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Australian Ambassador to Japan Justin Hayhurst (center) walks beside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May.
JAPAN
Aug 3, 2023

Tokyo-Canberra ties key to Indo-Pacific’s future: Australian envoy

"We’ve never been more important to each other," says Justin Hayhurst, Australia’s new Ambassador to Japan.
Akira Amari, Japan's chip czar, has said that funding around one-third of the cost of a chip plant is the norm, and the 50% funding for Japan's first TSMC chip plant was unusually high.
BUSINESS
Aug 3, 2023

Chip minister hints Japan to fund one-third of second TSMC plant

The subsidies will be part of Japan’s efforts to revive its domestic chipmaking industry, a sector viewed as crucial for growth and economic security.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington. After its downgrade of the U.S., Fitch’s AAA club now consists of Germany and Australia, along with seven others, including smaller, rich countries such as Switzerland and Luxembourg.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2023

Pristine AAA bond universe just got a whole lot smaller

Fitch's U.S. downgrade is the latest example of a decadelong trend in rich economies as worries about high and rising debt burdens come to the fore.
BASEBALL / MLB
Aug 4, 2023

Bobby Valentine enjoying more relaxed time with Angels

Former Marines manager Bobby Valentine is viewing the game from a different perspective these days.
Hitachi CEO Keiji Kojima. The company’s metamorphosis belies the argument that the bastions of Japan Inc. are set forever in their ways.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2023

Hitachi reinvents itself in sign of hope for Japan

The old-school conglomerate revamped its governance, shrank its empire to focus on growth and evolved into a more global enterprise.
Yuzuru Hanyu attends a photo session in Tokyo in September 2022.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Aug 5, 2023

Figure skating icon Yuzuru Hanyu announces marriage

Hanyu, who did not reveal the identity of his partner, said he will continue to skate to show the best version of himself.
Ater Jimmie Husen
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 6, 2023

On plates, Sweden and Japan are a natural pair

Swedish and Japanese cuisine are not natural allies, but diners in Japan don’t seem to care when they taste this unique fusion for themselves.
Demonstrators hold a rally in Washington on Thursday, the day former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is facing federal charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election, appeared in a U.S. district court in the nation's capital.
EDITORIALS
Aug 4, 2023

The United States of America vs. Donald J. Trump

The outcome of the trial against former U.S. President Donald Trump will test the rule of law and U.S. democracy.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends the joint news conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China, in May.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 5, 2023

Xi spent two days outside China in 2023 as problems mount

Mounting domestic problems from a faltering economy to rare political scandals have demanded the Chinese leader's attention at home.
An installation for The North Face Moon Parka, which uses a Spiber-produced protein material
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Aug 6, 2023

A Japanese startup is using biotech to ‘brew’ greener fashion

Fashion has a huge environmental impact, and Spiber thinks its products can help curb the industry's footprint.
India is facing a potential future food crises due to severe climate change despite its per capita carbon emissions being lower than some countries such as Germany. 
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 25, 2023

India’s food security is being choked by climate change

A warming planet is destabilizing the cycles of rain and sun that are keeping India fed.
Trucks wait to cross South Africa’s border into Mozambique at Lebombo Border control in Komatipoort.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2023

Global demand for coal is bringing mayhem to South African towns

The trucks began running through in ever greater numbers after South Africa became one of Europe’s main alternatives to Russian coal.
Oliviero Morelli
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / The Big Questions
Aug 8, 2023

MSC Cruises' Morelli aims to sail the ocean green

We grew up with Japanese anime and manga in Italy. Many companies found it cheaper to buy the rights from Japan than from the USA
Shohei Ohtani's free agency is expected to be among the wildest pursuits of a player in baseball history.
BASEBALL
Aug 9, 2023

Angels hoping to stay in the Shohei Ohtani business

Whether the two-way phenom remains an Angel for two more months, or the rest of his career, is an open question.
The Pentagon on Tuesday looked to soften the blow of an explosive report that Chinese hackers had infiltrated Japan's most sensitive defense networks, saying that it was "confident” about sharing intelligence with Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023

U.S. ‘confident’ in Japan intel sharing, but Taiwan concerns linger

The Pentagon has moved to soften the blow of a report that said that “shockingly bad” hacking had been uncovered by the U.S. in the fall of 2020.
Sven Hannemann manages the forest surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Its ancient oak trees are suffering from drought induced by climate change.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 9, 2023

In Germany's Versailles, drought is killing ancient trees

Drought induced by climate change is decimating trees in Potsdam's Sanssouci Palace, forcing park managers to rethink its centuries-old forest.
A protester outside a meeting between then-Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Indigenous leaders in 2015. Discussions around a referendum on whether to recognize Indigenous people in the Australian constitution have been held for years, and the vote will be held soon.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 9, 2023

Tough road ahead for Australia’s landmark Indigenous referendum

The campaign to recognize Indigenous people in Australia's constitution in an upcoming referendum may be losing steam, polls say.
Kiminoi Shuzo's brewery (pictured in 1904) has been a fixture of the community in Arai, Niigata Prefecture, since its 1894 founding.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 13, 2023

Struggling Niigata sake sees ‘a future in Japan’s past’

New challenges are forcing Niigata’s brewers to adapt their ancient craft to changing times, a balancing act that is often easier said than done.
The impact of China's latest metal curbs will likely be limited, experts say, as the United States is already looking for alternative supply chains.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 11, 2023

China’s gallium curbs to have limited impact on U.S. defense

China said the recent export controls are necessary to safeguard national security, but experts believe this is a way for the country to hit back at U.S.
Seattle Kraken center Alex Wennberg recently spoke out about "vile comments" he and his wife were receiving from fans on social media.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 11, 2023

Tensions build after collision of hockey, TikTok and romance novels

BookTok has brought new fans to hockey, but some wonder if fans are crossing the line with explicit comments.
Whether it is a hot summer or a cold winter, humans spend 90% of their time inside and there is little evidence that seasonal changes affect COVID-19 transmission significantly. 
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 10, 2023

COVID-19’s summer resurgence resists easy answers

Be wary of anyone with a pat explanation for why COVID-19 waves rise and fall.
A promotional poster for the film "Barbie" in Tokyo earlier this month
CULTURE
Aug 12, 2023

Hollywood blockbuster 'Barbie' opens in Japan after controversy

Tickets sold fast in Japan as fans flocked to the theatrical release, timed to coincide with the start of the Bon holiday period.
U.S. President Joe Biden recent comments about China are some of his most direct criticisms yet about the U.S.’s top geopolitical and economic rival.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 12, 2023

Biden fears Chinese economy is ‘ticking time bomb’

Biden's comments included several major inaccuracies about the world’s second-largest economy.
Rappers Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa perform during the Hip Hop 50 Live concert, marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop, at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Friday.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 13, 2023

Hip-hop stars helm marathon birthday party

Thousands of people partied deep into the night Friday as part of an all-star Bronx bash celebrating 50 years of hip-hop, featuring trailblazers including Run-DMC, Nas, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg.
Tourists walk along the road that leads to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 14, 2023

New coronavirus variant EG.5 gains momentum in Japan

The prevalence of EG.5, called Eris by health experts, nearly doubled in July to account for 22% of cases in Tokyo.
Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te speaks during a luncheon in New York City in this handout picture released Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 14, 2023

Taiwan VP vows to ‘never back down’ amid totalitarian threats

Lai Ching-te is not known to have met any top U.S. officials during his stopover in New York City.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has since the start of the Ukraine invasion destroyed the norms that developed during the Cold War to prevent a nuclear arms race or the eventual use of such weapons.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 14, 2023

Russia outnumbers the U.S. 10-to-1 in tactical nukes. Now what?

Never mind that Vladimir Putin is breaking all nuclear taboos and China is beefing up its arsenal. U.S. nuclear doctrine is still fundamentally sound.
A trader on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on July 26
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 15, 2023

U.S. loss of AAA badge shows shift in views on government debt

Fitch Ratings flagged not only U.S. governance but also higher rates driving up debt service costs, an aging population and rising health care spending.
Cirebon-1, an 11-year-old coal power station in West Java, Indonesia, is set to close early, sparing the planet millions of tons of carbon dioxide.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 16, 2023

Indonesian facility shows cutting coal is a hard sell for banks

The early closure of the Cirebon-1 coal plant could be a decarbonization model for Asia, but big banks have been shy about fueling the transition.
Kimono-clad visitors take selfie photographs at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 16, 2023

In July, Japan welcomed most overseas visitors since pandemic hit

The weak yen is helping to boost tourism and contribute to a surge in growth for the world's third-largest economy.

Longform

An illustration features the Japanese signs for "ganbare" (good luck) and the Deaflympics, which will be held between Nov. 15 and 26.
A century of Deaf sport finds its moment in Tokyo