Search - 2020

 
 
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Dec 16, 2020

Mitch McConnell recognizes Biden as U.S president-elect after holdout

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recognized Joe Biden as the winner of the presidential election the day after the Electoral College confirmed his victory — a pivotal moment that further cements President Donald Trump’s defeat.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2020

Should we let algorithms make life-and-death decisions?

Nature does not optimize; it co-evolves. It performs much better than human society in terms of sustainability and circular supply networks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2020

Who will succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's next leader?

Whereas the U.S. and the U.K. essentially have two-party governments, Germany governs through multiparty coalitions that don't swing radically to and fro with every election.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2020

Going the last mile — Brexit myths and truths

That negotiators cannot overcome a few obstacles leaves the public bewildered. Clearly, in the words of the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, there has been 'a failure of statecraft.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2020

South Korean couriers die of overwork as pandemic spurs surge in deliveries

A string of deaths among couriers this year has caused a national uproar, drawing attention to unevenly distributed worker protections.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 16, 2020

The virus trains: How lockdown chaos spread COVID-19 across India

Special trains operated by the government to ease suffering — and to counteract a disastrous lack of lockdown planning — instead played a significant role in spreading the coronavirus.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 16, 2020

Japan’s ¥73.6 trillion stimulus hinges on spending by older generation

People over the age of 65 make up 29% of the population and account for almost 40% of the consumer spending that is the biggest driver of Japan's economy.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Dec 15, 2020

Heavyweight Nikai and his scandal-plagued LDP faction ruffling feathers

Allegations of bribery against two former farm ministers now threaten to weaken the Liberal Democratic Party's largest faction and its powerful leader.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 15, 2020

China's November industrial output steps up as recovery gathers pace

China's industrial output grew in line with expectations in November, expanding for the eighth straight month as the economic recovery gathered pace and global demand picked up.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 14, 2020

'Demon Slayer' close to surpassing 'Spirited Away' as Japan's top-grossing film

The tale of a boy fighting human-eating demons which murdered his family, 'Demon Slayer' is poised to become Japan's top-grossing film ever, thanks to a boost in fan numbers due to the coronavirus pandemic and its message of resilience.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 14, 2020

Olympic favorite Ryo Kiyuna seizes ninth straight title at karate championships

Kiyuna said he's never competed with records in mind, and insisted his nine straight titles are the result of his dedication to fulfill his own potential.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Dec 14, 2020

China’s combative nationalists see a world turning their way

China's Communist Party, under its leader, Xi Jinping, has promoted the idea that the country is on a trajectory to power past Western rivals.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 14, 2020

Lofty climate goals get reality check at global summit

At the Climate Ambition Summit, one country after another failed to raise the bar, as leaders offered only incremental steps.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 13, 2020

Merkel orders Germany into hard lockdown as infections swell

Germany's outbreak never neared the highs in countries like France, the U.K. and Spain, and contagion rates remain less severe than in more than half of Europe.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 13, 2020

Four stabbed and one shot as Trump supporters and opponents clash

Following Supreme Court ruling that dashed President Donald Trump's hopes of invalidating his electoral defeat, thousands of his supporters marched in Washington and several state capitals.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 13, 2020

The COVID-19 debt dogs that didn’t bark

The expected financial tsunami crisis never arrived. Just six countries have defaulted on their sovereign debt, and only Argentina and Ecuador have restructured their debts.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 12, 2020

Longest Arctic sailing season tops off a year of climate disasters

Thinning ice in the Arctic Ocean made this year's navigation season for tankers the longest on record, a sign that the pace of climate change is accelerating in the northernmost latitudes.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 12, 2020

What happens when a superspreader event keeps spreading?

A new analysis of a conference at a Boston hotel has concluded that the coronavirus strains loosed at the meeting have since migrated worldwide and sickened about 245,000 Americans.

Longform

Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most iconic players in NPB and MLB history, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with 99.7% of the vote.
With Hall of Fame induction, Ichiro makes himself heard loud and clear