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Ami Yuasa performs in the b-girls breaking competition final during the Paris Summer Olympics earlier this month. She won gold in the event.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 21, 2024

The victories, viral moments and vocabulary of Paris 2024

When following the Olympics in Japanese, knowing all the buzzwords that spring up could be a competition of its own.
A portrait taken on May 26, 1979, shows French actor Alain Delon during the filming of "Le toubib" directed by Pierre Granier Deferre, in Sissonne, central France.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 20, 2024

Alain Delon: A 'god' in Japan

The French actor, who died on Aug. 18, held special appeal for his Japanese fans, as he embodied a "thirst" that postwar youth could identify with.
New gene-edited crops could address climate change and agricultural challenges; however, high regulatory barriers and safety concerns limit innovation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 18, 2024

It’s time to embrace a new era of gene-edited food

New crops may improve our health or help us mitigate and adapt to climate change.
China's Sun Yang swims to win the men's 1500m freestyle final during the World Swimming Championships at the Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona in August 2013.
MORE SPORTS / Swimming
Aug 21, 2024

China's Sun set to return to the pool after long doping ban

The swimmer will represent Zhejiang province at the National Summer Swimming Championships, which start on Sunday in Hefei.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during the Belgian Grand Prix on July 28
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 21, 2024

Verstappen needs a home win to end losing streak

Verstappen, who leads Formula One by 78 points with 10 rounds remaining, has not stood on top of the podium since Spain on June 23.
The integration of large language models into war-game simulations and planning promises faster scenario analysis, but recent research highlights significant issues, including a risk of escalation.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Resist the seductive power of AI in military decision-making

The maturation of AI and the creation of large learning models have driven the war-gaming industry — and it is an industry — to new heights of fever and frenzy.
Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pays her respect to a picture of Thailand King Maha Vajiralongkorn as she receives a royal endorsement to become the 31st prime minister in Bangkok on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Thailand’s democracy is on shaky ground

Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is in the middle of yet another political crisis. Citizens deserve better.
The ability of Xi Jinping's government to control China's  industrial overcapacity crisis is limited, and stimulating domestic demand is difficult amid geopolitical tensions.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Xi’s supply-side panacea has lost its magic

China’s excess capacity problem will have to fester until even its industry leaders call it quits. That may be some years away.
Existential risks like bioterrorism or climate change, created by humans, are not being treated by governments with anything like the seriousness or urgency they deserve.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2024

Will we survive the next 100 years?

Existential risks like bioterrorism or climate change, created by humans, are not being treated by governments with anything like the seriousness or urgency they deserve.
The yen's rebound is clouding an outlook for Japanese firms' earnings that have enjoyed a boost from the weak yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Yen’s rebound threatens earnings growth in Japan

Weak demand in China and the risk of a slowing U.S. economy are fueling worries about how sustainable their earnings growth will be.
Seven & I Holding’s logo is seen at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo on Aug. 19. Apart from 7-Eleven, Seven & I also owns, has stakes in or operates a number of other iconic properties, including Denny’s, Tower Records and Ito-Yokado.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Japan warms to audacious Canadian bid for 7-Eleven operator

The deal might just work if Alimentation Couche-Tard lets the convenience store chain get on with business and continue to develop and expand globally.
Ebenezer Agyarko tends to his cocoa plantation in Kwabeng, north of Accra, the capital of Ghana.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 22, 2024

Chocolate prices unlikely to decline even as African cocoa harvest improves

Issues that have long hobbled the industry remain, meaning bean prices aren’t likely to fall back to previous levels.
The 2024 Kentaro Kaneko Award ceremony will be held Oct. 15 at the International House of Japan in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Aug 24, 2024

America-Japan Society announces recipients of 2024 Kentaro Kaneko Award

This year's Kentaro Kaneko Award celebrating achievements in furthering U.S.-Japan relations goes to a volunteer, an educator and a legendary musician.
Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, head of Thailand's Department of Disease Control, speaks during a news conference following the suspected first case of the new, more dangerous strain of mpox in Bangkok on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Aug 23, 2024

Thailand confirms Asia’s first case of new mpox virus strain

The patient who tested positive for clade Ib was a European man who arrived in Bangkok last week from Africa.
Kylian Mbappe will make his home debut for Real Madrid against Real Valladolid on Sunday.
SOCCER
Aug 23, 2024

Kylian Mbappe set for home debut as Carlo Ancelotti seeks to get Madrid on track

Mbappe was shut out by Mallorca and goalkeeper Dominik Greif in his first Spanish league match on Sunday.
A boy pushes a biped robot developed by LimX Dynamics at the World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 23, 2024

China's robot makers chase Tesla to deliver humanoid workers

The Asian giant's push into the emerging industry draws from the formula behind its initial electric vehicle drive more than a decade ago.
An AI-driven smartphone application, jointly developed by a tech startup and researchers at Nihon University, purports to tell when cats feel pain. It was being demonstrated during a vet examination in Fujisawa on June 11.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 23, 2024

Japan should go big or go home on startups

As of last month, Japan had just 10 unicorns, according to Pitchbook data, compared to 714 in the U.S., 316 in China and 62 in India.
Novak Djokovic in action during the men's singles final at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 4.
TENNIS
Aug 25, 2024

Djokovic eyes Grand Slam records in U.S. Open defense

Djokovic can become the oldest U.S. Open champion of the Open era as he seeks to break a tie with Margaret Court and win a 25th major.
Sarvam AI, often described as India’s OpenAI, introduced software for businesses that can interact with customers using spoken voice rather than just text.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 26, 2024

Cheap AI voice bots are suddenly everywhere in India

Startups may turn India into a proving ground for what could be the next frontier of generative artificial intelligence products.
A humanoid robot developed by Ex-Robots winks at the World Robot Conference in Beijing on Aug. 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 26, 2024

China robots conference spotlights the changing face of humanoids

"The robot industry has broad prospects and huge market potential," said Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
A monument of baseball legend Babe Ruth stands at Monument Park at Yankee Stadium on Feb. 25, 2009.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 26, 2024

Babe Ruth jersey sells for record-shattering price

The jersey sold for $24.1 million in an online auction.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after being doused with water after his walk-off grand slam against the Rays at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB / Sac Bunts
Aug 26, 2024

New 40-40 club member Shohei Ohtani has real shot at unprecedented 50-50 campaign

Ohtani has a chance to make even more history after reaching the 40-40 club.
Oceanographic research vessel Mirai is docked at the port of Sekinehama in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture, on Monday before it embarked on an Arctic voyage later in the day.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024

Japan's Mirai research vessel embarks on Arctic journey

Mirai is tasked with ocean research and weather observations in the Arctic Ocean, in hopes of finding the cause and impact of rapid global warming in the area.
Digital minister Taro Kono speaks during a news conference to announce his candidacy in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 26, 2024

Taro Kono joins contest for LDP presidency

Touting his international credentials, the digital minister put economic reform at the top of his agenda, pledging to cut publicly funded projects that are ineffective.
Coco Gauff of the United States hits to Varvara Gracheva of France on Day 1 of the 2024 U.S. Open in New York on Monday.
TENNIS
Aug 27, 2024

Defending champions Djokovic and Gauff off to blazing starts at U.S. Open

Gauff cruised past France's Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-0.
Black Myth: Wukong has sold over 10 million copies in less than a week — by far the best launch of a Chinese-developed single-player game in history.
LIFE / Digital
Aug 27, 2024

With Black Myth: Wukong, China is now a force to reckon with in AAA games

Can China’s first AAA gaming hit bear the weight of the cultural baggage it’s being burdened with?
Naomi Osaka serves during her match against Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the U.S. Open on Tuesday in New York.
TENNIS
Aug 28, 2024

Tearful Osaka triumphs in U.S. Open return

Osaka cruised in her first round match while wearing a Harajuku-inspired outfit that quickly attracted attention on social media.
There is a significant divide between security experts, who emphasize the unquantifiable risks of geopolitical instability, and economists, who focus on the measurable costs of restructuring supply chains.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 28, 2024

Traditional economics fail the geopolitical test

The seemingly yawning gap between the views of the security specialists and the business and economics types is striking.
People shop at a flea market hosted by Bunjang, an e-commerce platform for secondhand sales, in Seoul on Aug. 3.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 28, 2024

South Korea's birth rate drive struggles to sway 'YOLO' generation

Asia's fourth-largest economy plans to launch a new government ministry dedicated to demographic challenges.
Quokkas have been dubbed the "happiest animal in the world."
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2024

Saitama zoo seeks donations for 'smiling' quokkas

The Saitama Children's Zoo in Higashimatsuyama is the only place in Japan where people can see quokkas.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami