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A court sketch shows Saki Sudo in her first hearing for her murder case at the Wakayama District Court on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 12, 2024

Former wife pleads not guilty to murder of 'Don Juan of Kishu'

The outcome of the trial may affect the treatment of inheritance money left by Nozaki, which is said to total more than ¥1.3 billion.
Ryan Routh speaks during an interview at a rally to urge foreign leaders and international organizations to help provide humanitarian aid in central Kyiv in April 2022, amid Russia's invasion of its neighbor. Routh, 58, was charged with two gun-related crimes in a federal court in Florida on Monday, a day after he was spotted with a rifle hiding in shrubbery on the property line of Trump's golf course.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 17, 2024

Suspect in second Trump assassination attempt had criminal history

Ryan Routh was charged with two gun-related crimes in a federal court in Florida a day after he was found with a rifle hiding near Donald Trump's golf course.
A group of older women performs during a midautumn festival at a mall in Jinan, in eastern China, on Sept. 6. China’s shrinking population poses threats to growth but has opened opportunities for businesses that serve older adults.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 18, 2024

China’s ‘silver economy’ is thriving as birthrate plunges

Births in China fell to 9 million in 2023, down about 6% from the previous year, with the number of preschool children plummeting nearly 12%.
A woman passes an "akichi" (vacant lot) in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. The capital is littered with such small lots in part because of Japan's aging and shrinking population.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Sep 21, 2024

Dealing with rising land vacancies as Japan shrinks

"Akichi," or vacant plots of land, are nothing new to the urban landscape. As the population decreases, however, the challenge is how to handle their steady increase.
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Mavericks center Daniel Gafford during a playoff game in May.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Sep 29, 2024

Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Wolves

In a major offseason blockbuster, the New York Knicks have acquired All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, multiple media outlets reported.
The former treasurer of the Liberal Democratic Party's former largest faction has been found guilty in a case tied to a major political funds scandal that the party has been mired in since late last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 30, 2024

Former Abe faction treasurer given suspended three-year prison term

Junichiro Matsumoto underreported political funds totaling ¥670 million between 2018 and 2022.
Tomoyuki Sugano (left) with his Giants teammates during a game last month in Hiroshima.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Oct 5, 2024

Giants ace Tomoyuki Sugano announces plans to join MLB

The long-time Giants starter has won the Sawamura Award as NPB's best pitcher twice, in 2017 and 2018.
“The Cats of Gokogu Shrine” centers on a local shrine in Ushimado’s Honmachi district, which has become home to a colony of street cats.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 12, 2024

Kazuhiro Soda embraces the wisdom of street cats

The filmmaker turns his camera closer to home in his new documentary, “The Cats of Gokogu Shrine,” and brings a community into focus.
Each year, millions of tons of trash and other pollutants enter the world's oceans, creating scenes like this one in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 16, 2024

Multinationals must stop flow of ocean waste in Global South

The world's oceans are being suffocated by millions of tons of waste, especially in the Global South. The corporations responsible need to clean up their mess.
The Hong Kong skyline on Jan. 3, 2022. In 2018, Hong Kong received a record 65 million tourists. In 2023, it welcomed a little more than half that.
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2024

Tourism has rebounded worldwide but not in Hong Kong.

The rebound of international travel to the city continues to lag far behind the tourist activity reported at most other Asian destinations.
Alimentation Couche-Tard and Seven & I Holdings directly compete in thousands of locations across the United States, with more than 45% of Circle Ks within two miles of a 7-Eleven or related store.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 18, 2024

Couche-Tard’s 7-Eleven overlaps to face skeptical U.S. FTC review

More than 45% of Circle Ks are within two miles of a 7-Eleven or related store.
Giving schoolchildren a tablet with personalized, adaptive software to use for one hour a day in school can significantly boost learning, as a widespread program in Malawi has shown.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 18, 2024

Tablets in schools can dramatically improve learning

Much richer countries can also learn from an innovative program in Malawi in which children use a tablet for one hour a day in class, boosting their education.
Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 22, 2024

A designer moves easily from royal gowns to Uniqlo

Clare Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, finds a different kind of luxury at a mass market brand.
Asako Osaki attends the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York in March.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Nov 3, 2024

How global lessons can improve prospects for women in rural Japan

Through motherhood, education and work, Asako Osaki worked to bring global standards to the front lines of gender issues.
Kazuya Shiraishi's "11 Rebels," a period actioner based on a long-forgotten script by Kazuo Kasahara, will open this year's Tokyo International Film Festival.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 24, 2024

Tokyo International Film Festival boasts strong line-up of Japanese fare

An excellent chance to see films from Japan, Asia and around the world, the annual event will kick off with Kazuya Shiraishi's gritty action feature "11 Rebels."
A public screen displays financial figures in Shanghai on Sept. 12.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 28, 2024

Stimulus matters more than U.S. election for Chinese stocks

Whether it be Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as the new U.S. leader, global money managers expect escalated hostility toward China.
Hawks infielder Hotaka Yamakawa celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the BayStars in Game 2 of the Japan Series in Yokohama on Sunday.
BASEBALL
Oct 28, 2024

Hawks halfway to third straight Japan Series sweep as series heads to Fukuoka

The Hawks have won 14 straight Japan Series games.
Akira Oishi (left) and Shinichi Okanobori have taken on the responsibility of surveying the flora and fauna of Mount Tenran and Mount Tonosu in Saitama Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Nov 2, 2024

Inside Japan's 100-year project to monitor its deteriorating biodiversity

With researchers and an army of volunteers on its side, the Monitoring Sites 1,000 project aims to bring attention to our fragile ecosystems.
Alongside foreign students, some Japanese students attend a special lecture held entirely in English at Nagoya University in early October.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Nov 11, 2024

Amid rising costs, universities try to help students study abroad

The cost of studying abroad, including travel and living expenses, is much higher now compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.
A screen displays trading information about the shares of Truth Social and Trump Media & Technology Group, outside the Nasdaq Market site in New York on March 26.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 18, 2024

Truth Social and late calls take over economists’ lives under Trump

The end goal for economists is to produce accurate forecasts to help traders, businesses and governments navigate the new chaotic world.
Since inmates with mental disabilities often repeat similar offenses after a short period of time — partly due to a lack of necessary support — increased help from staffers with specialized knowledge is becoming crucial.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 18, 2024

Ministry ramps up support for prisoners with mental disabilities in Japan

One of the main targets is to reduce the recidivism rate, which tends to be higher for prisoners with mental and developmental disabilities.
Blast Onepiece (center) wins the 63rd Arima Kinen on Dec. 23, 2018, at Nakayama Racecourse in Chiba Prefecture.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Nov 22, 2024

Making new lives for veteran racehorses

The future is expanding for retired racehorses. Generally speaking, there are not many racehorses who can transition to life as stallions or brood mares, passing on their blood to future generations. Some go on to second careers as riding horses, for example. But, in the end, thoroughbreds are basically...
Suspect Kenichi Hosoya enters the Asakusa Police Station in Tokyo on Friday. The handcuffs and waist ties are blurred for privacy reasons.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 22, 2024

Tokyo couple served fresh arrest warrants over family murders

The couple was served arrest warrants for the fourth time, following warrants over the deaths of their second daughter, the husband's father and his sister.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman addresses the joint extraordinary leaders summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League in Riyadh on Nov. 11.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 25, 2024

Mohammed bin Salman’s style shift sets up a new world order strategy

The implications of Saudi Arabia’s transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will reverberate far beyond the kingdom’s borders for decades to come.
Nomura’s reputation has taken a hit after it admitted to a bond market manipulation in October and following charges brought against a former employee in November on suspicion of robbery, arson and attempted murder of an elderly couple during a customer visit.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 2, 2024

Nomura’s Japan corporate bond market rank slips after probe

Japan’s biggest brokerage saw its position fall to sixth place in November and its market share shrink to 2.1%, the latest data shows.
A person holds a sign while standing on the roadside near the McDonald's restaurant where a suspect in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, was arrested, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 10, 2024

Killing of UnitedHealthcare exec ignites patient anger over insurance

The attack called fresh attention to deepening frustrations faced by Americans in their struggle to receive and pay for medical care.
Manchester City's Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. The club stands accused of 80 breaches of financial rules between 2009 and 2018, plus a further 35 of failing to cooperate with a Premier League investigation, but strongly denies any wrongdoing.
SOCCER
Dec 10, 2024

Manchester City hearing into Premier League charges concludes: reports

City strongly denies any wrongdoing, but face severe sanctions if found guilty, including potentially being relegated.
The defense lawyer of Kentaro Kitagawa, former head of the osaka District Public Prosecutors Office, speaks at a news conference on Tuesday in Osaka City.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 10, 2024

Former chief prosecutor of Osaka to plead not guilty over rape in shift

During his first trial hearing in October, Kentaro Kitagawa said he would not contest the rape allegation, expressing deep remorse.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends a signing ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on Nov. 28.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 11, 2024

Lula faces Biden parallels as surgery raises questions over age

The operation raises difficult questions about whether the 79-year-old leftist leader is fit to meet the challenges that are piling up in front of him.
A handout photo shows Kosuke Nozaki (right), who was found dead of a drug overdose, and Saki Sudo, who was his wife.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 12, 2024

28-year-old widow of ‘Don Juan of Kishu’ acquitted of his murder

Prosecutors had argued that Saki Sudo, 28, somehow caused her wealthy 77-year-old husband Kosuke Nozaki to ingest drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.

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