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The No. 6 and 7 reactors of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2024

Tepco given OK to move fuel into Niigata reactor

Tepco is set to move fuel into the world's largest nuclear power plant, which has been idle since the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Leaders of intelligence agencies testify before a congressional committee about worldwide threats in Washington on March 11.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Campaign puts Trump and the spy agencies on a collision course

Some former officials fear that Trump, if elected again, would try to weaken intelligence agencies or undermine their independence.
Coral reefs bleach in the Great Barrier Reef as scientists conduct in-water monitoring during marine heat in Moore Reef, Australia, on Feb. 27.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 16, 2024

Coral reefs suffer fourth global bleaching event, NOAA says

At least 54 countries and territories have experienced mass bleaching among their reefs since February 2023.
Lung cancer causes about 76,000 deaths in Japan each year, and about 1.8 million deaths worldwide.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 16, 2024

Japan study shows link between passive smoking and lung cancer

The study shows how passive smoking causes genetic mutations, providing further evidence of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
The salvaged Sewol ferry (back) on display at a port in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Tuesday, as South Korea marks the 10th anniversary of the country's worst-ever maritime disaster.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

South Korea marks 10th anniversary of Sewol ferry disaster

Families called out the names of the deceased and threw flowers into the water, followed by a moment of silence.
Jamoliddin Makhmaliyev sits with his grandson and granddaughters in front of his new house in the village of Khuroson, some 70 kilometers south of the Tajikistan capital Dushanbe, on March 26. “We lived in fear, until the day the mountain collapsed and destroyed our house,” recalls his wife Yodgoroy. Tajikistan is the Central Asian country most vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 17, 2024

Tajikistan builds villages for climate migrants fleeing fatal landslides

The former Soviet country says it relocated 45,000 people between 2000 and 2017, and that tens of thousands of others are waiting their turn.
Outside of some activist movements pressing governments for more climate action, global warming is not yet at the heart of the political agenda in most countries.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 17, 2024

Climate change is political and we must treat it that way

Climate action hasn't made its way onto mainstream political agendas in most countries, to the detriment of our collective ability to solve the crisis.
Lt. Saw Kaw, a soldier of the Karen National Liberation Army in charge of the Cobra column, walks with his team members after inspecting the house of a high-rank Myanmar soldier at Infantry Batallion 275 at Myawaddy in Myanmar on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

In rebel-held Myanmar town, fragile unity pushes junta to the brink

Armed groups in Myanmar are striving to work together to repel the junta after rebels took control of a crucial trading-post town last week.
Manga titles that have been uploaded onto Manga-Mura, a manga piracy website, on display in Tokyo in 2022
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 18, 2024

Manga piracy website operator ordered to pay ¥1.7 billion to publishers

Kadokawa, Shueisha and Shogakukan said they hoped the lawsuit would help deter other manga piracy site operators from uploading content illegally.
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa poses for photos during a news conference ahead of the London Marathon on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Apr 19, 2024

Tigst Assefa ready to chase women's record at London Marathon

The 27-year-old Ethiopian smashed the world record when completing the Berlin Marathon in 2 hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.
Rui "The Hurricane" Junior (right) takes down Mohamed Kamal during the World Championship Sumo tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 13.
SUMO
Apr 19, 2024

World Championship Sumo adds WWE-style pizazz to Japan's traditional sport

A boisterous, nearly full crowd got an in-person look at sumo wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Finding capital needed to start a business can be challenging. But for many women in the Global South, it’s not just difficult — it’s often impossible.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 16, 2024

Women entrepreneurs could make the world $6 trillion richer

When a woman walks through the door with a good idea, a smart business plan and a dream to improve her future, lenders too often see only risk.
Former Prime Minister Taro Aso speaks during a forum in Taiwan in 2023.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 19, 2024

Former PM Aso seeks Trump meeting during New York visit: report

Aso had attempted to meet Trump in January during a trip to the U.S. but was not able to see him.
The Malaysian state of Sarawak is blessed with the rivers and heavy rainfall needed to create hydropower that can generate clean electricity needed for emissions-free hydrogen.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Apr 20, 2024

Clean hydrogen’s best bet may be a rainforest state in Borneo

The state is hoping an abundance of hydropower can help it defy challenges that are clouding the fuel’s prospects elsewhere.
 Peres Jepchirchir crosses the line to win the women's race at the London Marathon on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Apr 22, 2024

Peres Jepchirchir smashes world record for women-only race at London Marathon

Jepchirchir pulled away in a sprint finish before collapsing to her knees in tears after beating the fastest field of women ever assembled.
Japanese startup Turing plans to unveil a self-driving car with at least 30 minutes’ driving range next year and develop a fully autonomous car by 2030.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2024

An AI star seeks to bring self-driving cars to Japan by 2030

The mind behind an AI algorithm that beat a shogi master now has his sights set on a fully self-driving vehicle by 2030.
Naomi Osaka hits a shot against Greet Minnen during the first round of the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Apr 25, 2024

Naomi Osaka cruises in first round in Madrid for first win on clay since 2022

The former world No. 1 grew up playing on hard courts in the United States and has mostly struggled on the red dirt over the years.
Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda Motor, speaks next to EZ-6 electric vehicles during the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2024

Nissan and Mazda roll out new models for China as they aim for comeback

The models, including some concept cars, were introduced at the Beijing Auto Show.
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.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.