Search - new

 
 
Damaged buildings in the Mellah, or Jewish quarter of Marrakech, Morocco, in October 2023, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake the previous month.
WORLD / Society
Sep 5, 2024

One year on, Morocco's quake victims still wait for homes

The 6.8 magnitude quake killed more than 2,900 people and damaged vital infrastructure.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan greet the press before welcoming leaders from African countries in Beijing on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 5, 2024

Debt woes and funding needs in focus as China hosts African leaders

Africa and its ample mineral and oil resources have become the focus of intense geopolitical competition in recent years.
Real cash earnings for workers in Japan climbed 0.4% in July from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2024

Japan real wages unexpectedly rise, keeping BOJ on hike path

Real cash earnings for workers climbed 0.4% in July from a year earlier, the labor ministry has reported.
Migrants attempting to cross the English Channel to reach Britain get on an inflatable dinghy on the beach of the Slack dunes in Wimereux, France, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Society
Sep 5, 2024

Migrants' dreams of British future upended by deadly Channel tragedy

The incident has underlined the need for London and Paris to get a firmer grip on an issue with major political implications in both nations.
American Jessica Pegula serves to Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's quarterfinal on Wednesday at the U.S. Open in New York.
TENNIS
Sep 5, 2024

Pegula stuns Swiatek at U.S. Open as Americans continue to surge

Pegula swept past 2022 champion and four-time French Open winner Swiatek 6-2, 6-4 to reach a maiden semifinal at the majors after falling in six quarterfinals.
A factory operated by metal processing company Iwanuma Seiko, which has been entrusted with work involving the space industry for the first time
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Sep 17, 2024

Small firms in Tohoku showcase technologies in growing space sector

The government plans to boost the space technology market, leading to hopes of a space industry ecosystem in the region.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologizes during a meeting with victims of forced sterilization, on July 17, following a Supreme Court ruling that recognized the now-defunct eugenic protection law unconstitutional.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 5, 2024

Forced sterilization settlement deal imminent

The government will agree to pay up to ¥15 million per plaintiff and ¥2 million per spouse in consolation money to bring an end to the lawsuits.
A sumo referee performs the dohyō matsuri, or ring purification ceremony, in January 2017 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 5, 2024

No talking, no eating, no standing: Inside sumo's ring purification ceremony

Spectators are required to stay seated for its duration, and refrain from using flash when taking photos.
Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds as he delivers his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the China-Africa summit in Beijing on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 5, 2024

Xi courts Africa with $50 billion pledge and military support

The support is a sweeping effort to deepen China’s relations with a continent seen as key to the Chinese leader's geopolitical ambitions.
A trial removal of radioactive debris from tsunami-hit reactors will start next week at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
JAPAN
Sep 5, 2024

Japan to resume trial removal of Fukushima debris

Removing the debris has long been dubbed the most daunting challenge in decommissioning the plant.
The 225-issue Nikkei average plunged 4.2% on Wednesday, its sharpest drop since a 12% crash on Aug. 5.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 5, 2024

Japanese stocks seen as volatile and capped as U.S. walks economic tightrope

Japan's stock market is heavily influenced by movements in Wall Street and the exchange rate, which remain uncertain due to the unpredictable U.S. presidential election.
Shigeru Ishiba speaks at a supporters meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 30.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 5, 2024

Taxes and political reform in focus in upcoming LDP campaign

The candidates’ recipes to put the economy back on track after decades of low growth are varied, with some emphasizing redistribution and others promising no tax hikes.
Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel is opposed by politicians across the political spectrum, including both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 5, 2024

Japan miffed but reaction muted after shocking twist to U.S. Steel deal

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to reject Nippon Steel's acquisition of the American steelmaker, according to multiple unconfirmed reports released in recent days.
Inside a gallery influenced by famed architect Kengo Kuma, Nakamura Ningyo's Hakata dolls represent a little-seen side of Japanese crafts.
LIFE / Style & Design
Sep 7, 2024

From Godzilla to martyrs, Hakata doll-making knows no bounds

Since its establishment in Fukuoka in 1917, Nakamura Ningyo has been a cornerstone of the Hakata doll tradition.
Held annually in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom is the world's largest gaming convention, meaning it attracts attendees and exhibitors from near and far.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Sep 7, 2024

Traveling to Germany is ‘worth the cost’ for Japan’s indie studios

"Nothing beats seeing players' faces as they play our game in person, and getting to ask them directly about their experience, both positive and negative.”
Liquor store P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants owner Louise Dowling
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2024

Cash-strapped consumers are giving Australia's liquor makers a headache

Australia's alcohol industry is in its sharpest downturn in memory as more people cut back on discretionary spending and turn to healthier ways to relax.
Japan's household spending rose less than expected in July as consumers remained wary of loosening their purse strings in the face of higher prices.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2024

Japan’s household spending stays flat in signs of tepid growth

Spending on housing and education jumped from June figures, while outlays on transportation and food declined.
An Nvidia Quantum-X800 InfiniBand Platform on display in Taipei on June 5
WORLD / Politics
Sep 6, 2024

U.S. targets China with quantum and chip-related export curbs

The rules cover all worldwide exports, but include exemptions for countries that implement similar measures.
The U.S. dollar has fallen 5% from its 2024 highs, close to its lowest level in about a year against a basket of peers following a sharp drop last month.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 6, 2024

Market sentiment mixed on pace of dollar's weakening ahead of Fed rate cuts

The currency has declined rapidly against peers as anticipated interest rate cuts threaten to end the greenback's yearslong period of strength.
Former International Energy Agency chief Nobuo Tanaka
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 6, 2024

LDP leadership race needs nuclear debate, ex-IEA chief says

Politicians fear stirring up public fears about nuclear catastrophes and hurting their chance of election, according to Nobuo Tanaka.
A Toyota Lexus UX 250h Hybrid vehicle stands on display during the Seoul Motor Show in Goyang, South Korea, in March 2019.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2024

Japanese cars and beer gain ground in South Korea as relations thaw

Monthly sales of Japanese cars, including Toyota and Lexus, jumped 31% in August from a year earlier.
American Jessica Pegula celebrates after defeating the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova in the women's semifinals at the U.S. Open on Thursday.
TENNIS
Sep 6, 2024

Comeback queen Pegula sets up U.S. Open title clash with Sabalenka

Pegula battled back from a set and a break down to record a gutsy 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over her 52nd-ranked opponent from the Czech Republic.
Chiefs starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws a pass during his team's win over the Ravens on Thursday in Kansas City.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 6, 2024

Chiefs hold off Ravens (by a toe) in thrilling season opener

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards with a touchdown and an interception, making just enough plays to outlast Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Onosato will have his sights set on sumo's second-highest rank as the Autumn Basho gets underway Sunday.
SUMO
Sep 6, 2024

Onosato poised to shine at Autumn Basho with ozeki rank in sight

The fact that nine wins in Onosato's sekiwake debut in July was seen by some as disappointing tells you all you need to know about sumo’s hottest wrestler.
By 2018, the number of children registered for adoption had dropped to around 15,000, down from about 44,000 in 2009, according to official statistics.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 6, 2024

China stops foreign adoptions, ending a complicated chapter

The ban raises questions for many of the hundreds of families in the United States who were in the process of adopting children from China.
Sumitomo Chemical President Keiichi Iwata
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 6, 2024

Sumitomo Chemical sells hybrid bond at widest spread this year

Sumitomo Chemical priced ¥100 billion of hybrid debt at 280 basis points over Japanese government bonds.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko, are welcomed upon their arrival at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, on Friday.
EDITORIALS
Sep 6, 2024

Never take Japan-South Korea relations for granted

The two leader’s final meeting is both an opportunity to review recent achievements and to underscore the centrality of the Japan-South Korean partnership.
Predicting the winner of the 2024 presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris remains exceptionally challenging as the the current landscape is highly fluid.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 6, 2024

Election predictions are too noisy to tell if Trump or Harris will win

There’s a lot of campaigning to go, a lot of events that could turn the election into a landslide for either candidate.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol during a meeting at the Presidential Office in Seoul on Friday
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 6, 2024

Kishida and Yoon reaffirm importance of sustained cooperation

Kishida highlighted the need to continue efforts to advance bilateral ties, once again expressing sympathy for Koreans who suffered during Japanese colonial rule.
U.s. President Joe Biden speaks to members of the U.A. Local 190 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 7, 2024

Biden aides working on proposal for U.S. sovereign wealth fund

The fund would allow the U.S. to invest in national security interests including technology, energy, and critical links in the supply chain.

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