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December 22, 2024
 

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Kim Harrisberg
Young Kenyan students look at a computer monitor in Nairobi on Oct. 31, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 19, 2024
From Swahili to Zulu, African techies develop AI language tools
Technology experts warn the lack of AI tools in African languages will lead to millions of people on the continent being excluded.
Construction works at the site of the proposed Amazon regional headquarters development beyond the Liesbeek River in Cape Town, South Africa
WORLD / Society
Oct 23, 2023
How one river highlights South Africa's land inequality
The river has become emblematic of the myriad of sometimes conflicting land disputes in a country struggling to right the wrongs of the past.
Speech-generating AI works by sifting through reams of data, categorizing how people speak then using an algorithm, to replicate human vocal patterns and speech characteristics.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2023
Whose voice is it anyway? Actors take on AI copycats
Artists around the world are joining forces to protect their jobs, and their souls, from the ramifications of AI that sounds just like them.
Kenya's President William Ruto addresses delegates at the close of the Africa Climate Summit 2023 in Nairobi on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 7, 2023
Climate summit touts Africa's role as clean energy 'superpower'
While leaders touted Africa's role as a clean energy "superpower," they identified one big snag: a lack of finance to turn that potential into reality.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 19, 2023
No more plundering: Can Africa take control in green mineral rush?
Governments on the continent have increasingly restricted or banned mineral exports in recent years in a bid to boost processing and retain more of the gains.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 23, 2023
The (AI) therapist is in: Can chatbots boost mental health?
Such chatbots are growing in popularity at a time when health resources are stretched, despite concerns from tech experts around data privacy and counseling ethics.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 19, 2023
Are 'sponge cities' enough to curb climate-fueled floods?
A city's ability to absorb water is one key to withstanding climate shocks, with sponginess dependent on the amount of greenery and other water storage available.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 25, 2023
African climate activists fight online surveillance
Online climate activism is on the rise in Africa — a continent that draws mining and oil companies to its rich mineral reserves. But so is surveillance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Nov 19, 2022
From sex workers to bakers, Twitter business users fear losses
'Every day there's always something going on, and it looks like the site is falling apart,' a small business owner said of Twitter.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jul 22, 2022
In carbon markets we trust? New global guidance aims to stop greenwashing
Companies are struggling to find a simple, efficient method to judge the quality of the myriad carbon credits on offer and are seeking clearer guidance.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2022
Uber drivers to protest low pay and unsafe work after leaks
A leak has shown that Uber knowingly flouted laws, duped police and exploited violence against vulnerable drivers as it lobbied governments for access.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 10, 2022
From Dhaka to Freetown, climate migration puts cities on alert
Climate change could prompt 216 million people to move within their countries by mid-century, including 86 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 22, 2021
Food delivery drivers question safety nets on gig platforms
The gig economy has surged during the pandemic and brought with it concerns from drivers and researchers who say lives are put in danger daily from inadequate training and support.
Japan Times
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Nov 2, 2021
With funds short, African nations weigh green energy switch and fossil fuel cash
Nations are tapping new oil fields and approving new pipelines — and coal giants like South Africa are finding backing away from an old staple challenging.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 3, 2021
Can South Africa become a model for developing nations ditching coal?
As Africa's No. 2 economy seeks to break its near-total coal dependence, climate experts say one province could serve as a test case for developing nations seeking to cut emissions.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
May 18, 2021
In Durban, climate goals are bold, but its poor feel left behind
Activists are demanding a stronger voice for local people — especially the most vulnerable — in plans to tackle climate change, environmental pollution and other problems.
Nippon Steel alleges undue White House influence on doomed deal review
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Dec. 10.
Record 78% of people in Japan feel anxious, government survey finds
The public opinion survey on people's lives, conducted by the Cabinet Office, found that 28.1% of respondents think that their standard of living is at a lower-middle level among the general public — the highest percentage to give that response in 35 years.
Police raided suspect's home to arrest him after fatal Kitakyushu stabbing
Broken window glass is seen at Masanori Hirabaru's house in Kitakyushu's Kokuraminami Ward.
Taiwan lawmakers brawl over bills that would 'damage democracy'
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party and opposition party Kuomintang brawl in parliament in Taipei on Friday.
Mother hopes for reunion with daughter ensnared by Tokyo host clubs
The Kabukicho district in Tokyo, where the daughter of a woman in her 60s fell deeply into the host club culture.
Japanese officials inspect Yokota Air Base over PFAS concerns
The Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo in September 2019. An inspection of the base by Japanese government officials on Friday came amid public pressure to investigate suspected links between the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam by the U.S. base and contamination of soil and groundwater in western Tokyo.
Crime numbers rise in Japan for second straight year
A police officer stands in front of the residence of a man alleged to have stabbed two junior high school students in Kitakyushu.
A year of Oscar wins and a quiet push for diversity
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” released in Japanese theaters in April, sharply dramatizes the clash between rural and urban values. The film won five awards at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, including the second-place Silver Lion prize.
Curiosity didn’t kill the meme: Why cats still rule Japanese YouTube
A screen shot from YouTube user @lagelda shows the simplicity of going viral in Japan in 2024: A cat dancing to EDM in front of a green screen.
With rare Asia carrier deployment, France seeks greater interoperability
The flight deck of the French Navy's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier during a stop at Changi Naval Base in Singapore in May 2019

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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