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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to Amman, Jordan, early Tuesday after overnight negotiations in Tel Aviv with Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023

U.S. whirlwind Israel diplomacy hits hard Middle East realities

The top U.S. diplomat's flurry of travel to Arab capitals appears to have resulted in little beyond President Joe Biden's planned visit to Israel.
People walk into Jerusalem's Old City via Jaffa Gate, as the conflict wreaks havoc across the tourism sector.
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2023

Israeli-Palestinian tourism sector hit hard by conflict

"Business is at a standstill since the war started," said a tour guide in the Palestinian city. "The roads were cut off, no one is coming."
An attendee tries out the XR Catch game at the Sony Group booth at CEATEC in Chiba on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023

Major Japan tech show opens with focus on sustainability

The major trade show kicked off on Tuesday, with firms keen to showcase how their latest technologies could contribute to creating a sustainable society.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023

With new name for Johnny's, focus shifts to victim compensation

The talent agency will face challenges in identifying those eligible for compensation due to the sheer number of victims of abuse by Johnny Kitagawa.
Palestinian refugees flee to Rafah, in southern Gaza, after Israeli airstrikes on Friday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 17, 2023

Japan must uphold humanitarianism in the Middle East

War cries from Israel and Hamas must be met with appeals for the defense of human life, a position Japan has historically held.
Various student and left-wing organizations march in support of Palestinians in New Delhi on Monday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 17, 2023

Hamas' war and what it means for India

Some strategic thinkers are calling for a broader "Indo-Abrahamic Alliance" that includes not only the I2U2 but also Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Russian President Vladimir Putin is welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a ceremony at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 17, 2023

Putin arrives in China to meet 'dear friend' Xi

China this week welcomes representatives of 130 countries for a forum on Xi's vast trade and infrastructure Belt and Road Initiative.
BUSINESS
Oct 18, 2023

Discount supermarket OK opens store in Tokyo's posh Ginza district

Discount supermarket operator OK opened a store in Tokyo's upscale Ginza district, aiming to cater to foreign tourists and restaurant operators.
A Palestinian with dual citizenship waits outside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the hope of getting permission to leave Gaza, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / EXPLAINER
Oct 18, 2023

What is the Rafah border crossing and why is Egypt keeping it shut?

The crossing is the sole route for aid to enter Gaza directly from outside Israel and the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023

Japan tries 'nudge theory' in bid to curtail littering by tourists

Thea measures come as littering and other problems related to overtourism are worsening in popular destinations.
Police officers work after a operation against a deadly shooting suspect, in Schaerbeek, Brussels, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
Oct 18, 2023

Brussels attack underlines challenges for new EU migration pact

Monday's shooting came at a time of heightened concerns across Europe linked to the Israel-Hamas war and alarm over increasing arrivals of migrants.
Troy Sutton, a virologist at Pennsylvania State University, on July 25, 2023. Sutton says that health officials referred to the public controversy over the lab leak theory in advising him to pursue different experiments.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 18, 2023

Lab leak fight casts chill over virology research

While some believe practices such as gain-of-function research could fend off the next pandemic, others worry that they are more likely to start one.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2023

Japan considers allowing exports of fighter jets to third nations

The government has clarified its position that it would be "desirable" to lift a ban in place on such exports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hugs U.S. President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday. Biden's visit to Israel represents a solidarity visit following Hamas attacks that have led to major Israeli reprisals.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 18, 2023

Biden in Israel says hospital blast appears done by ‘other team’

"I’m deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday," Biden said.
People gather at the site of the al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital in central Gaza on Wednesday in the aftermath of an overnight strike there.
WORLD
Oct 19, 2023

U.S. reports deal to restart aid to Gaza as protests rock Mideast

The region remained volatile in the aftermath of an explosion at a Gaza hospital, which Palestinian officials said killed 471 people.
Smoke billows over the northern Gaza Strip during Israeli bombardment on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 19, 2023

Israel's endgame? No sign of postwar plan for Gaza

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, but it has no clear plan for how to govern the ravaged Palestinian enclave even if it triumphs on the battlefield.
Spain's Olga Carmona and Ona Batlle celebrate after the Women's World Cup final in Sydney on Aug. 20. The team had been in dispute with the Spanish federation before the tournament.
SOCCER
Oct 19, 2023

FIFA official urges nations to fully support women's soccer

Soccer associations need to properly support their women's teams so they can perform at their best, FIFA's Sarai Bareman said.
The pronoun you choose when referring to yourself can give off a definite vibe, so be careful in your choice.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 20, 2023

Which pronoun should I take?

Depending on the situation, you may need to use two or three different pronouns for yourself when speaking Japanese.
Jobseekers attend a Business and IT Career Fair at Cape Fear Community College in Castle Hayne, North Carolina, on Sept. 20.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 19, 2023

Biased bots? U.S. lawmakers take on 'Wild West' of AI recruitment

Around 85% of large U.S. employers now use some form of automated tool or AI to screen or rank candidates for hire, according to recent surveys.
Arctic climate scientists tend to be a close-knit community, but the war in Ukraine upended that status quo.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 19, 2023

Climate science in Arctic ‘broken’ as U.S. and Europe isolate Russia

Arctic climate scientists tend to be a close-knit community, but the war in Ukraine has upended that status quo.
Former firefighter Yoshifumi Usui now guides tourists in search of active pursuits in and around the Aso caldera.
LIFE / Travel
Oct 21, 2023

In volcanic Aso, the land gives much more than it takes

Locals in Aso have a saying: “The land takes away, but it gives us something, too.”
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a prime-time address to the nation about his approaches to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, humanitarian assistance in Gaza and continued support for Ukraine in their war with Russia, from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 20, 2023

Biden to seek billions in aid for Israel as invasion of Gaza nears

On the ground in the Gaza Strip, Israel appeared to be getting closer to a full-scale invasion of the seaside enclave ruled by Hamas.
In residential areas, bears are said to be attracted to compost waste, persimmons and chestnuts.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 20, 2023

Bear attacks on the rise in Akita and Iwate due to lack of food

According to Akita Prefecture, a record 39 people were attacked from April through Oct. 11.
Vagaries in Japanese law mean single mothers are sometimes left without financial support from their former partners.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Oct 23, 2023

Documentary shines a spotlight on Japan’s single mothers

"The Ones Left Behind" explores the successes and struggles of single mothers in modern Japan.
The health ministry found that, following the reported death of a TV personality in May 2022, the number of excess suicides in Japan spiked for two or three weeks.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 20, 2023

Copycat suicides spiked in Japan after celebrity's 2022 death

A government report is calling for the media to ensure that coverage is in line with the World Health Organization’s suicide reporting guidelines.
Demonstrators march against the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians outside Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 14.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2023

Is silence on Israel support for Hamas?

One of the current problems with the Israel-Hamas debate is that a failure to condemn some wrongs is often taken as approval.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 20, 2023

Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke pleads guilty to assisting parents' suicides

“The feelings of regret, remorse and gratitude (to my supporters) are something I will carry for the rest of my life,” Ennosuke said.
The arrests of an executive and two former employees of WPP, one of the world’s biggest advertising companies, involved WPP’s GroupM media trading division and included a raid on offices in Shanghai.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Oct 21, 2023

WPP employee arrested and offices raided by Chinese police

An executive and two former employees of WPP, one of the world’s biggest advertising companies, have been arrested in China.
A Chinese warship fires toward the shore during a military drill near the Taiwan-controlled Matsu Islands, which lie off the Chinese coast.
WORLD
Oct 21, 2023

China weighs options to blunt U.S. sanctions in a Taiwan conflict

The sanctions against Russia have prompted Chinese economists and geopolitical analysts to examine how China should mitigate extreme scenarios.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, earlier this month.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 21, 2023

Americans are worried about finances, helping Trump in key states

Trump was trusted more on the economy by 49% of swing-state voters surveyed, compared to 35% for Biden.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years