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April 17, 2025
 

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Japan's exports measured by value gained 3.9% in March from a year earlier, slower than estimated.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 17, 2025
Japan’s exports rise at slower pace as Trump tariffs begin
The outlook for Japan's economy appears increasingly uncertain as Trump deepens his tariff campaign, prompting nations like China to retaliate.
The crude oil tanker New Odyssey arrives at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province on April 15. The U.S. has issued new sanctions targeting Iran's oil exports, including against a China-based independent oil refinery.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 17, 2025
U.S. issues new sanctions targeting Chinese importers of Iranian oil
The move comes as Washington seeks to ramp up pressure on Iran as it reentered talks with Tehran over its nuclear program this month.
A handout artist's impression released on Thursday by N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge shows the K2-18b super-Earth, a hycean world, in which astronomers say they have found the strongest yet “hints” of life outside our solar system.
WORLD
Apr 17, 2025
Scientists find strongest evidence yet of life on an alien planet
The scientists stressed they are not announcing the discovery of actual living organisms and that the findings should be viewed cautiously.
Alysa Liu reacts after her free skate at the world championships in Boston on March 28.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Apr 17, 2025
World champion Alysa Liu feels best yet to come with Olympics on horizon
The 19-year-old crowned her comeback with a dazzling win at the world championships in Boston a little less than three weeks ago.
An Israeli tank maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, as seen from the Israeli side of the Gaza border, on April 7.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 17, 2025
Israel will keep Gaza buffer zone, minister says, as truce bid stalls
Israeli forces have carved out a broad "security zone" extending deep into Gaza, squeezing Palestinians into smaller areas in the south and along the coastline.
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative condition in which motor function is impaired due to a decrease in nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that works in the brain.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 17, 2025
Japan succeeds in improving Parkinson's symptoms with iPS cells
A trial saw nerve cells made from iPS cells transplanted into patients' brains.
A DJI drone. British officials have raised concerns that Chinese-manufactured drones are surveying critical national infrastructure sites in the U.K.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 17, 2025
U.K. raises alarm on Chinese drones used to survey sensitive sites
Using Chinese-made drones at key sites in Britain is a risk as Chinese law can compel its companies to share data with the state.
Burnt power banks containing lithium-ion batteries are shown at the Consumer Affairs Agency
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2025
Japan urges proper disposal of lithium-ion batteries
The Environment Ministry issued a notice to local governments on Tuesday requesting the thorough separation and collection of such batteries.
Canadiens right wing Ivan Demidov (left) celebrates with teammate Cole Caufield after scoring against the Blackhawks at Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Ice Hockey
Apr 17, 2025
Canada reschedules political debate to avoid clash with Canadiens game
The debate, initially set for Wednesday evening, was moved two hours earlier after federal party leaders raised concerns about viewership.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, speaks to reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 17, 2025
Japan and the U.S. begin tariff talks on good terms, but without breakthroughs
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said there are still gaps between the respective stances of Japan and the U.S.
With Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to Vietnam and the Philippines later this month, Japan is hoping to counter China through stronger cooperation with Southeast Asian countries.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 17, 2025
Ishiba to visit Vietnam and the Philippines from April 27
The trip comes at a time when China is cozying up to Southeast Asian countries.
Investigations have found no links between 24-year-old suspect Hiroyuki Taniuchi and Rena Tegara, the 15-year-old girl fatally stabbed in the city of Saitama on Monday, leading police to believe she might have been a random target. Taniuchi has been sent to prosecutors.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2025
High school girl fatally stabbed in Saitama may have been a random target
Investigations have uncovered no links between victim Rena Tegara and her alleged attacker, 24-year-old Hiroyuki Taniuchi.
Arata Hirano, owner of the restaurant Shokudou Arata, pours California-grown Calrose rice into a rice cooker at his restaurant in Tokyo.
JAPAN
Apr 17, 2025
More Japanese embracing foreign rice, even before it became a tariff topic
A change in mindset could allow Tokyo leeway to relax restrictions if rice becomes a thorny topic in tariff talks with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid during the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal in Madrid on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Apr 17, 2025
Arsenal dethrones Real Madrid to reach Champions League semifinals
Inter Milan advanced from the night's other quarterfinal, earning a 4-3 aggregate win over Bayern Munich after an enthralling 2-2 draw in the second leg.
A drone view shows a cargo ship at Kwai Tsing Container Terminals in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 17, 2025
U.S. looks to box in China by recruiting other trading partners
Dozens of nations are seeking reductions or exemptions from President Donald Trump’s historic import taxes.
Bottles of Hakkaisan brand of sake for exports
BUSINESS
Apr 17, 2025
U.S. tariffs overshadow Japan's agriculture and food exports
Japanese goods need to be sold by "emphasizing that there are no alternatives" to them, said Kazuhito Yamashita, senior researcher at the Canon Institute for Global Strategies.
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta, departs federal court in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 17, 2025
Meta saw TikTok as ‘highly urgent’ threat, Zuckerberg says at trial
Zuckerberg was composed, but occasionally evasive, when challenged to explain past messages indicating a concerted effort to muscle out competitors.
A U.S. security report cites DeepSeek’s ties to Chinese government interests as "significant.”
WORLD / Politics
Apr 17, 2025
DeepSeek poses ‘profound’ security threat, U.S. house panel claims
The committee urged Nvidia to hand over information on sales of chips that the Chinese startup may have used to develop its breakthrough chatbot model.
Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard speaks during a news conference in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, in December 2023.
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2025
Renault chairman will leave Nissan’s board, sources say
The French company remains Nissan’s largest shareholder even as the carmakers gradually loosen their decades-long alliance.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday in Washington.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 16, 2025
Trump calls the U.S.-Japan alliance ‘one-sided.’ Tokyo says otherwise.
Some observers believe the U.S. president’s worldview is stuck in the 1980s, a time when trade deficits with Japan captured the attention of U.S. policymakers.
Dewi Sukarno
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 16, 2025
Tokyo police refer Dewi Sukarno to prosecutors
Sukarno is suspected of throwing a champagne glass at a female staff member from her office, sources say.
Honda has said that it will shift production of its hybrid Civic to the United States in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported cars.
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2025
Honda to shift production of Civic from Japan to U.S. due to tariffs
Production of the five-door hybrid model will be relocated around June or July to Honda’s plant in Indiana.
Ilia Malinin skates during an exhibition in Boston on March 30.
MORE SPORTS
Apr 16, 2025
Skating 'Quad God' Malinin ready for Olympic favorite tag
The American, known as the "Quad God," for his dazzling arsenal of quadruple jumps, will be competing in Tokyo this week for the World Team Trophy.
In a first, Japan issues cease-and-desist order against Google
The Google logo is seen at the company's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Japanese authorities on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order to Google over an alleged violation of the country's anti-monopoly law.
Japan to give India E5 and E3 shinkansen for free
A rendering of East Japan Railway's E10 series of bullet trains
China’s new bridge-forming barges offer new options for Taiwan invasion
This satellite image taken on March 25 shows three Chinese barges connected via extendable bridges in waters off Zhanjiang, in southern China's Guangdong province. Experts say the new barges could be used to land heavy equipment and thousands of personnel in a possible invasion of Taiwan.
Four arrested over obscene AI images in Japan first
The suspects used free AI software to create images of naked adult women, who do not exist in the real world, using prompts that included terms such as "legs open," according to NHK.
'Chikan' incidents rise as Japan grapples with mental health and cultural challenges
Overcrowded trains and a lack of legal consequences for groping in Japan have led to a rise in "chikan," or groping, which has been linked to a mental condition and compounded by cultural stigmas.
Privacy and transparency clash in debate over bill on artificial insemination
Sachiko Ishizuka, who was born via artificial insemination by donor (AID), tells her story to lawmakers from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan on April 9.
Why Ishiba became the first prime minister to hold talks with Rengo in 16 years
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Japanese Trade Union Confederation chief Tomoko Yoshino in a meeting Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office
In a first, Japan issues cease-and-desist order against Google
The Google logo is seen at the company's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Japanese authorities on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order to Google over an alleged violation of the country's anti-monopoly law.
Sumo's throwback regional tours offer glimpse into sport's heart and history
Kirishima (behind) battles Atamifuji during a regional tour event in Hyogo Prefecture in 2023.
China’s new bridge-forming barges offer new options for Taiwan invasion
This satellite image taken on March 25 shows three Chinese barges connected via extendable bridges in waters off Zhanjiang, in southern China's Guangdong province. Experts say the new barges could be used to land heavy equipment and thousands of personnel in a possible invasion of Taiwan.

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