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Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reviews Self-Defense Forces troops during the SDF's 70th anniversary at the Ground Self-Defense Force's Camp Asaka, which straddles Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture, on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 9, 2024

Ishiba considering U.S. visit for first in-person talks with Trump

The Japanese government is working with the Trump team on arranging the visit and officials may visit the U.S. next week to discuss details.
In a fresh aid package set to be compiled this month, the Japanese government will show its commitment to large-scale strategic support spanning several years in both areas, bearing in mind Rapidus, which has advanced into the Hokkaido region to mass-produce next-generation chips.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 9, 2024

Japan eyes ¥2 trillion for chips and AI in economic package

In the package, to be compiled this month, the government will show its commitment to large-scale support spanning several years in both areas.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, walks on stage during a campaign rally at Huntington Place in Detroit on Oct. 18. President-elect Trump is not known for adherence to a disciplined and rigorous personnel selection process, but behind the scenes his advisers and allies have been preparing lists of candidates for the most important jobs in his administration.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 9, 2024

Trump weighs key personnel choices, schooled by his first-term experience

The president-elect held his first formal transition meetings and has been given lists of candidates, but is calling around to friends and allies for ideas.
Ryuichi Sakamoto
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 9, 2024

Late Ryuichi Sakamoto's final solo piano work nominated for Grammy

"Opus" has been nominated for the award in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia leader Vladimir Putin talk during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki in July 2018.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 9, 2024

The long global trail of resentment behind Trump’s resurrection

Disillusionment with the world that emerged from the Cold War has fueled a long-gathering revolt against the established order.
Former President Donald Trump with Elon Musk during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Oct. 5. The Tesla billionaire is a key figure in the president-elect's orbit. One question is whether his views on climate and clean energy will have any sway.
WORLD
Nov 9, 2024

Musk believes in global warming. Trump doesn’t. Will that change?

The Tesla billionaire is a key figure in the president-elect's orbit. One question is whether his views on climate and clean energy will have any sway.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said on Saturday at a forum in Switzerland that monetary tightening would be necessary in Japan if inflationary pressures from decarbonization investments exceed a certain threshold.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 10, 2024

Decarbonization investment to give some inflationary pressure: BOJ chief

Ueda said that monetary tightening would become necessary if inflationary pressure exceeds a certain level.
A person visits TSMC Museum of Innovation in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on May 29.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

U.S. ordered TSMC to halt shipments to China of chips used in AI applications, source says

The order comes just weeks after TSMC reported that one of its chips had been found in a Huawei AI processor.
Security forces members detain a demonstrator as people protest against the management of the emergency response to the deadly floods in eastern Spain, in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday.
WORLD
Nov 10, 2024

Spain's flood disaster was its worst in recent history. Here's what went wrong.

By the time many received the government's flood alert, water was already surrounding cars, submerging streets and pouring into their homes.
Elon Musk during a campaign event at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 27
WORLD / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

Silicon Valley’s Trump supporters envision ascendant startups and Vance 2028

The surge of GOP support and contributions set records in the largely left-leaning tech industry, splintering once-clubby relationships.
A US-made TOW-2A wire-guided anti-tank missile, launched by Taiwanese soldiers from a M1167 TOW carrier vehicle at the Fangshan training grounds in Pingtung, Taiwan, on Aug 26.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 10, 2024

Taiwan sees a higher price for U.S. support as Trump returns to power

Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are high, with frequent Chinese military drills stoking fears of an accidental conflict.
A Ukrainian Army vehicle passes through the destroyed Russian border post at the Sudzha crossing with Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia on Aug. 12.
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 11, 2024

50,000 Russian and North Korean troops mass ahead of attack, U.S. says

Ukrainian officials expect a counteroffensive in western Russia to begin in the coming days as North Korea’s troops train with Russian forces.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 11, 2024

China and Indonesia ink $10 billion deals on green energy and tech

President Prabowo Subianto also chose China for his first visit as president elect, underscoring Jakarta's commitment to stronger strategic ties with Beijing.
The Allied Occupation of Japan after World War II brought an end to the country’s brothels, which resulted in the Prostitution Prevention Law of 1956.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Oct 19, 2024

Edo Japan's morals pose a debate for the modern age

Can we judge what’s right or wrong across centuries? Edo’s morals of sacrifice and duty distinctly clash with our own modern ethics.
An Athena Bitcoin ATM in Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday. Crypto advocates are taking a victory lap as the vast amounts of money they poured into the U.S. elections yielded huge dividends, from Donald Trump's reelection to downballot wins for politicians friendly to the sector.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 11, 2024

Bitcoin breaks $81,000 as token becomes totem for new Trump era

Trump's decisive victory in the presidential election has prompted celebratory chest-thumping from the digital-asset industry.
A demonstrator holds a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian flag to protest against the visit of the French President Emmanuel Macron in front of the French embassy in Kinshasa, Congo, on March 1, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 11, 2024

Putin promises Africa 'total support' in anti-West pitch to continent

Facing isolation in the West following its full-scale offensive against Ukraine, Moscow has tried to build new partnerships across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki speaks to reporters on Monday at parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 11, 2024

Head of key opposition DPP admits affair ahead of parliament vote for PM

Yuichiro Tamaki admitted to the affair after a tabloid reported on the relationship, jeopardizing his future in the party and any tie-ups with the LDP and Komeito.
Toyota North America COO Jack Hollis said sales of all-electric vehicle should grow organically, without rules penalizing gas-powered car sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2024

Toyota executive lashes out at U.S. regulations promoting EV sales

The carmaker's North America COO, Jack Hollis, described them as "de facto mandates” out of sync with consumer demand.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda attends a commemorative ceremony at the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on July 3, the day new yen notes went into circulation.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

Japan needs tighter monetary policy to restore balance

Japan’s economy undoubtedly suffers when the yen is too strong; that is why some advocate for a more expansionary monetary policy.
Matt Groening (right), creator of the show "The Simpsons," attends the premiere of the "The Simpsons Movie" along with characters from the series in Springfield, Vermont, in July 2007.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

‘The Simpsons’ has become a parody of itself. That’s a good thing.

With the "The Simpsons" viewership down to just 10% of its peak, the show is often in the news for controversies rather than content.
Dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, with their reliance on basic algorithms, often lead to superficial connections, but AI could improve this by analyzing deeper data for more meaningful matches.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 11, 2024

AI dating might actually not be so bad

While still in development, these AI-driven match-making tools aim to reduce the fatigue of online dating and foster more genuine connections.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes stage at an election night event in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 11, 2024

How a Trump presidency could lead to a purge at the Pentagon

During his campaign for reelection, Donald Trump vowed to purge the military of so-called woke generals. Now the question is how far will he go?
China's finance ministry estimates "hidden debt" — or debt accumulated through local government financing vehicles — was at 14.3 trillion yuan ($2 trillion) at the end of 2023.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 11, 2024

What you need to know about China's $1.4 trillion debt package

Beijing aims to swap "hidden debt" for official debt to help local governments save hundreds of billion yuan in interest, and unclog money pipes to the real economy.
People walk along Wall Street in New York.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 11, 2024

Wall Street math wizards are decoding private-market returns

Decoding such illiquid investments is fraught with pitfalls, however, as many modeling mortgage bonds and derivatives before the financial crisis would testify.
Manchester United had three wins and a draw in four matches under interim coach  Ruud van Nistelrooy.
SOCCER
Nov 11, 2024

Ruud van Nistelrooy ends interim role at Manchester United on high note

Ruud van Nistelrooy lingered on the Old Trafford pitch after Manchester United thrashed Leicester City 3-0 on Sunday in his final game as interim boss, but the Dutchman said it was more about celebrating a great moment than a potential goodbye.
A sign outside JP Morgan Chase & Co. offices in New York in 2021
BUSINESS
Nov 11, 2024

JPMorgan braces for ‘impactful’ first two years of Trump

Optimism has been high that Donald Trump’s pro-growth promises, built around tax cuts and deregulation, will unlock another round of gains in the economy.
Taiwanese soldiers participate in a military exercise in the Bali district of Taiwan in July last year. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s call for Taiwan to spend more on its own defense, and his complaints about its semiconductor dominance, may herald a tenser relationship.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 11, 2024

Taiwan braces for Trump’s return, but much will depend on his team

U.S. support may come at a higher price and be decided on a case-by-case basis during Trump's second term.
For Seven Bank, greater independence from its parent Seven & I Holdings could lead to new growth opportunities.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2024

Seven Bank seeks to expand cash-machine network beyond 7-Elevens

Deconsolidation from Seven & I resulting from a reduction of its stake in Seven Bank would make such a scenario more possible.
People leave the venue during the United Nations climate change conference, known as COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 12, 2024

COP29: U.S. climate envoy says work will continue despite Trump's return

"For those of us dedicated to climate action, last week's outcome in the United States is obviously bitterly disappointing," Podesta said at the summit.
Nigeriens gather in a street to protest against the U.S. military presence, in Niamey, Niger, on April 13.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 12, 2024

Trump inherits waning U.S. strength in Africa

Biden made sweeping political promises to Africa that he has yet to keep, including visiting during his presidency, which ends in January.

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