Search - 2023

 
 
The Nishiki market in Kyoto. June’s inflation report shows extraordinary jumps in the prices of some items favored by households, including cabbage (27.6%), potatoes (28.5%) and tomatoes (15.6%).
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 19, 2024

Households struggle as Japan’s inflation rises near U.S. levels

Consumer prices in Japan rose 2.8% on the year in June, close to the 3.0% in the United States.
The U.S. and its allies have accused China of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, in part by exporting parts and equipment needed by Moscow's weapons makers, including semiconductors.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 22, 2024

Illicit chip flows to Russia seen slowing in China

Both mainland China and Hong Kong are seen by the U.S. government as key global nodes for Russia to source materials for its military.
Turkey has facilitated the flow of Russian oil to the European Union, enabling the Kremlin to circumvent the bloc’s sanctions and prolonging the Ukraine war.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2024

Europe must clamp down on Russian oil flows through Turkey

Turkey has facilitated the flow of Russian oil to the European Union, enabling the Kremlin to circumvent the bloc’s sanctions and prolonging the Ukraine war.
Gold medalist Natsumi Tsunoda celebrates on the podium after she won the women's under 48-kg division at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
OLYMPICS / Judo
Jul 27, 2024

Dominant Natsumi Tsunoda delivers Japan's first gold medal at Paris Olympics

Tsunoda is the first Japanese woman to win gold in the under 48-kg division since Ryoko Tani at the 2004 Athens Games.
A doctor consults with a COVID-19 patient at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney in 2021.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 29, 2024

Excess deaths in Australia reveal COVID-19's long, lethal tail

Excess mortality — the increase above the expected toll had the pandemic not occurred — was 5% for Australia in 2023.
Yuto Horigome defended his Olympic title in men's street skateboarding on Monday to continue Japan's dominant run in the event.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
Aug 1, 2024

Why Japan is so dominant in street skateboarding

Skateboarding has only been a part of the Olympics for two editions, but the sight of Japanese skaters on the podium in the street competition is already a familiar one.
Formula E cars race during the Portland E-Prix in Oregon in June.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 1, 2024

From race to road: Is Formula E fueling the future of green transport?

Formula E has helped hasten the development of technology for electric vehicles, making them easier to sell to consumers, but hurdles for EVs remain.
In recent years, the number of ambulance dispatches has been on the rise, amid concerns that those who need urgent care may not be receiving it.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 7, 2024

Japan municipalities take tougher stance on nonurgent ambulance calls

The proliferation of nonurgent calls and related requests for ambulances have been giving local municipalities a headache.
The Kirin Holdings logo. B9 Beverages — backed by Kirin — is building a new brewing facility in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which, once completed, will become India’s biggest beer factory.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 10, 2024

Kirin-backed Indian brewer seeks more clout with new factory

B9 Beverages is building a new brewing facility in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which, once completed, will become India’s biggest beer factory.
Students at the University of British Columbia during the first week of classes in Vancouver, Canada
WORLD / Politics
Aug 14, 2024

Global immigration crackdown ensnares students studying abroad

Aggregate visa data for the first quarter of 2024 showed volumes to the U.K., Canada and Australia down between 20% and 30% from a year earlier.
Emergency responders assist a man who collapsed during lengthy heat wave in Phoenix in July last year.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 24, 2024

Heat kills thousands in the U.S. every year. Why are the deaths so hard to track?

As heat waves become more frequent and intense, researchers and activists say the lack of effective tracking is leading to needless deaths.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after being doused with water after his walk-off grand slam against the Rays at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB / Sac Bunts
Aug 26, 2024

New 40-40 club member Shohei Ohtani has real shot at unprecedented 50-50 campaign

Ohtani has a chance to make even more history after reaching the 40-40 club.
Japanese high school teachers visit an elementary school in the Philippines' Caohagan Island that holds classes outside.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Oct 7, 2024

Asia rises as study destination for Japanese students and teachers

Countries in the region are emerging as an attractive alternative to the West amid surging prices and the weak yen.
Shohei Ohtani connects on his 50th home run of the season during the seventh inning against the Marlins in Miami on Thursday. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
BASEBALL / MLB
Sep 20, 2024

Shohei Ohtani records baseball's first 50-50 season with huge night in Miami

Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
OpenAI announced a new reasoning model on Thursday that it said was capable of surpassing human experts in a number of technical benchmarks for the first time. The new model received the company's first "medium" rating on bioweapon risk.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 20, 2024

Battle rages over U.S.' first binding AI safety bill in California

The legislation has exposed a deep divide across the tech industry and the political establishment, upending the usual coalitions.
Caption TK
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hokkaido
Sep 23, 2024

Hokkaido seeks to grow market for scallops in the U.S. — and beyond

China's refusal to budge from its ban on Japanese seafood forces local officials to look elsewhere.
Haitham Al-Ghais, general secretary of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), attends the Rio Oil & Gas & Energy 2024 meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 25, 2024

No peak oil demand 'on the horizon' and phaseout a 'fantasy,' OPEC says

The oil cartel's prediction runs counter to the assessment of the Paris-based International Energy Agency.
Hideko Hakamata (center) and lawyers representing her younger brother, Iwao Hakamata, pose with a banner that reads "Iwao Hakamata verdict not guilty" as they leave the Shizuoka District Court on Thursday after the ruling was delivered.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 26, 2024

In rare retrial, Shizuoka court rules ex-boxer not guilty of 1966 murders

Iwao Hakamata, the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner, has maintained his innocence for decades.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's special adviser on business, Varun Chandra, used to run Hakluyt, a consultancy that does not disclose its clients.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 27, 2024

Starmer’s ‘business whisperer’ brings connections and complications from past

Varun Chandra‘s previous role in charge of a secretive consultancy introduces a complexity to a government that’s vowed to rebuild trust in public institutions.
The world's multilateral development banks must shift to a growth-focused approach that stabilizes economies without forcing them to cut essential public spending.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 27, 2024

The world needs bigger and better financial firefighters

The world's multilateral development banks must shift to a growth-focused approach that stabilizes economies without forcing them to cut essential public spending.
Musician Koshi Inaba is the latest artist to be featured on national broadcaster NHK’s Tiny Desk Concerts Japan. Based on a series from America’s National Public Radio, Japan’s version has spotlighted acts that you likely wouldn’t see stateside, like veteran rockers Kirinji and upstart pop artist yama.
CULTURE / Music
Sep 28, 2024

NHK furthers global reach with Tiny Desk Concerts Japan

Musician Koshi Inaba delivered a rollicking set for the stripped-down music series that brings cherry-picked Japanese acts you likely wouldn’t see stateside to new ears.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris visits the U.S.-Mexico border with Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin (right) in Douglas, Arizona, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 28, 2024

Harris calls for more immigration controls at border and tougher fentanyl measures

Immigration is a top issue for voters. Arizona is a closely contested election state, with a high population of Latino voters sought by both parties.
Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Mavericks center Daniel Gafford during a playoff game in May.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Sep 29, 2024

Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Wolves

In a major offseason blockbuster, the New York Knicks have acquired All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, multiple media outlets reported.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola addresses a news conference in Bratislava on Monday.
SOCCER
Oct 1, 2024

Guardiola promises strong City side in Slovan Champions League tie

Team will play without Rodri, who will miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury.
The Bank of Israel building in Jerusalem in 2020. The costs of financing Israel's conflict in Gaza has led to credit ratings downgrades, which are amplifying economic effects that could reverberate for years, while the cost of insuring the country's debt against default is near a 12-year high and its budget deficit is ballooning.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 7, 2024

After a year of war, Israel's borrowing costs reflect burden of conflict

While Israel's domestic bond market is liquid, foreign investors have pulled back, while global funds' ownership of the country's stocks is now at its lowest in a decade.
United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 30, 2023.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Oct 8, 2024

Top of the COPs: The key U.N. climate summits

The United Nations has been holding global climate summits, or COPs (Conference of the Parties), since 1995.
Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring a goal during an Asian Champions League contest in Riyadh on Sept. 30.
SOCCER
Oct 9, 2024

From boom to budgeting as reality bites for Saudi soccer

After a jaw-dropping 2023, Saudi transfer spending slumped from $957 million to $431 million in the latest window.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses the ASEAN-China summit during Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 13, 2024

U.S. official accuses Russia and China of blocking Asia leaders' statement

Russia and China blocked a proposed consensus statement for the East Asia Summit, mainly over objections to language on the contested South China Sea.
NHK President Nobuo Inaba speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in September.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Oct 17, 2024

NHK to resume contracting former Johnny's performers

The broadcaster's president said the decision was based on the agency’s clear efforts to compensate Johnny Kitagawa's sexual abuse victims.
Interest on the federal debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in fiscal 2024 while spending grew for the Social Security retirement program, health care and the military, the Treasury Department said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 19, 2024

U.S. budget deficit tops $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2024, third-largest on record

The deficit for the year ended Sept. 30 was up 8%, or $138 billion, from the $1.695 trillion recorded in fiscal 2023.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?