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U.S. President Joe Biden hugs Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, as he and other prisoners freed from Russia arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland late Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 3, 2024

Prisoner deals stoke fears of perverse ‘incentive’ to grab Americans

Hostile governments like Russia and Iran are often involved, and practical alternatives are hard to come by, experts say.
The entrance gate of the SEG electronics market in Shenzhen, China, on June 27.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 5, 2024

With smugglers and front companies, China is skirting U.S. AI bans

The U.S. worries advanced semiconductors could help China develop superior weaponry, launch cyberattacks and make faster decisions on the battlefield.
Music designer Linda Feki in Naples, Italy, on July 12
WORLD / Society
Aug 7, 2024

Italy's abortion divisions sharpen under Meloni's leadership

A musician from Naples, Italy, recalls her experience seeking an abortion after her online post about it drew support and criticism.
Visitors enter a haunted house at the Namjatown indoor theme park in Tokyo on July 30.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 7, 2024

Japanese beat the heat in 'liver-chilling' haunted houses

A visit to a haunted house is seen as a refreshing respite in Japan from the summer's heat and humidity.
A boy skateboards past Yanaka Cemetery in Tokyo’s Taito Ward. A perfectly peaceful spot the rest of the year, it becomes a place children may test their courage during the Bon holidays.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 8, 2024

Japanese cities turn into ghost towns during the Bon holiday period

As people return to their hometowns to pay their respects to their ancestors, children may try to test their nerves with a "kimodameshi."
Australia today is running aggressive recruitment campaigns to attract Kiwis to work in sectors like health care, early childhood education, police and prisons, tempting them with higher wages and relocation packages.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2024

Fed-up New Zealanders are flocking to Australia for better pay

Some 44,534 New Zealanders, almost 1% of the nation’s population of 5 million, left to live in Australia in 2023.
Wrestlers battle during the national women's championships in Osaka in 2018. Amateur sumo is a great way to experience the sport for tourists who are unable to get tickets to professional tournaments.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 8, 2024

No sumo tickets? No problem. Here are some other ways to take in the sport.

Japan’s ongoing tourism boom has resulted in a year-round influx of people interested in experiencing the country’s national sport.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 9, 2024

Trump offers three September debates against surging Harris

Donald Trump has found himself on unfamiliar ground as something of a bystander, eclipsed by Kamala Harris' rise as he has scaled back his own campaigning.
Ukrainian service members ride an infantry fighting vehicle near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 10, 2024

As Ukraine pushes deeper into Russia, Moscow sends reinforcements

The flurry of movement underscored the extent to which Ukraine’s attack had introduced an unpredictable new element into the war.
Haruka Kitaguchi competes in the final of the women's javelin on Saturday at the Paris Olympics.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 11, 2024

Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi secures javelin gold with opening throw

Last year Kitaguchi needed her final throw to take the world gold in Budapest, but there was little suspense at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Protesters countering the far right gather in London on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 12, 2024

White supremacists turn U.K. riots into online recruiting pitch

Using messaging app Telegram and social media platform X, they promote conspiracy theories and incite violence in their bid to lure new members.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a summit in Bangkok in November 2022. Despite Japan-China relations stagnating in recent years, Xi's administration presents some interesting opportunities for an overture between the two countries.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 12, 2024

Will Japan and China’s relations continue to stagnate?

Japan and China have historically been at odds and relations have stagnated. This pattern can be broken by seizing the moment, one that offers some key opportunities.
Power lines on the highway between Shanghai and Suzhou, China, on Oct. 23, 2023
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 12, 2024

China rapidly expands battery fleet but needs to start using it

China’s new energy storage capacity jumped to 44 gigawatts at the end of June, a 40% increase from the start of the year.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the presidential office in Taipei on Tuesday
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Is it fifth time's the charm for Shigeru Ishiba?

Ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential race, a short trip to Taiwan is allowing the former defense minister to burnish his foreign policy chops.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 19, 2024

Harris heads to Chicago with momentum as GOP attacks her economy plans

A recent poll shows U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly leads former President Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup.
Maria Branyas Morera celebrates her 117th birthday in March in this image posted to her official X social media account.
WORLD
Aug 21, 2024

Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest person, dies at 117

Morera died peacefully in her sleep in Olot, Spain at her nursing home, Residencia Santa Maria del Tura, according to family.
A recruiter holding a placard advertising jobs talks to young men at an unofficial job market in the suburbs of Beijing.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Aug 21, 2024

China's rising youth unemployment breeds new working class

Millions of graduates are being pushed into a tough bargain, with some forced to accept low-paying work or even subsist on their parents' pensions.
Medical professionals and students participate in a silent march as they condemn the rape and murder of a doctor, in Kolkata on Aug. 15.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Aug 21, 2024

'Abuse every day': Female medics in India speak out after brutal murder

The rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata cast a spotlight on the chronic issue of violence against women and the failure to provide safe working conditions for them.
A drone view shows Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida, on Aug. 11.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 22, 2024

Trump earns big from Florida golf resorts as his other businesses flag

The health of Donald Trump’s golf business is a bright spot at a precarious moment for the Trump Organization.
Seven & I Holding’s logo is seen at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo on Aug. 19. Apart from 7-Eleven, Seven & I also owns, has stakes in or operates a number of other iconic properties, including Denny’s, Tower Records and Ito-Yokado.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Japan warms to audacious Canadian bid for 7-Eleven operator

The deal might just work if Alimentation Couche-Tard lets the convenience store chain get on with business and continue to develop and expand globally.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, arrives to speak on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 23, 2024

Harris accepts historic nomination to start election sprint

Her challenge now is to harness the energy and excitement of a party reinvigorated by her rapid ascent.
The land ministry is planning to create a system in which the central and local governments would evenly shoulder part of the demolition costs that condominium management associations should pay.
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2024

Japanese government to subsidize demolition of old condo buildings

The land ministry is planning to subsidize such demolitions from the fiscal year beginning April 2025.
Police officers at the scene of a stabbing in Solingen, Germany, on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 25, 2024

German police arrest suspect in stabbing rampage

The Islamic State group earlier claimed responsibility for Friday's knife attack that also wounded eight people.
Britain's Lucy Shuker competes at a tournament in Eastbourne, England, in 2022.
PARALYMPICS
Aug 25, 2024

Paralympian Lucy Shuker indebted to wheelchair tennis for giving her some 'joy'

Just 21 years old when she suffered the life-changing injury, Shuker, now 44, has become one of the finest doubles players in the world.
Digital minister Taro Kono speaks during a news conference to announce his candidacy in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 26, 2024

Taro Kono joins contest for LDP presidency

Touting his international credentials, the digital minister put economic reform at the top of his agenda, pledging to cut publicly funded projects that are ineffective.
The Chinese government has dismissed U.S. accusations, saying the hacking attacks attributed to Volt Typhoon are the work of cyber criminals.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 28, 2024

Chinese hackers breach U.S. internet firms via startup

The revelation will add to concerns over the susceptibility of U.S. critical infrastructure to cyberattacks.
Japan is facing a pilot shortage, but hiring foreign pilots is not easy due to opposition from unions. Japanese carriers also typically pay less than airlines elsewhere.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 28, 2024

Pilot shortage threatens Japan’s goal for 60 million tourists

Falling short may mean missing out on lucrative tourism money as carriers simply can’t find the crew to fly the necessary number of planes.
U.S. Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris waves as she arrives to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 31, 2024

Harris isn’t looking to pick new fights with China, unlike Trump

The U.S. vice president is betting that Americans don’t want an all-out confrontation when they tell pollsters they’d like their leaders to get even tougher on China.
People watch the male giant panda Ri Ri at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo in June 2017.
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2024

Panda pair in Tokyo to return to China

The elderly pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin will be returned to China next month for medical care.
The U.S. has been pressuring Japan to impose additional restrictions on the ability of firms to sell advanced chipmaking tools to China, as part of a long-running campaign to curtail China’s semiconductor progress.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 2, 2024

China warns Japan of retaliation over potential new chip curbs

One major concern is that Beijing could cut off Japan’s access to critical minerals that are essential for automotive production.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?