army Aviation Center of aircrews combat training and transition in Torzhok in the Tver region of Russia on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 28, 2024

Putin says Russia will not attack NATO but will shoot down Ukraine's F-16s

F-16s sent for use in Ukraine's war effort and used from airfields in third countries would "become for us legitimate targets," the Russian leader said.
Hitoshi Matsumoto
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 28, 2024

Comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto's defamation trial kicks off

Identities of two women accusing the comedian of forcing them into having sex, as reported by Shukan Bunshun, becomes the focus on Day 1.
Described as “the world’s first cosmic opera,” Jeff Mills’ “The Trip: Enter the Black Hole” is a multimedia spectacle tied together by a concept that teeters on the brink between quantum physics and science fiction.
CULTURE / Music
Mar 29, 2024

Jeff Mills’ trippy techno odyssey comes to Tokyo

The influential techno artist's multimedia 'cosmic opera' features vocals by '80s avant-pop diva Jun Togawa.
A poster for "Oppenheimer" is displayed at a theater in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on Friday. The film's Japan debut came eight months after its global release.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 29, 2024

'Oppenheimer' opens in Japan eight months after global release

Japan screenings were delayed as the worldwide premiere was only weeks before the anniversary of the 1945 bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya described the panel as unjustified in the absence of an annual review to assess and potentially modify the sanctions on North Korea.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 29, 2024

Russian veto ends monitoring of U.N.'s North Korea sanctions

Ukraine's foreign minister called the veto "a guilty plea" amid allegations that Pyongyang is aiding Moscow in its war against Kyiv.
FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried attends his sentencing hearing at Federal Court in New York on Thursday in this courtroom sketch.
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2024

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years over FTX collapse

While there is no parole in the federal system, Bankman-Fried could be released a few years early for good behavior.
Williams' Alexander Albon drives during the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 29, 2024

Williams will have two cars but still no spare in Japan

Team principal James Vowles said that both Williams drivers would be racing at Suzuka.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia has made on-the-ground reporting increasingly dangerous and illegal since it sent troops into Ukraine two years ago, arresting and fining those who defy the Kremlin's narratives.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 29, 2024

Russia sentences journalist to two years in prison and detains others

Russia has made on-the-ground reporting increasingly dangerous and illegal since it sent troops into Ukraine two years ago.
An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indexes at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai on March 24.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 29, 2024

Chinese firms face funding drought for IPOs amid heavy scrutiny

China's securities watchdog has sharply tightened scrutiny of IPOs this year, leading to companies scrapping domestic listing plans in droves.
The 2024 grand prix winner was Zerogravity, a marine activity provider with a focus on accessible tours and accommodation.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 29, 2024

Japan Travel Awards promote inclusive tourism

While currently far from a global player, the Japan Travel Awards is filling a void for recommendations on forward-looking travel-centric organizations.
The giant green signs of this supermarket chain can be slightly intimidating, but chefs of all stripes are welcome in Gyomu's aisles.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 31, 2024

In praise of Gyomu Super, a gem of Japanese grocery shopping

With a name that translates to something like “commercial supermarket,” you might assume Gyomu is just a restaurant supply chain.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed his eagerness to revise the political funds law in the current session of parliament, slated to end on June 23.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 29, 2024

Spotlight on political reform after budget clears Japan's parliament

Ruling and opposition parties are eager to outline a bolder plan for reform to raise their profile among voters amid growing political disenchantment.
Thailand has taken its first step toward legalizing casinos, as the government looks to attract high-spending tourists to support the nation's economy.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 29, 2024

Thailand takes first step to legalize casinos to aid economy

Thailand is the latest nation to consider entering the global casino industry, which is estimated to have generated $263.3 billion in revenue last year.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends a European Union leaders summit in Brussels on March 22.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 29, 2024

Meloni-Le Pen rift mars far right's prospects of wielding EU power

Divisions within Europe's nationalist right that may stymie efforts to wield power at an EU level despite record support.
Beijing's repression of its Muslim citizens, including Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province, could make it the target of Islamic State attacks.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 28, 2024

After Russia, is China the Islamic State's next target?

As Russia mourns the victims of the Moscow attack, China should be on guard. Its repression of Uyghurs has provoked the Islamic State group before.
California’s share of U.S. wine production, around 90% in the 1990s and 2000s, dropped below 80% for the first time on record in 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2024

Who will save the U.S. wine industry? Not California boomers.

California’s share of U.S. wine production, around 90% in the 1990s and 2000s, dropped below 80% for the first time on record in 2022.
The OpenAI offices in San Francisco. The high-profile tech startup is allowing a small group of businesses to test a new system, Voice Engine, that is said to be able to recreate a person’s voice from a 15-second recording, OpenAI announced Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 30, 2024

OpenAI previews new audio tool that can read text and mimic voices

All the software needs is 15 seconds of recorded audio of a person speaking to re-create their voice.
Jin-Oh Hyun searches for wild king cherry trees and their relatives on Geoje Island, off the coast of South Korea, on March 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 30, 2024

Wanted in South Korea: imperialism-free cherry blossoms

Activists want to replace a variety of cherry tree associated with the Japanese colonial era with one they say is Korean. The science is messy.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at the Chavis Community Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 30, 2024

Kamala Harris pushes the envelope as Biden struggles with some Democrats

The U.S. vice president's new role is seen as part of a high-profile effort to persuade the fractious coalition of voters to give them a second term.
Drivers speed toward the first corner at the start of the first Tokyo E-Prix.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 30, 2024

Nissan’s Rowland narrowly misses dream win in Formula E’s electric Tokyo debut

Maserati’s Maximilian Guenther spoiled the party for Nissan's legions of fans as the electric racing series made its long-awaited Japan debut.
With emerging headwinds in the U.S. and Japan, U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will have their work cut out for them next month as they look to maintain the momentum driving change in the alliance between both countries.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 31, 2024

Kishida heads to U.S. with a mission — maintain alliance momentum amid challenges

Defense and security will likely top the agenda, though it is unclear how the PM will handle the issue of Ukraine assistance amid a split U.S. Congress.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy inspects new fortifications for Ukrainian servicemen, near the Russian border in Ukraine's Sumy region, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 31, 2024

Zelenskyy vows drone strikes on Russia despite U.S. dissent

The drone attacks are in retaliation against Kremlin strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid and part of an effort to compel Moscow to stop them.
Cranes begin the clean-up of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday.
WORLD
Mar 31, 2024

Salvage crews work to lift first piece of collapsed Baltimore bridge

Five days after the tragedy, the jobs of some 15,000 people whose work revolves around daily port operation are on hold.
Employees work at a factory that produces LED displays in Huaian, in eastern China's Jiangsu province, on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 31, 2024

China factory activity expands for first time in six months

The official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.8 from 49.1 in February, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement Sunday.
A site in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, that formerly belonged to the British Embassy, was discovered to have artifacts and dwellings from the city's past.
JAPAN / History / Longform
Apr 1, 2024

The complications in digging up Tokyo's ancient past

When traces of history are found at construction sites, businesses need to sport the cost of removing them. But then, the build goes on.
A mural showing Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani is seen on the side of the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles, on Thursday. The mural is by artist Robert Vargas and is 46 meters tall.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 1, 2024

Ohtani’s arrival brings hope and nostalgia home to Little Tokyo

In Los Angeles, home to one of the nation’s oldest Japanese American enclaves, rooting for the Dodgers is a cherished tradition.

Longform

After pandemic-era border regulations eased, Indian migrants began returning to Japan. Their population now stands at more than 50,000 across the country.
How remote work is rewriting the migrant experience in Japan