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JAPAN / Politics
Dec 7, 2023

U.S. military grounds all Osprey aircraft after Japan crash

A preliminary investigation into the crash last week indicated that problems with the aircraft — not a mistake by the crew — had led to the deaths.
Experts have warned that the central government must take decisive action to curb illicit activities related to online casinos.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2023

Use of illegal online casinos rising, along with debt concerns

Experts warn that the central government must take decisive action to curb illicit activities.
Sailors sit on a truck at the Cambodian Ream Naval Base in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, in 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 7, 2023

U.S. monitoring reports of Chinese warships at Cambodian base

Radio Free Asia reported on Tuesday that Chinese warships had arrived at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base.
Few could have predicted what artificial-intelligence proponents are dreaming up these days.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 7, 2023

Wall Street quants see mixed results from chatbots amid AI boom

As AI tools get more sophisticated, companies are updating their presentations to incorporate a positive vocal tone and upbeat sentences, research shows.
A sign for "Oppenheimer" at a movie theater in Los Angeles. The film will open in Japan next year.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 7, 2023

'Oppenheimer' to screen in Japan next year after nuclear controversy

The film will open in 2024, Tokyo-based distributor Bitters End said in a statement, but it did not give a specific date for the release.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 7, 2023

Suspect in Ibaraki car crashes admits involvement, citing grudge

The vehicle that was rammed into a square in the city of Hitachi had the suspect's mother in the passenger seat at the time of the incident.
Spectators watch as a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off with a payload of 21 Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 27.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 7, 2023

Starlink arctic test paves way for U.S. government contracts

Smooth performance under extreme conditions makes satellite service a crucial asset in an increasingly vital area of competition with Russia and China.
Beet carpaccio served with fresh cream and caviar, the signature dish of three-Michelin-star chef Mauro Colagreco, features at Cycle, his much-anticipated new restaurant in Otemachi.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
Dec 9, 2023

Tokyo dining finally kicked the pandemic blues in 2023

The further we got into 2023, the more it really started to feel like COVID-19 had finally dissipated like a malodorous mist.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during an event in Pyongyang. Smuggling efforts could be directly linked to the North's military ambitions, analysts have said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 8, 2023

North Korean smugglers disguised under Pacific island flags

With strict sanctions limiting Pyongyang's ability to import fuel, smugglers have adopted increasingly creative methods.
New Year's celebrations in Japan and Western countries can differ wildly, but Tokyo offers plenty of ways for you to ring in 2024 in any way you prefer.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 9, 2023

A Tokyoite’s guide to a Western-style New Year’s Eve

Typically, Ōmisoka (New Year’s Eve) is a family affair — even in the global metropolis that is Tokyo.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping receives European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel ahead of the 24th EU-China Summit in Beijing on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 8, 2023

Amid trade and Ukraine concerns, EU takes strong stance in Beijing

Europe’s top two officials visited China with a list of economic grievances, calling on Beijing to improve market access and cut trade imbalances.
The judges' tower in Teahupo'o in Tahiti, French Polynesia, during a pro surfing event in August. Residents of Teahupo'o have protested plans by Olympic organizers to build a 14 meter aluminum tower ahead of the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS
Dec 8, 2023

Safety is top priority, Paris Games boss says amid surfing tower row

Last week, a barge bringing the aluminum tower to the Tahiti site of Teahupo'o damaged the coral reef, bringing work to a halt.
A radar facility set up for coastal surveillance by the Ground Self-Defense Force's Yonaguni base on Yonaguni island in Okinawa Prefecture.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Dec 14, 2023

Acquiring counterstrike capabilities is no simple matter for Japan

Under its defense and security strategies, deterrence by denial and deterrence by punishment are the essence of Japan’s deterrence capabilities.
Taiwan officials have warned that Beijing is trying to nudge voters toward candidates who seek closer ties with China in the island's Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 8, 2023

Taiwan intelligence says China leadership met on election interference

Taiwan officials have warned that Beijing is trying to nudge voters toward candidates who seek closer ties with China.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Dec 8, 2023

Johnny’s changes name to Starto Entertainment

The announcement signals a new chapter in the talent agency’s history as it scrubs references to its disgraced founder from its current structure.
The end-of-year company party has been pretty much on hold for the past few years due to the pandemic. Will people embrace the tradition in bigger numbers as a result?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 8, 2023

Should we forget the year or forget the party?

After a few years without proper yearend work parties, are Japanese workers ready for a big bash? Or, has the tradition come to an end?
Cinema at Sea film festival entry “God Is a Woman,” directed by Andres Peyrot, examines the complex feelings the Kuna, indigenous people living on Panama’s San Blas Islands, have about an unreleased documentary made about them in 1975.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2023

Cinema at Sea festival highlights diversity and unheard voices

The inaugural event for the film festival in Naha, Okinawa, boasted a strong lineup of features from places and peoples underrepresented in world cinema.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s future is uncertain as a fund-raising scandal casts a shadow over who will lead the Liberal Democratic Party. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 8, 2023

Unpacking the scandal rocking the LDP to its core

What may be termed as the “faction parties scandal” is a shock to the system that will have deep implications for the Japanese political landscape.
Demonstrators call for action on climate change and environmental justice during a march in Washington in July 2018.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 7, 2023

There can be no climate justice if rich countries don’t pay

Rich countries are responsible for the climate crisis and it's only fair that they bear the burgeoning costs that poorer nations are having to pay.
Kubura fishing port and Kubura district on the island of Yonaguni, Okinawa Prefecture
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2023

Frontier islanders decry lack of plan to aid fleeing Taiwanese

Concerned about the potential for a China-Taiwan conflict, Japan has embarked on its biggest defense buildup since World War II.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to present medals to soldiers in Moscow on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2023

Putin, bidding to cement his legacy, will seek re-election

In the absence of genuine political opposition, Putin is all but assured of winning another six-year term that will prolong his authoritarian grip.
After more than 33 hours of negotiations this week, delegates from the European Commission, the European Parliament and 27 member countries agreed to a set of controls for generative artificial intelligence tools.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 9, 2023

EU strikes deal to regulate AI tech in landmark act

The bloc’s internal market chief said the deal strikes a balance between fostering innovation and protecting the rights of people and companies.
An Israeli Merkava tank on Thursday
WORLD / Politics
Dec 9, 2023

White House presses Congress to OK tank shells for Israel

The request is being made even as concerns grow about the use of U.S. weapons in a war that has killed thousands of civilians.
Shipping containers at a commercial port in Vladivostok, Russia, in August
BUSINESS
Dec 9, 2023

Putin's economic challenges are numerous — but surmountable — as election looms

Russia's success in evading a Western oil price cap is helping drive a recovery in economic growth.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2023

Empress expresses feelings of gratitude and hope as she turns 60

Empress Masako turned 60 on Saturday as she expressed her deep gratitude to all those who have helped her.
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan (left), South Korean national security adviser Cho Tae-yong (center) and secretary-general of Japan's National Security Secretariat, Takeo Akiba, at a news conference in Seoul on Saturday.
JAPAN
Dec 9, 2023

Japan, U.S., South Korea to step up action on North's cyberthreats

The national security advisers of the three countries met in Seoul on Saturday as Pyongyang warned that it would deploy more spy satellites.
Yujiro Nakajimaya's advice for players new to hockey is that you have to know what you want to achieve. Is it a professional career? Then you need to challenge yourself.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Dec 9, 2023

Yujiro Nakajimaya: ‘Overcoming adversity is an art’

At a young age, this hockey-playing Hokkaido native left for Canada and ended his journey playing in the NHL.
Delegates arrive at Dubai's Expo City during COP28 on Saturday
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Dec 9, 2023

Oil is everywhere at COP28, vexing those seeking its demise

To many of the activists in attendance, the prominence of the oil and gas industry is a travesty.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 10, 2023

CDP dithers over no-confidence motion against Kishida Cabinet

The CDP leadership is expected to make a decision on a no-confidence motion after monitoring sentiment in other parties as well as public opinion.
A Rohingya Muslim child rests on a beach after arriving as part of a group in Blang Raya, Pidie, Aceh province, Indonesia, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 10, 2023

Over 300 Rohingya refugees stranded on Indonesian beaches

Around a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar and from there thousands risk their lives at sea each year to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

Longform

Sumadori Bar on Shibuya Ward's main Center Gai street targets young customers who prefer low-alcohol drinks or abstain altogether.
Rethinking that second drink: Japan’s Gen Z gets ‘sober curious’