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Harvesting wheat in Punjab, Pakistan
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jan 7, 2024

Military men want to kickstart Pakistan’s green revolution

Islamabad argues that corporate farming is essential to ensuring food security for its 240 million people.
U.S. Steel’s agreement to sell itself to the Japanese steel-maker has turned into a political football, with key politicians and opponents of the deal seizing on the union’s claims that U.S. Steel didn’t comply with the labor agreement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 7, 2024

U.S. Steel denies breach of labor agreements in Nippon deal

The Pittsburgh-based manufacturer said it repeatedly reached out to the United Steelworkers during the company’s strategic review before the sale.
Kotaro Seki, CEO of Ellange, in front of the truck that he uses to collect nets from fisheries
JAPAN / Society / OUR PLANET
Jan 7, 2024

Trash into treasure: Can fishing net waste be the future of fashion?

A pair of Japanese startups are looking to solve a problem for the nation's fisheries: What to do with old fishing nets.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 is grounded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday.
WORLD
Jan 7, 2024

U.S. regulator orders temporary grounding of some 737 Max jets after mishap

The move affects about 171 planes worldwide, according to a statement by the U.S. regulator.
The Gunung Padang pyramid site in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, on Dec. 22. A study that concluded it may be "the oldest pyramid in the world” is under investigation by its publisher after fueling debate over the age of the partially excavated site and the ethics of archaeology.
WORLD / Society
Jan 7, 2024

‘World’s oldest pyramid’ in Indonesia? A study draws skepticism

Some have suggested that the site may have been built far earlier by an as-yet-undiscovered ancient civilization.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks dives into the end zone to score a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sunday. A win over Chicago earned Green Bay the final NFL playoff spot.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Jan 8, 2024

NFL playoff picture takes shape as Packers and Steelers join the mix

The final day of the 18-week regular season began with 11 teams vying for the final four of 14 playoff spots available.
Office workers in the Central district in Hong Kong on Nov. 20
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2024

Hong Kong workers demand 6% raise to return to office fully

In a survey, 27% of people asked for a raise if their employers required them to work in the office five days a week.
In late 2023, a Chinese hacker group was blamed for an attack that compromised a Philippine government agency around the same time the two countries clashed in the South China Sea.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 8, 2024

Philippines turns to hackers amid Chinese cyberthreat

In a November report, a Chinese group known as Stately Taurus was blamed for an attack that had compromised a Philippine government agency for five days earlier in 2023.
Taiwan flags adorn the streets of Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Jan 8, 2024

China's balloons inflate Taiwan poll fears

Since December, Taipei has said that mysterious balloons were crossing the Taiwan Strait, with their purpose being "gray-zone" harassment that stops short of open warfare.
Taiwanese flags at the Ministry of National Defense in Taipei in December 2022
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 8, 2024

U.S. policy unlikely to shift after Taiwan poll, ex-de facto envoy says

Any differences in Washington's reaction would be "nuanced," and rather involve "adjustments in degree than in type,” said former AIT chief Douglas H. Paal.
Members of the media take pictures of the ULA's new rocket Vulcan Centaur, which is set to make its maiden flight Monday with a payload that includes a private lunar lander, as well as the cremated remains of several people associated with the original "Star Trek" series, including creator Gene Rodenberry and cast member Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed the character Uhura.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 8, 2024

Private industry leads America's first moon landing since Apollo

A soft landing on the moon has only been accomplished by few national space agencies
Masaki Sato, who owns an 85-year-old property in the Akasaki district of Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, walks in the district on Saturday after a major earthquake struck the Noto region on New Year's Day.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 8, 2024

Still standing: Unique houses survive quake in Japanese village

Despite a magnitude 7.6 quake only kilometers away, one small fishing village stood strong thanks to decades-old smart architecture.
Poland's Iga Swiatek serves against Germany's Angelique Kerber during their women's singles final match at the United Cup tennis event in Sydney on Sunday.
TENNIS
Jan 9, 2024

Swiatek tunes out the noise in search of first Australian Open title

The player got 2024 underway by winning all of her singles matches at the United Cup mixed team tournament, helping Poland to the final.
The fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 Max, which was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage, is seen during its investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 9, 2024

United finds loose bolts on planes, raising pressure on Boeing

U.S. regulators grounded 171 Max 9 planes after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated flight not long after taking off from a Portland, Oregon, airport
A Taiwan Air Force Mirage 2000-5 aircraft prepares to land in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Jan. 2. In the event of a conflict with China, Taiwan would face a military that rivals that of the U.S.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 9, 2024

Xi, Biden and the $10 trillion cost of war over Taiwan

The price tag — equivalent to about 10% of global GDP — dwarfs the blow from the war in Ukraine, COVID-19 pandemic and 2007-2008 Global Financial Crisis.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2024

Japan quake death toll tops 200 as police comb burned-down market

Police searched a market devastated by fire in Ishikawa Prefecture following the massive Jan. 1 earthquake, as the number of missing fell from 323 to 102.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gestures as he arrives in Tel Aviv on Monday as part of his weeklong trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East.
WORLD / Society
Jan 9, 2024

Blinken arrives in Israel as it says Gaza war to continue through 2024

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to meet Israeli leaders on Tuesday in his quest to prevent the Gaza Strip conflict from growing into a regional conflagration as the Israeli military said its fight against Hamas will rage all year.
Consumer price gains in Tokyo slowed for a second month in December.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2024

Tokyo inflation slows as thrifty consumers curb some outlays

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.1% in the capital, decelerating from 2.3% in November.
The logo of language-learning app, Duolingo, on a smartphone
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 9, 2024

Duolingo cuts contractors by 10% amid AI content shift

The company said no full-time employees were affected by the cutback.
Sony plans to file the termination notice before a Jan. 20 extended deadline for closing the deal with Zee.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 9, 2024

Sony plans to call off $10 billion merger with India’s Zee

The plan to cancel the deal is due to a standoff over whether Zee CEO Punit Goenka would lead the merged entity amid a regulatory probe.
Columbia University researchers have found that on average, bottled water contain 110,000 to 370,000 tiny plastic particles in each liter, 90% of them nanoplastics.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jan 9, 2024

Bottled water has more plastic particles than previously thought

The discovery of nanoplastics, which could not be detected until recently, suggests that health concerns linked to plastic pollution may be dramatically underestimated.
The Pilbara Minerals Pilgangoora lithium project in Port Hedland, Western Australia
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 9, 2024

Lithium’s promised land looks more like the old country

Two decades ago, Australia mined less than a fifth of the world’s lithium. In 2021, it dug more than every other country put together.
Animal rights activists hold placards reading "Good bye dog meat!" during a rally welcoming a bill banning the dog meat trade, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 9, 2024

South Korea parliament passes bill banning dog meat trade

Lawmakers voted 208-0, and the legislation will come into effect after a three-year grace period and final approval from President Yoon Suk-yeol.
A "presidential alert" message issued by the authorities to all phones across Taiwan is seen Tuesday after the government issued a national emergency alert following China's launch of a satellite.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 9, 2024

China satellite launch triggers Taiwan emergency phone alert

Chinese state media said that Beijing had successfully launched the "Einstein Probe satellite using the Long March-2C carrier rocket at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center."
Self-Defense Force personnel taking part in the earthquake-relief efforts help residents in an isolated village in Ishikawa Prefecture on Saturday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 9, 2024

The U.S. role in Japan's domestic disaster relief

The U.S. pledge for support offers another example of how the U.S.-Japan alliance contributes to Japan's domestic disaster relief.
Fire hoses remain intact on Sunday in front of a collapsed structure near the site of a massive blaze in a central market in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.
JAPAN
Jan 9, 2024

Photo essay: Inside the Ishikawa earthquake disaster zone

Over the three-day weekend, a team from The Japan Times reported from the hard-hit Noto Peninsula, witnessing a massive relief effort and speaking to evacuees.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jan 10, 2024

Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga signing with Cubs

Imanaga, 30, was among the most sought-after international free agents after Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2024

Plummeting temperatures plague Ishikawa quake relief effort

The death toll in the prefecture has risen to 206, nine days after a massive temblor rocked the Noto Peninsula area.
BUSINESS
Jan 10, 2024

Japan’s slower wage growth adds to reasons for BOJ to hold

Nominal cash earnings for workers rose 0.2% from the previous year, decelerating sharply from a 1.5% increase in October, the labor ministry said.
Newly appointed French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal speaks with Mayor of Clairmarais Damien Morel during a visit to Clairmarais, in northern France, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 10, 2024

Gabriel Attal becomes France's youngest PM as Macron seeks reset

The appointment of Attal, 34, a popular and media-savvy rising star of French politics, signals a desire by Macron to move beyond divisive reforms.

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