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Sakiyama elementary school in Tamba, Hyogo Prefecture, in March .Over the past decade, the government has directed efforts toward policies designed to give young people incentives to base themselves in rural areas.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 27, 2024

In Japan, regional revitalization fails to halt population decline

Efforts to revitalize rural areas through various incentives has yielded limited results as people continue to gravitate toward urban centers.
The U.S. should use diplomacy to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine as a prolonged conflict could reshape global power dynamics and strengthen China.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 28, 2024

Biden's focus on Ukraine risks Indo-Pacific security

The U.S. should use diplomacy to achieve a cease-fire in Ukraine, as a prolonged conflict could reshape global power dynamics and strengthen China.
In his book "It’s Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life," Buddhist priest Jikisai Minami sprinkles in surprising declarations such as “Stop taking care of yourself,” “It’s okay not to have friends,” “People can live without hopes and dreams.”
CULTURE / Books
Apr 29, 2024

Buddhist priest grounds new book with practical advice and cheeky declarations

"It’s Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life" by Jikisai Minami addresses the ills of modern life by revealing the true nature of suffering.
A cardboard cut-out of a cyborg is on display in the Hofburg, the former imperial palace in Vienna, during a conference on regulating autonomous weapons systems often referred as "killer robots," in the Austrian city on Monday.
WORLD / Science & Health
Apr 30, 2024

AI faces its ‘Oppenheimer moment’ during killer robot arms race

Governments worldwide have taken steps to collaborate with companies integrating AI tools into defense
Former Binance CEO Changpeng "CZ" Zhao arrives at federal court in Seattle, Washington, on Tuesday. Zhao, the founder and former chief executive of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, was sentenced today to four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to violating laws against money laundering.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 1, 2024

Binance crypto founder Zhao sentenced to four months in prison

Once considered the most powerful crypto industry figure, Zhao, known as "CZ," is the second major crypto boss to be sentenced to prison.
The arrests for Gaza-related posts indicate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime will take a hard line against citizens not toeing the line when it comes to normalizing ties with Israel.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024

Saudi Arabia steps up Gaza-related arrests as Israel ties edge closer

The arrests are said to reflect a desire by authorities to deter the making of online statements about the war in Gaza that might impact national security.
South Korea's spy agency reported Friday that North Korea is planning "terrorist" attacks against South Korean officials and citizens abroad, prompting heightened security at diplomatic missions in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 3, 2024

Seoul spy agency warns North Korea plotting attacks on embassies

South Korea's foreign ministry announced that it has raised the anti-terrorism alert level for embassies and consulates in five countries.
Resistance soldiers ride in the back of a pickup truck in southern Karenni State, Myanmar, on Jan. 28. Three years after a military coup, the Southeast Asian nation is teetering on the brink of failed statehood.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 3, 2024

What’s happening in Myanmar’s civil war?

The military is still the country’s most influential institution, and a militarized culture pervades many areas that ethnic minorities control.
Naoya Inoue (left) and Luis Nery following a pre-fight news conference in Yokohama on Saturday, two days ahead of their super bantamweight title fight.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 5, 2024

'Monster' Inoue ready to tear down Luis Nery in title defense at Tokyo Dome

Ahead of boxing's highly anticipated return to the Big Egg, Naoya “Monster” Inoue said he's ready to knock out his opponent.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and her Sri Lankan counterpart, Ali Sabry, after a bilateral meeting in Colombo on Saturday.
JAPAN
May 4, 2024

Japan seeks Sri Lanka recovery for regional stability

After talks with her Sri Lankan counterpart, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said that Colombo should secure agreements with bilateral lenders.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks at the Asian Development Bank's annual general meeting on Sunday in Tbilisi, Georgia.
JAPAN
May 5, 2024

Japan announces bid for 2027 ADB meeting

Japan last hosted an ADB annual meeting in Yokohama in 2017.
A Lamborghini Diablo SL automobile displayed at the company's event to mark the automaker’s 60th anniversary in Seoul in September 2023. While the boost in wealth among crypto investors was mostly poured into discretionary spending, a significant portion spilled into local housing markets, the researchers found.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 6, 2024

Lamborghini bros no more: Crypto is creating a new wealth effect

Study suggests that household spending out of crypto gains is more like the patterns from traditional equity investments, such as on home purchases.
French President Emmanuel Macron warns of existential threats to Europe from Russia, China and the U.S.
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2024

Is this Macron's moment to shine?

Underlying all the problems that Europe faces in a new age of geopolitical, economic and climate insecurity is a crisis in leadership.
Naoya Inoue (second from left) celebrates after defeating Luis Nery to retain his IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO super bantamweight titles at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 6, 2024

Naoya Inoue dominates Luis Nery to remain undisputed super bantamweight champ

Inoue sent Nery to the canvas with in the sixth round to seal the victory.
MORE SPORTS / Weightlifting
May 7, 2024

Ukrainian two-time European champion weightlifter dies in war

Oleksandr Pielieshenko ranked fourth at the Rio 2016 Olympics in the men's 85 kg category.
Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Luis Nery in their IBF-WBA-WBC-WBO super bantamweight title boxing match at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 7, 2024

After blockbuster boxing victory, what next for ‘Monster’ Inoue?

Some want the boxer to take on more fights outside of Japan.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kaga destroyer has undergone the first stage of modifications to turn it into a de facto aircraft carrier for F-35B stealth fighter jets.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 13, 2024

MSDF’s Kure base expanding mission as it marks 70th anniversary

The unit has increased its activities not only in national defense, but also in disaster relief operations and overseas missions.
A Towa Bank employee's suicide in 2017 has been recognized as a work-related accident.
JAPAN / Society
May 8, 2024

Towa Bank employee suicide linked to overwork and harassment

Findings from the Labor Standards Inspection Office showed the man was under extreme stress due to unmanageable work pressures.
Increasingly denuded areas can be seen on the slopes of Mount Ibuki in Ibigawa, Gifu Prefecture, on April 10.
JAPAN / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
May 13, 2024

Deer cause damage to Mount Ibuki, known for its rare alpine flowers

As the amount of snowfall has decreased, affected by global warming, the number of deer has increased.
Russian officers march during the main military parade rehearsals in Moscow's Red Square on May 5.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2024

Russia’s war economy starves crucial oil industry of manpower

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, its oil and gas sector has faced increasingly strict international sanctions aimed at limiting petrodollar revenue.
The growing divide between U.S.-led and China-aligned blocs is taking a toll on the global economy as trade and investment flows are redirected along geopolitical lines in ways not seen since the Cold War.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 9, 2024

Cold War-type divide puts trade and investment at risk, top IMF official warns

After years of shocks, countries are reevaluating their trading partners, an IMF official has said.
Archaeologists say a 1,600-year-old wooden coffin at the Tomio Maruyama tumulus in the city of Nara was kept in good condition probably because it was protected by a layer of clay and copper ions that had seeped out of the mirrors that were buried together.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
May 9, 2024

How the discovery of a giant sword in Nara offers clues into ancient Japan

Experts say a series of surprise finds at the burial mound could help untangle the many mysteries surrounding the rulers of fourth-century Japan.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs a session of the virtual Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Riyadh in December 2020.
JAPAN
May 10, 2024

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Japan

The visit to Japan by Saudi Arabia's de-facto leader, known by his initials MBS, will be his first since 2019.
As the entire world is fixated on Gaza, the Iranian government has been arresting girls who go out in the street without headscarves and executing people.
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2024

Don't let Gaza help Iran cloak its own repression

As the entire world is fixated on Gaza, the Iranian government has been arresting girls who go out in the street without headscarves and executing people.
Padres starter Yu Darvish reacts after striking out the Dodgers' Will Smith to end the sixth inning during his team's win over the Dodgers in San Diego on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB
May 13, 2024

Yu Darvish sharp as Padres hit three HRs in win over Dodgers

Yu Darvish retired the first 14 batters he faced and allowed just two hits in seven shutout innings as the Padres blanked the Dodgers.
Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with the French Ligue 1 championship trophy in Paris on Sunday.
SOCCER
May 13, 2024

Kylian Mbappe plays final match with PSG

Mbappe scored in his final home appearance as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Sunday.
Nintendo tends to innovate and take unconventional product development routes, producing both great successes, like its Switch console, and spectacular failures.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 10, 2024

Nintendo needs to 'switch' its next console up

The Kyoto firm has been coy about what will come after the highly successful Switch console, but it needs to step up its game and learn from past mistakes.
The eighth edition of the Yokohama Triennale, held at the Yokohama Museum of Art, opened in March this year with the theme “Wild Grass: Our Lives."
CULTURE / Art
May 14, 2024

Yokohama Triennale's eighth edition makes room for context

Curators Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu's dynamic and vital show positions art at the vanguard of social change.
Andrei Belousov has been described as a tough-talking and professional government insider who once led a campaign to wring more money out of big business for the state, proving he had sharp enough elbows to navigate the system.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 14, 2024

Surprise pick as Russia’s defense minister is tough-talking economist and Putin ally

Andrei Belousov's appointment as defense chief suggests to many that President Vladimir Putin is reshaping Russia for a long war in Ukraine.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi (left), and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul walk with other officials during their talks in Beijing on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2024

South Korea and China's top envoys eye trilateral summit with Japan

Seoul has not formally announced the date for the summit — the first since 2019 — but media reports have said it will take place on May 26 and 27.

Longform

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