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Japan Times
WORLD
May 10, 2022

Biden speeds up military aid to Ukraine, drawing U.S. deeper into war

Recent developments have underscored just how engaged the United States has become in the conflict in Ukraine.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 10, 2022

Putin’s crackdown pushes independent Russian media into crypto

Meduza, a prominent independent Russian-language news site, has called for payments in crypto as donations have been blocked by sanctions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 9, 2022

34 volunteers chose to get COVID-19. Here’s what scientists learned.

One of the first big surprises was how short the COVID incubation period was; it took only two days before the volunteers tested positive on PCR tests and soon after that on the rapid tests.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2022

As Putin gets desperate, the world should remember Pearl Harbor

Economic sanctions are working now against Russia as they squeezed Japan before its war with the U.S. But the historical lesson is that they don't make adversaries less aggressive.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 6, 2022

The ‘nuclear’ terms you should know when discussing current affairs

Nuclear issues are always in the news. If you want to get into discussions on these topics, it's good to know your vocabulary.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2022

When $1 billion tech unicorns start to look like ponies

In a world where every startup gallops, counting horns starts to look futile. France needs new metrics for a clearer innovation picture.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 5, 2022

Brexit made Boris Johnson. Now he has to face its costs.

The inflationary impact on the U.K. economy and the risks of de-globalization are worsening pressure on companies and consumers.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 4, 2022

Misplaced nostalgia to decide Philippine presidency

Filipinos look ready to make the son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos their new leader, a result made possible by democratic failures, manipulated memories and Rodrigo Duterte.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
May 4, 2022

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. could control hunt for family's wealth as Philippines president

If the front-runner triumphs in the May 9 election, he will wield broad powers over government agencies seeking to recover as much as $10 billion plundered by his namesake father.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2022

Russia’s sunken warship is a warning to all navies

Poor design and a lack of experienced sailors likely doomed the Moskva, but the incident exposed the vulnerabilities of U.S. ships as well.
Richard Grenell speaks at a Donald Trump rally in Florence, Arizona, on Jan. 15, 2022.  Grenell has a good chance of landing a top foreign policy job in a second Trump administration — if not as secretary of state, which requires Senate confirmation, then perhaps as national security adviser, which does not.
WORLD / Politics
May 26, 2024

He threw ‘spaghetti at the wall’ for Trump. Now he’s after a top job.

If Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidency, Richard Grenell hopes to be secretary of state. But his work raises questions, even from his former boss.
A peace rally on Constitution Memorial Day in Tokyo on May 3. Japan’s identity as a pacifist nation is shifting as the government strengthens its military, but many don’t agree with the policy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 27, 2024

Government and society are at odds on national security

Tokyo posits itself as a mutual defense ally of the U.S., but polls show that while the public wants a stronger military, changes should align with the peace Constitution.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. While some view artificial intelligence’s increasing integration into journalism as necessary, there are concerns about the ethics of such arrangements.
COMMENTARY / World
May 27, 2024

OpenAI is making journalism an offer it can’t refuse

While some view AI’s increasing integration into journalism as necessary, there are concerns about the ethics and transparency of such arrangements.
Demonstrators outside the Legislative Yuan — Taiwan's parliament — in Taipei on Tuesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2024

Taiwan protesters gather as opposition pushes contentious law

The legislation would give lawmakers greater investigative powers and effectively curb the authority of the island's new president, Lai Ching-te.
The African National Congress’ manifesto launch at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Feb. 24
WORLD / Politics
May 28, 2024

Where South Africa’s crunch election will be won and lost

As the country heads into its tightest election since apartheid ended in 1994, the ANC is facing competition like never before.
People gather to promote the same-sex marriage in Nagoya in May last year.
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2024

Japanese city recognizes same-sex couple in rare step

Japan is the only Group of Seven nation that does not recognize same-sex unions, and local media said the move was unprecedented.
The latest blow to hit the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida came at the weekend when the candidate backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lost to an opposition-backed rival in Shizuoka Prefecture's gubernatorial election.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2024

Early dissolution of Lower House unlikely after another LDP election loss

The view spreading within the Liberal Democratic Party is that it will be difficult for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to call a snap election.
Opposition parties' senior lawmakers discuss political reform in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 28, 2024

Japan's parties ramp up reform discussions as clock ticks for legal revision

While lawmakers have agreed to expedite discussions, gaps remain on some contentious issues.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak inspects troops at a military base in North Yorkshire, Britain, on May 3. Sunak is making the question of protecting Britain and navigating dangerous geopolitical conditions central themes of his election campaign.
COMMENTARY / World
May 27, 2024

War is at the heart of the U.K.’s summer election

British Prime Minister Sunak is nevertheless right to inject defense into the heart of the election campaign.
A protester holds a sign reading "Keep Taiwan Free" during a demonstration outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 29, 2024

Taiwan government to reject contested parliament reforms

The legislation, backed by the main opposition Kuomintang, brought tens of thousands onto the streets to protest and accusations of Chinese interference.
Mainland Chinese tourists on a converted car ferry in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on April 19, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 29, 2024

Business-first Hong Kong now comes with a catch: Beijing politics

The former British colony is hewing closer to mainland China, blurring distinctions that once cemented the city’s status as mostly free from Chinese politics.
The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, China, in 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 29, 2024

Rare spat shows China and North Korea still at odds on nuclear weapons

Pyongyang condemned China, Japan and South Korea on Monday for discussing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Notwithstanding the increase in EV sales, there are now more cars than ever powered by internal-combustion engines.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2024

Nevermind those EVs — oil demand keeps growing

The oil bulls still have reason to worry: With OPEC+ trying to keep prices as close as possible to $100 a barrel, non-OPEC supply, including from biofuels, keeps surging.
With the recent focus on the yen and individual investing, the phrase "Mrs. Watanabe" — one of the most common pieces of jargon in Japanese financial circles — has seen a resurgence.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 29, 2024

My search for the original 'Mrs. Watanabe'

Yen retail traders are back in the spotlight. But where did the phrase for the archetypal Japanese housewife investor come from?
Massive oil reserves mean the U.S. is less enthusiastic about energy transition than China, which is charging ahead with clean technology.
COMMENTARY / World
May 30, 2024

America is joining its frenemies back in the fossil fuel club

For most nations, the energy transition isn’t just sought for climate reasons, it’s also a strategic and economic necessity.
A Donald Trump campaign event at Crotona Park in the Bronx borough of New York City on May 23.
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2024

Unfazed Republican donors focus on Trump's polling, not guilty verdict

Many conservative donors already viewed the New York hush-money cash as political persecution.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures following the announcement of the verdict in his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence adult-film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, outside Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal / ANALYSIS
May 31, 2024

Trump guilty verdict adds twist to 2024 race: a convicted felon

While such a development may change the trajectory of the presidential race, few experts are confident it will.

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