Search - new

 
 
The new national security law will target crimes including treason, theft of state secrets, espionage, sabotage, sedition and "external interference" including from foreign governments. The Hong Kong legislature, which is dominated by pro-Beijing lawmakers, is expected to approve it.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 28, 2024

Hong Kong moves toward enacting tougher security law amid concerns about freedoms

Lawyers and activists say the law criminalizes basic human rights such as freedom of expression, but Hong Kong authorities say the new law is necessary.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former U.S. President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 29, 2024

U.S. Supreme Court immunity case jeopardizes Trump trial pre-election

Polls indicate a conviction of Trump could undercut the Republican front-runner’s bid to reclaim the White House.
In many cases, the return gift that shows your appreciation should be worth half of what was originally given to you.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 1, 2024

Japan's return-a-gift culture isn't just for White Day

If you received a gift on Valentine's Day, White Day is your chance to return the kindness. Learn the verbs for giving with grace.
In Tokyo's 23 wards, the average unit price of new condominiums in 2023 soared about 40% from the previous year to ¥114.83 million, topping ¥100 million for the first time.
BUSINESS
Feb 29, 2024

Japan's average condo price hits record high for seventh year in 2023

The nationwide average price was pushed up by rising costs for construction materials and labor.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during an event at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 29, 2024

Biden cracks down on U.S. data flows to China and Russia

Seeking to protect American personal data, Biden unveiled an executive order barring genomic data transfers to China and other "countries of concern."
Takuya Usami, the curator at Mantenboshi, a stargazing observatory in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, said that a survey by the Environment Ministry had ranked the Noto region as among the best places in Japan for stargazing.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 29, 2024

Stargazing observatory in quake-hit Noto looks forward to reopening

“I want to show everyone little by little the beauty of the starry sky, one of Noto’s attractions," a curator at the observatory said.
Japan's factory output in January fell at the fastest pace since May 2020 due to a drop in automobile-related production.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 29, 2024

Japan factory output falls at the fastest pace in nearly four years

A production downturn in motor vehicles is also adding to concerns about the fragility of an economy that slipped into recession late last year.
Japan's revised law on eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities is scheduled to take effect in April.
JAPAN
Mar 7, 2024

Websites in Japan becoming more friendly to people with disabilities

Japan's revised law on eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities is scheduled to take effect in April.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 29, 2024

Talks on easing Japan defense export rules pushed back to March

The Liberal Democratic Party and junior coalition partner Komeito failed to reach an agreement on revisions to existing restrictions on Wednesday.
Maurice Shelton (left) and his lawyer Motoki Taniguchi spoke about alleged racial bias on behalf of the police at a recent press conference.
COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye
Feb 29, 2024

Making Japanese history by being Black history

Three individuals have stepped up to try and make a difference in the country we live in. They should be applauded.
Prospective foreign vocational school graduates who finish education ministry-accredited academic courses will be granted “technology, humanities and international affairs” residence status intended for white-collar workers such as engineers, interpreters and designers, even if their jobs don’t necessarily relate to what they have studied.
JAPAN
Feb 29, 2024

Japan eases residency rules for foreign graduates of vocational schools

The relaxation of rules is aimed at retaining highly skilled professionals amid a chronic labor shortage.
“True View of Mount Asama” by Ike Taiga
CULTURE
Mar 1, 2024

Ike Taiga's revolutionary act of capturing natural beauty

Idemitsu Museum of Arts showcases the Edo Period painter's realistic landscapes at the first retrospective of his work in Tokyo in 13 years.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the public on the outskirts of Varanasi, India, on Feb. 23.
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 1, 2024

India posts surprise 8.4% surge in growth ahead of elections

The government predicts growth will reach 7.6% in the fiscal year through March, higher than an earlier projection of 7.3%.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address in Moscow on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

NATO risks nuclear war if troops are sent to Ukraine, Putin warns

The Russian leader has reiterated that his country remains committed to the goals of its February 2022 invasion.
The Iconic Suite's bedroom features recessed lighting and corner windows with sweeping views of the Nagoya metropolis.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 2, 2024

Nagoya’s newest luxury hotel is full of hits and one big miss

The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya feels ready to deliver top-quality stays — but only if your budget can handle it.
Trucks are seen as Ukrainian hauliers take part in an round-the-clock counter-demonstration against the blockade of the border by Polish protesters on Feb. 20.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 1, 2024

Companies in Ukraine see problems pile up, but most tough it out

"The war has taught us to respond flexibly"
JAPAN / Society
Mar 1, 2024

Two months on from Noto quake, 11,400 evacuees still in shelters

As of Thursday, the quake had resulted in the deaths of 241 people, 15 of whom died of indirect causes.
An MQ-9 Reaper drone stands on the runway at Naval Base Ventura County Sea Range, Point Mugu, near Oxnard, California. The Defense Ministry is considering purchasing the Reaper for intercepting foreign aircraft approaching Japanese airspace.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Mar 1, 2024

New drone tech in spotlight as Japan eyes boosted capabilities

As Tokyo seeks to beef up its unmanned systems, inspiration could come from the latest tech displayed at this year's Singapore Airshow.
Taiwan President-elect Lai Ching-te speaks at a meeting at the presidential palace in Taipei on Feb. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

Taiwan faces steady 'drip' of pressure as China tightens pre-inauguration squeeze

Officials in Taipei fear Beijing could further squeeze the island's room to maneuver without resorting to direct conflict.
The revamped BYD Atto 3 in Tokyo. A perceived resistance in Japan to battery EVs and foreign brands is seen as a major barrier for BYD.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 1, 2024

BYD bolsters Japan push with EV lineup and dealership network

The Chinese carmaker has sold less than 1,500 passenger cars in 2023 in the Japanese market, which is dominated by hybrids.
A utility crew works to restore power in a neighborhood burned by wildfires in Fritch, Texas, on Thursday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Mar 1, 2024

Homes destroyed and land scorched as Texas battles its largest wildfire ever

While Texas is in midst of its natural fire season — running from January through May — the sheer size of the Smokehouse Creek blaze makes it an outlier.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 1, 2024

More than decade after 2011 quake, Japan still slow to compile evacuation plans

The nation has failed to make progress in crafting plans to help evacuate elderly people and people with disabilities in the event of natural disasters.
Liverpool's Jayden Danns celebrates after scoring against Southampton during their FA Cup match in Liverpool, England, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Mar 1, 2024

Juergen Klopp says Liverpool's young players must be given time to grow

Klopp urged fans and media to avoid sensationalizing the Premier League club's young players.
Anthony Kim, seen in 2010, is returning to the sport with LIV Golf.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 1, 2024

Anthony Kim comes out of retirement 'on a mission' with LIV Golf

Kim, 38, will compete in the LIV Golf League as a season-long wildcard.
Factions, cliques, caucuses — whatever they may be called, groupings in legislatures are not unusual in many countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Perspectives
Mar 2, 2024

Is the funding scandal unraveling the LDP?

The media is caught up in the money-politics scandal of the moment, framing factions as all good or all bad. Things are a lot more nuanced than that.
As people in the public gallery looked on at the Osaka High Court on Friday, lawyers for the appellant and respondent deliberated over evidence and confirmed the judgment date remotely.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 1, 2024

Osaka High Court pioneers remote legal proceedings

Lawyers representing parties in an appeal case joined the hearing via web conferencing to argue their cases.
The real question is whether Hong Kong’s revival plan is moving in the right direction and bettering the lives of most ordinary people.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2024

Is Hong Kong over? The answer lies beyond stock prices

When it comes to determining its future, Hong Kong may have no sway over the big forces, such as China’s policies.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a presidential permit for energy development that he signed during a tour of an oil rig in Midland, Texas, in July 2020.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2024

How the planet could survive another Trump term

In his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, rolled back environmental regulations, unleashed gas drilling and more.
The world needs to avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that go with providing debt relief and should craft sustainable solutions for financially distressed nations. 
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 1, 2024

Developing countries’ never-ending debt crisis

Creditors have a role in resolving debt crises. This means all eyes are on China, which is the single most important creditor for debt distress.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in Ottawa in May 2009.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

Brian Mulroney, former Canadian prime minister, is dead at 84

Mulroney was known as the Canadian leader who led the country into the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico.

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