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BUSINESS / Longform
Apr 4, 2022

Reimagining Japan’s growing glut of empty homes

Entrepreneurs see an opportunity in Japan's abandoned properties as businesses try to change them from liabilities into assets.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 31, 2022

Time to talk peace terms with Russia

The Ukraine in consultation with the U.S. and Europe, which are backing its war-fighting capacity, should formulate and state what a reasonable peace settlement would look like.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 13, 2022

NATO and Russia talk frankly, but past one another for now

NATO leaders rejected outright Russian demands that the alliance stop enlargement, pull back its forces from member states bordering Russia and guarantee that Ukraine will never join.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Nov 18, 2021

Asia’s three largest economies and polluters face tough road toward ditching coal

For Japan, China and India, promises to further reduce emissions by phasing out coal run straight into domestic political roadblocks and social realities.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 12, 2021

Opposition tie-up could herald new debate on constitutional revision in Japan

In what could be the start of an opposition party realignment, Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People have begun working together to push the issue in parliament.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024

U.S. and Saudi Arabia near defense pact meant to reshape Middle East

Though many obstacles remain, there is optimism Washington and Riyadh could reach a framework defense deal within weeks.
A news conference is held following a settlement being reached in a labor tribunal proceeding in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
May 7, 2024

Nondisclosure issue a lingering problem in Japan labor cases

One worker in Osaka Prefecture is contesting a nondisclosure clause that was added to her labor tribunal case's resolution against her will.
Japan’s custody system may soon change with the introduction of joint custody, though issues like a lack of protection against domestic violence and abuse must also be tackled.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2024

Joint custody alone won’t fix Japan’s flawed system

Japan could be on the verge of adopting joint custody. While to some this is a step in the right direction, it may not be enough to protect families.
Nippon Ishin no Kai Secretary-General Fumitake Fujita (right) speaks beside Yui Kanazawa, the party's candidate in the Tokyo 15th district by-election on April 28. Nippon Ishin lost in this by-election as well as another in Nagasaki held on the same day.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 14, 2024

Ishin struggles to set itself apart from other parties

The Osaka-based party is weighed down by its Kansai focus as well as its closeness to the LDP, which makes it hard for it to criticize the ruling party.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits for his trial at the Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on Tuesday.
WORLD
May 22, 2024

How Trump's hush money trial verdict could affect the 2024 election

Jurors could deliver a verdict as soon as next week.
Maximilian Krah from German's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Europe’s far right in disarray two weeks ahead of elections

Far-right groups hoped to form a large enough bloc in next month’s European elections to weaken climate regulations and propose tougher immigration measures.
Demonstrators hold Fatah flags during a protest in support of the people of the Gaza Strip in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Oct. 27, 2023.
WORLD
Jun 5, 2024

Hamas signals post-war ambition in talks with Palestinian rival Fatah

The meetings highlight that the Islamist militant group is likely to retain influence in the Gaza Strip after its war with Israel.
Ilya Sutskever, then-chief scientist at OpenAI, at the company’s offices in San Francisco in March 2023. Sutskever recently left the firm. He had been on the company’s board and had voted to oust Sam Altman, the chief executive, last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2024

OpenAI insiders warn of a ‘reckless’ race for dominance

Sources claim the firm has used hardball tactics to prevent workers from voicing their concerns about certain AI technology.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 7, 2024

At Computex, Nvidia billionaire Jensen Huang showcases Taiwan's tech dominance

With this year’s raucous Computex — the world’s biggest computing conference — Taiwan sent a message: If you want AI, you need Taiwan.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers the work report at the opening session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 5. Li dropped the mention of "peaceful" from unification with Taiwan this year.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2024

The Taiwan question: 'Strategic ambiguity' and U.S. foreign policy

Chinese Premier Li Qiang in a government report delivered at the opening of the National People's Congress dropped the mention of "peaceful" for unification with Taiwan.
Supporters of former president Donald Trump pray during a benediction on the second day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 19, 2024

Unpacking America's puzzling election dynamics

If the Republican Party sacrifices the true interests of the U.S. and its allies in order to win the presidency, it will no longer be the Grand Old Party.
University students in Varanasi, India, protest against a recent rape and murder of a doctor in West Bengal. Despite some improvements in legislation following high-profile cases, such as the 2012 gang rape, violence against women has worsened, with recorded rapes increasing.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 22, 2024

Protests won’t change India's attitude toward rape

Despite some improvements in legislation following high-profile cases, such as the 2012 gang rape, violence against women has worsened, with recorded rapes increasing.
A building emblazoned with a Great Wall graphic in Kitwe, Zambia
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 3, 2024

Xi wants bigger returns and fewer headaches from African debt deals

From Angola to Djibouti, for over a decade, China poured more than $120 billion of government-backed loans through its Belt and Road Initiative.
A girl watches the setting sun over Doha, Qatar’s capital, on July 10. Qatar has used its influence with Hamas to press for a truce with Israel.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 9, 2024

The road to a Gaza cease-fire runs through Qatar

Throughout the war, Qatar has tried to present itself as an international interlocutor capable of narrowing the gaps between the warring parties.
Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto talks to his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo while delivering a speech during an event showing the quick-count results of the general election in Jakarta on Feb. 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 15, 2024

How Indonesia's outgoing president steered his son to the vice presidency

Insiders describe how Joko Widodo steered his introverted son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, into politics as part of an effort to maintain influence after leaving office.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington on July 25.
WORLD / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2024

With Sinwar dead, Israel aims to lock in strategic gains before U.S. election

Goals include reshaping the regional landscape in Israel's favor and shielding its borders from any future attacks, according to sources.
Former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi presents his report on the future of European competitiveness to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 17.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 23, 2024

Europe’s wake-up call on innovation and competitiveness

Europe stands at a critical juncture, needing to choose between maintaining the status quo or moving toward deeper integration.
With the next prime minister needing to be selected soon after the recent election, there are questions about whether the Democratic Party For the People and Nippon Ishin no Kai will support Shigeru Ishiba in his bid to remain Japan’s leader.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 31, 2024

Ishiba's future in question as support from allies wavers

The question now is whether the DPP and Ishin will support the LDP nominee to ensure victory, or if they will nominate their own candidates.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who serves concurrently as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, attends a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 2, 2024

Ishiba to meet with U.S. and Chinese leaders during multilateral summits

The meetings will be the first time for Ishiba to hold talks with either president in person since taking office early last month.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attends a media briefing after sacking Finance Minister Christian Lindner, in Berlin on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 7, 2024

Germany faces snap election as Scholz's coalition crumbles

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is expected to head a minority government with his Social Democrats and the Greens after sacking his Free Democrat finance minister.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi (left) meets the deputy chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, upon his arrival at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024

Europe pushes for resolution against Iran at IAEA, diplomats say

Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran.
A drone view shows a tree on fire in Humaita, Amazonas state, Brazil, on Sept. 8.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 19, 2024

Can a COP29 deal clean up scandal-ridden carbon offsets?

Carbon trading is seen as one way for richer countries to meet their emissions reduction targets.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 22, 2024

Putin, ascendant in Ukraine, eyes contours of a Trump peace deal

The Russian president could broadly agree to freeze the conflict along the front lines, five current and former Russian officials say.
The time and location for Amapinight parties are never certain, but two things you can be assured of when attending are that there will be dancing and a lot of amapiano.
CULTURE / Music
Nov 24, 2024

There's no room for wallflowers at Amapinight

From amapiano to dancehall, Japanese dancers and DJs are moving the masses with African beats at Tokyo's most energetic party.
Ukrainian cadets hold lit candles as they stand in attention before the Motherland Monument during a commemoration ceremony marking the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Kyiv on Nov. 19.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 26, 2024

For EU, North Korean troops add new dimension to war in Ukraine

Pyongyang's move and the return of Donald Trump to the White House are further complicating EU efforts to end the bloody conflict.

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