Tag - focus

 
 

FOCUS

Pressed on his claims that Russia and China have been testing their nuclear weapons, U.S. President Donald Trump said that a global monitoring system that employs state-of-the-art technology had somehow failed to detect the tests.
WORLD / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2025
Trump claims that China and Russia secretly conduct nuke tests
The U.S. leader alleged that the nation's rivals "test way underground, where people don't know exactly what's happening."
Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia, poses for a photo on the sidelines of the APEC CEO Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Nov 3, 2025
Nvidia is worth $5 trillion. Here’s what it means for the market
The chipmaker at the heart of the artificial intelligence revolution is not only the biggest company on Earth, it also may be the most influential stock in Wall Street history.
Philippine and Australian troops fire an M777 howitzer during live fire exercises as part of joint military drills in Laur, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, in August.
ASIA PACIFIC / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2025
A narrow Pacific waterway at heart of U.S. plans to choke China’s vast navy
Batanes province in the Philippines is on the front line of the great power competition between the United States and China.
U.S. President Donald Trump raises his fist as he boards Air Force One before traveling to South Korea, from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2025
Trump plays nice with Asian allies stung by repeated threats
While allies in Asia have ample reason to be wary of U.S. President Donald Trump, the message from his regional tour appeared to be that America isn't going anywhere.
Executives of six ruling and opposition parties discuss scrapping the add-on levy for gasoline during their meeting in the parliament building on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Nov 2, 2025
Japan sees no stable funding for costly policy plans
Six ruling and opposition parties broadly agreed Friday to scrap the add-on levy for gasoline on Dec. 31 and for gas oil on April 1 next year.
A SpaceX Super Heavy booster carrying the Starship spacecraft lifts off on its 11th test flight at the company's launch pad in Starbase, Texas, on Oct. 13.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Oct 31, 2025
International collaboration seen as key to commercial space tourism in Japan
When it comes to furthering the potential of future space travel, Japan is behind countries like the U.S., making collaboration essential.
Two robots automating tasks at Arikawa Seisakusho in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 31, 2025
Government to help rural businesses adopt robots amid labor shortage
Aimed at boosting productivity despite labor shortages, a new group will train advisers to help companies introduce and use robotics effectively.
Satoru Tezuka, chair of the Personal Information Protection Commission, advocates revising the personal information protection law as part of an effort to balance stronger enforcement with greater flexibility for data utilization.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 30, 2025
Japan weighs fines to strengthen personal data protection
Under the current framework, there is no mechanism to claw back profits obtained through illegal data practices, allowing malicious operators to retain their illicit gains.
National security adviser Keiichi Ichikawa (fourth from right) is seen as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump review an honor guard of the Self-Defense Forces at the Akasaka State Guesthouse in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 30, 2025
Who is Keiichi Ichikawa, Takaichi’s new national security adviser?
Ichikawa is expected to play a leading role in the prime minister’s ambitious endeavors on the diplomatic and security front.
Participants march through Tokyo for the Tokyo Rainbow Pride parade in April last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Oct 29, 2025
Gender identity law reform stalls despite court rulings
Strong opposition from conservatives in parliament have dimmed prospects for reform.
Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi (right) and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura pose for a picture after signing an agreement to form a coalition, at the National Diet Building in Tokyo on Oct 20.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 28, 2025
Smaller parties set to suffer most if LDP and JIP reduce Lower House seats
Smaller parties such as Komeito could lose out the most if a bill is passed to reduce Lower House seats by 10%.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as he walks from Air Force One upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 28, 2025
Anwar turns Malaysia into stage for dealmaking with Trump’s help
Local media largely portrayed Anwar’s hosting of the ASEAN summit as a showcase of Malaysia’s diplomatic resurgence, calling it a moment of renewed regional leadership.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama speaks at a news conference in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 27, 2025
Japan’s first female finance chief is a veteran on banking policy
Satsuki Katayama joined the Finance Ministry in 1982 and reached a higher position in the influential Budget Bureau than any woman before her.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reacts as East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao greets her during the ASEAN-Japan summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2025
Takaichi’s ‘Trump card’ for meeting U.S. leader? Her relationship with Abe.
Sanae Takaichi’s ties to slain former leader Shinzo Abe are expected to get her off on the right foot with Donald Trump as she aims to navigate defense and trade pressure.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups reacts during a game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco on Oct. 8. Billups has been charged in a case involving the alleged rigging of high-stakes poker games.
BASKETBALL / NBA / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2025
NBA insider arrests highlight risks of leagues embracing sports betting
The arrests will bring fresh scrutiny to the relationship between online sports books and professional leagues, worth millions of dollars to both sides.
New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee and the front-runner in the New York City mayoral race, greets supporters as his campaign hosts a soccer tournament designed to call attention to the high cost of living in New York, in Brooklyn on Oct. 19.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2025
Long-shot socialist Zohran Mamdani in striking distance of becoming New York mayor
The 34-year-old election front-runner was born in Uganda to a family of Indian origin and has lived in the United States since he was seven.
A Nishiyama Seimen employee works at its factory in Sapporo.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2025
Japanese firms keep expanding in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia
Around 650 Japanese companies maintain a presence in the area, with the latest arrivals varying from tech startups to noodle makers.
Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force personnel march during the joint multinational exercise Garuda Shield 2025 at the Baturaja combat training center in Lampung, Indonesia, last month.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2025
Takaichi to put defense push in spotlight in bid to satiate Trump demands
She is expected to raise Japan’s defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by the end of this fiscal year, a move that could pave the way for further hikes.
Artworks depicting former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during Thatcher Fest in the town of Grantham, England, earlier this month. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has described Thatcher as a role model.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2025
Japan joins over 80 nations to have been led by women since WWII
While Takaichi's rise to power is a milestone for the nation, some caution it does not necessarily signal a broader advance in women's political standing in Japan.
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura sign a policy agreement between the two parties at the Diet in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2025
The newly formed LDP-JIP coalition may not be as solid as it seems
The Japan Innovation Party’s insistence on passing a seat-reducing measure could prove to be a sticking point in the relationship.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes