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“The Burden of the Past” is based on the real-life experiences of ex-cons and the editorial team of a magazine that supports former prisoners in finding jobs and reentering society.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 16, 2023

'The Burden of the Past' addresses bleak reality of ex-cons with some hope

Atsushi Funahashi’s film is grounded in the director’s own research about the hurdles former prisoners face when attempting to rejoin society.
Washington is taking steps to prevent U.S. chipmakers from circumventing government rules in order to sell to China.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 16, 2023

U.S. to tighten rules aimed at keeping advanced chips out of China

The Biden administration is aiming to close loopholes that might help its geopolitical rival gain cutting-edge technologies.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara speaks during a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 16, 2023

Defense chief retracts comments implying LDP vote would be good for SDF

Article 61 of the Self-Defense Forces Law explicitly forbids SDF personnel from engaging in political activity, with the exception of voting.
A Japanese research team has identified three genetically distinct populations of the Japanese honeybee.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 16, 2023

Three genetically distinct groups found for Japanese honeybee

Temperature rises caused by global warming could lead to a decline in the species.
Gala Espel’s “Archeology of the Future” fuses digital technology with handcraftsmanship to create silverware and jewelry of industrial forms and natural motifs.
LIFE / Style & Design / ON: DESIGN
Oct 17, 2023

Designart’s young creators foreshadow the future

On: Design this month focuses on the work of five creators selected by Designart judges for its 2023 Under 30 program.
Elon Musk’s X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is allowing child sexual exploitation material to rampantly proliferate, according to Australian regulators, the latest in a growing list of legal challenges the company is facing.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023

Australian regulators latest in series of legal woes for Musk's X

X is allowing child sexual exploitation material to rampantly proliferate across the platform, according to Australian regulators.
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.
A Chinese air force fighter jet is parked at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China, in Zhuhai, China, last November.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 17, 2023

'Aggressive' Chinese fighter jets spook Canadian plane on U.N. mission

A Chinese air force fighter jet cut off a Canadian patrol plane, dropping flares in its path, according to military officials.
Australia had the chance to embrace reconciliation with its First Nations peoples in the Voice referendum. Voters chose division instead.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 17, 2023

Ignorance sank Australia’s Indigenous Voice referendum

Australia had the choice to embrace reconciliation with its First Nations peoples. Misinformation, dirty politics and apathy prevailed instead.
Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.'s Japanese office in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 17, 2023

Taiwan's Powerchip considering five sites in Japan for factory

Powerchip announced in July that it was setting up a joint venture with financial firm SBI Holdings with the aim of securing government subsidies.
Funding for AI companies has outpaced every other category of tech.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 18, 2023

AI funding soars to $17.9 billion while rest of tech slumps

Multibillion-dollar investments in artificial intelligence startups have become almost commonplace in Silicon Valley.
Children sit in the back of an ambulance at Shifa Hospital after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other for the blast.
WORLD
Oct 18, 2023

Hundreds reported killed in blast at a Gaza hospital

Israel and Hamas traded blame for the tragedy, which inflamed the region just as U.S. President Joe Biden was set to arrive in Israel.
Elon Musk, owner of the X social media platform and carmaker Tesla, attends the opening ceremony of a new Tesla factory in Gruenheide, Germany, in March 2022.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 18, 2023

X unveils ‘Not a Bot’ paid program and new Japan feature

The new “Not A Bot” subscription method is Elon Musk’s latest way of nudging users toward paying for the platform.
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.
The majority of tourists in Japan tend to stay in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto, resulting in overcrowding in popular tourist spots and a strain on transportation systems.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 18, 2023

Japan unveils new overtourism countermeasures

The tourism ministry unveiled its overtourism prevention plan, summarizing the various efforts that have begun to be made in areas around the nation.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is pushing for nations to label artificial intelligence as capable of "catastrophic harm.”
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 19, 2023

U.K. pushes nations to label AI as capable of ‘catastrophic harm’

Britain wants countries to sign up to a joint position that outlines particular concerns for AI’s impact on cybersecurity and biotechnology.
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.
Various aspects of Japan’s Sado Island — noh, taiko drumming, business investment and cultural regeneration projects — weave their way into “L’ile d’Or Kanemu-Jima,” with characters and cultures coming together in a melting pot of real-world political problems, theater styles and dark humor.
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 20, 2023

Cultures collide in Ariane Mnouchkine's Sado Island-inspired play

The Kyoto Prize-winning French theater director's latest production, "L’ile d’Or Kanemu-Jima," draws from her experiences in Japan, both old and new.
Japan-based DJ and broadcaster Peter Barakan invites artists from around the world to perform at his two-day roots music festival, Peter Barakan’s Live Magic!.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 19, 2023

Peter Barakan’s Live Magic! festival celebrates 10th edition

The two-day roots music festival in Tokyo features sounds from around the world with acts such as Minyo Crusaders, Jon Cleary and Oreka TX.
Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 19, 2023

Xi says green projects will anchor China’s overseas spending

Beijing is in a unique position to help mitigate climate change as the world’s largest producer of everything from solar panels to batteries.
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.
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.
Labyrinth organizer Russell Moench sparked controversy with transphobic tweets, leading booked artists to pull out of the highly regarded electronic music festival’s 2023 edition.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 20, 2023

Art and politics clash at Labyrinth 2023

A controversy surrounding the prestige electronic music festival sparks an old debate over separating art and the artist.
Military vehicles carrying DF-5B intercontinental ballistic missiles in Beijing in 2019
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 20, 2023

Pentagon says China set to have over 1,000 nukes by 2030

The report adds that China has "probably completed" 300 intercontinental ballistic missile silos as it expands its launch facilities.
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.
Mercedes' George Russell said the new amount drivers can be fined "seems obscene."
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Oct 20, 2023

Formula One drivers stunned by threat of increased fines

The sport's governing body quadrupled the amount that stewards can fine drivers.
A festivalgoer walks along the water near Kyotophonie’s Beach Stage. Despite rain on the second day of the festival, attendees and musicians maintained a lively atmosphere until the nighttime finale.
CULTURE / Music
Oct 21, 2023

An intimate bazaar of music and magic at Kyotophonie

The biannual music festival brought soulful sounds to Amanohashidate, a sandbar famed for having one of Japan’s three most beautiful views.
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.
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.
PFAS substances can be found in firefighter foam, outdoor gear, artificial turf, medical equipment and countless other products.
WORLD
Oct 21, 2023

‘Forever chemical’ bans face hard truth: Many can’t be replaced

As lawmakers around the world weigh bans of "forever chemicals,” many manufacturers are pushing back, saying there often is no substitute.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji