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The Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP Bagacay being hit by water cannon from China Coast Guard vessels near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough shoal in the disputed South China Sea in this screen shot from video taken and released Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 30, 2024

Philippines says China Coast Guard fired water cannon at its vessels

The incident was the latest to occur between the two countries at the disputed atoll in the South China Sea.
Japanese fashion designer Yumi Katsura (center) greets guests during the finale of the 2015 Yumi Katsura Grand Collection in Tokyo. Katsura has died at the age of 94.
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 30, 2024

Yumi Katsura, a pioneer of Japan’s bridal fashion, dies at 94

Katsura developed a unique style combining Japan’s traditional techniques with French motifs throughout a career spanning over half a century.
For a little more than a decade, scientists have been studying a subset of people they call "super-agers.” These individuals are age 80 and older, but they have the memory ability of a person 20 to 30 years younger.
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 30, 2024

A peek inside the brains of ‘super-agers’

New research explores why some octogenarians have exceptional memories.
Angels slugger Mike Trout rounds the bases after hitting a home run in a game on April 23.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 1, 2024

Angels star Trout to have left knee surgery

The 32-year-old slugger, an 11-time American League All-Star and three-time AL MVP, has struggled with injuries in recent years.
U.S. President Joe Biden makes an appearance at an infrastructure construction project in Woodstock, New Hampshire, in November 2021.  Bridges and sewage systems may seem unglamorous, but common assets such as these will form the basis of economic growth for years to come.
COMMENTARY / World
May 1, 2024

The West’s new infrastructure imperative

A dim future awaits any society that allows its infrastructure to degrade and underinvests in new needs.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda holds a news conference after a policy meeting at the BOJ's headquarters in Tokyo on March 19.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 2, 2024

BOJ saw need to let markets drive yields upon March exit: minutes

The bank ended eight years of negative interest rates and its bond yield control at its March policy meeting.
The ruling Georgian Dream Party, whose leader is pro-Russian, holds a rally in support of the government in Tbilisi on Monday.
COMMENTARY / World
May 2, 2024

What if Russia wins in Ukraine? Ask Georgia.

A billionaire leader in Tblisi echoes Moscow as he rails against “global party of war.”
Birdhead members Ji Weiyu (left) and Song Tao, who are exhibiting “The Matrix” facing the “chikuin no ma” garden at Kondaya Genbei as part of Kyotographie 2024.
CULTURE / Art
May 3, 2024

Shanghai duo Birdhead flips photography

Artists Ji Weiyu and Song Tao play with randomness and control in their Kyotographie exhibition, "Welcome to Birdhead World Again, Kyoto 2024."
Enamored with Japanese cuisine, Xander Soren sought to create the perfect Pinot Noir to suit the country's most common flavors.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
May 7, 2024

A Californian Pinot Noir bred for the Japanese table

In November, a former Apple employee launched Xander Soren Wines and its Pinot vintages exclusively in Japan.
Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (left), defender Ian Maatsen (center) and forward Donyell Malen celebrate their team's victory over Paris Saint-Germain in Paris on Tuesday.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Borussia Dortmund overcome the odds to return to Wembley

In the June 1 Champions League final, Dortmund will face either Bayern Munich or 14-time champions Real Madrid.
The latest figure is significantly less than a previous projection released in 2015 that said more than 8 million people would have dementia by 2040.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 8, 2024

Nearly 6 million elderly people in Japan will have dementia by 2040

While the figure is lower than a previous projection, the latest estimate still showed a steady growth in the number of people with dementia.
Despite Shinzo Abe's numerous achievements as prime minister, including job creation and efforts to promote workforce gender equality, recent controversies surrounding his tenure, including ties to controversial groups and scandals within his political faction, have tarnished his image.
COMMENTARY
May 7, 2024

The economic legacy of Japan's longest-serving prime minister

Under Abenomics and the BOJ's monetary policy, employment rose more than under any other Japanese government in the 21st century.
The Olympic flame sits on board the Belem as the boat sails near the coast of Marseille, France, on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
May 9, 2024

Olympic flame arrives on French soil for 2024 Paris Games

"It marks the end of preparations, the Games arrive in the life of the French people," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi (second from right) and his Komeito counterpart Keiichi Ishii (second from left) hold a signed agreement on political funding reform, on Thursday in parliament.
JAPAN / Politics
May 10, 2024

Japan's ruling parties find agreement on political reform, but gaps remain

The parties' plan lacks specifics on key contentious issues.
Pete Reynolds (front row, right) has trained for 38 years with the Bujinkan, an organization that teaches skills used by ninja. The American moved to Japan in 2000 and is now a senior instructor at the organization’s dojo in the Nezu neighborhood in Tokyo.
LIFE / Lifestyle
May 10, 2024

The unexpected acolytes helping to keep ninja heritage alive

What may have started as youthful fantasy has led to a deeper passion in an area of Japanese history by non-Japanese martial arts practitioners.
Floodwater near a highway following heavy rains in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
May 10, 2024

Brazil’s historic floods create ‘Katrina moment’ for Lula’s presidency

Natural disasters like the record-breaking deluge that hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil carry tremendous power to reshape politics.
Having succeeded her father, Akira Mori, Miwako Date has been CEO of real estate development firm Mori Trust since 2016.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
May 19, 2024

Leading a major property developer with an eye on art and culture

Third-generation CEO Miwako Date is making her mark with Mori Trust's regional luxury hotels.
China’s fading appeal to foreign firms comes despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s pledge in November to take more "heart-warming” measures to ease access to the world’s second-largest economy.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 10, 2024

EU firms’ appetite for China investment sinks to record low

Only 13% of firms surveyed earlier this year saw the country as a top destination for investments, a survey found.
Things may look perfect to the outside world, but today's mom is fine with some imperfection at home.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
May 11, 2024

How 'Reiwa moms' are reshaping motherhood in Japan

Five years into the Reiwa Era and the challenges Japan's moms face are unique, though the qualities that help them persevere haven't changed a bit.
Many women suffer abuse for decades, afraid to speak out for fear of being stigmatized or blamed.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
May 10, 2024

'Everyone around you loses': How domestic abuse hurts economies

Research suggests the global cost of all violence against women could be about 2% of gross domestic product, or the size of Canada's economy.
Andrei Belousov, economic aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin
WORLD / Politics
May 13, 2024

Putin taps economist to run defense in unexpected move

It is vital to ensure military spending aligns with Russia's overall economy, a Kremlin spokesperson said.
Nintendo tends to innovate and take unconventional product development routes, producing both great successes, like its Switch console, and spectacular failures.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2024

Nintendo needs to 'switch' its next console up

The Kyoto firm has been coy about what will come after the highly successful Switch console, but it needs to step up its game and learn from past mistakes.
Patty Ortega, widow of slain Philippine environmental activist and radio host Gerry Ortega, points to old photographs of her late husband at their home in Puerto Princesa in Palawan.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2024

A 13-year fight for justice in Philippine activist's murder

Environmental activist and radio host Gerry Ortega was shot in a clothes shop along a busy road in the Palawan capital of Puerto Princesa in 2011.
Tourists and locals stroll along Tokyo's Ginza shopping district where some roads are closed off for pedestrians due to the national holiday on April 29.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2024

Fortress’s Japan hotel unit doubles pay to fight labor shortage

MyStays Hotel Management is offering monthly salaries of ¥500,000 ($3,210) for new hires into its fast-track program.
Tesla's charging network is widely viewed as a signature achievement for the EV maker and a key driver of its sales. Tesla Superchargers account for more than 60% of U.S. high-speed charging ports, federal statistics show.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 16, 2024

The inside story of Elon Musk’s mass firings of Tesla Supercharger staff

Former charging chief met Musk expecting the go-ahead for a massive expansion of the charging network, but ended up getting fired along with her 500-member team.
Philippine fishermen along with volunteers from nongovernmental organization Atin Ito aboard fishing boats arrive at a meeting point in South China Sea on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 16, 2024

Philippine boat convoy won't proceed to China-held reef, organizers say

An "advance team" that distributed supplies to Filipino fishermen about 46-56 kilometers from the disputed Scarborough Shoal was "sent away by various Chinese vessels."
Over 70% of respondents in a survey do not support Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's handling of the high-profile slush fund scandal involving factions of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2024

Kishida Cabinet's support rate edges up, poll shows

The poll found that 72.9% of respondents do not support Kishida's handling of a high-profile slush fund scandal.
Oleksandr Usyk fights Daniel Dubois during a title fight in Wroclaw, Poland, on Aug. 26, 2023.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 18, 2024

Oleksandr Usyk fighting for legacy in bid to unify heavyweight title

Usyk says he is driven by legacy, not money, ahead of his unification fight against Tyson Fury.
Oleksandr Usyk punches Tyson Fury during their fight in Riyadh on Saturday. Usyk won to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 19, 2024

Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury to become undisputed heavyweight champion

Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years.
From the outside, the light-brown complex that is Fuchu Prison in western Tokyo could easily be mistaken for a city hall.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 19, 2024

Fuchu Prison adapting to foreign prisoners

The penitentiary houses the biggest population of foreign prisoners in Japan, and as such is taking measures to accommodate them in terms of language, culture, food and lifestyle.

Longform

A small shrine perched atop rocks braves the waves hitting the shoreline during a storm in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture. The area is under threat of a possible 31-meter-high tsunami if an earthquake strikes the nearby Nankai Trough.
If the 'Big One' hits, this city could face a 31-meter-high tsunami