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Israeli tanks move toward Gaza on Wednesday. Analysts say Israel would benefit from a truce with Hamas, even if it was just a tactical move, after losing 260 soldiers in Gaza.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 12, 2024

Why Gaza truce talks are at an 'impasse'

Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, which is unacceptable to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Opposition figurehead decries China's 'alarming' sway in Solomon Islands

The archipelago is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals.
An exterior view of Qasr al-Basha in 2021 in Gaza City, where Napoleon Bonaparte slept for several nights during his campaign in Egypt and Palestine.
WORLD
Apr 15, 2024

Gaza's historic treasures saved by 'irony of history'

Invaluable artifacts remain intact thanks to the blockade that made life in the Gaza Strip such a struggle for the past 16 years.
Some analysts say machinery orders are on track for a recovery as core machinery orders rose 7.7% in February from the previous month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2024

Machinery orders rise sharply, possibly easing domestic demand worries

Some analysts say machinery orders are on track for a recovery.
Yen traders are bracing for 160 to the dollar or even further declines.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 16, 2024

Yen traders brace for 160 level even as intervention risks rise

The yen weakened 1% last week alone as fears of higher-for-longer U.S. borrowing costs spurred a stampede to the dollar.
From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
PODCAST / deep dive
Apr 16, 2024

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

We discuss everything from accessibility in Tokyo to dealing with trains and the country’s shifting attitudes.
Japan's exports grew 7.3% year-on-year in March, up for the fourth straight month, showing that the economy continues to benefit from the effects of the sliding yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 17, 2024

Japan’s exports get boost from China aided by yen tailwind

Exports gained 7.3% in March from a year earlier, with growth slightly decelerating from February’s 7.8% gain.
Real Madrid players celebrate during a penalty shootout against Manchester City on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Apr 18, 2024

Real Madrid exact revenge on Man City to reach Champions League semis

City's defense of the competition came to an end after Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic saw spot kicks saved by Madrid's unlikely hero Andriy Lunin.
Israel and its allies mostly shot down all missiles and drones and there were no deaths, but Israel says it must retaliate to preserve the credibility of its deterrents.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 18, 2024

Israel will defend itself, Netanyahu says, as West calls for restraint

Israel said it must respond to a volley of attacks from Iran — which caused no deaths — to preserve the credibility of its deterrents.
Japanese gymnast Daiki Hashimoto attends a ceremony to unveil the official uniforms of Team Japan for the Paris Games, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Apr 18, 2024

How green are your trainers? Team Japan uniforms to have carbon footprint labels

Japanese Olympians stepping up to the podium in Paris will have more than just a medal to be proud of this summer.
Ideal or not, the reality of the world is that one currency, the U.S. dollar, is first among equals.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 18, 2024

Asian currencies can't fight the dollar on a rampage

Markets tend to reflect economic performance. And ideal or not, the reality of a world is one currency, the U.S. dollar, is truly first among equals.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda hinted at a chance of a rate hike in the second half of this year by highlighting the likelihood of improvement in the price trend.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2024

More economists see BOJ rate hike in October, flag July risk

All 54 economists except for one predict no policy change at the central bank’s two-day meeting ending on April 26.
A reported strike against Iran by Israel on Friday came against the backdrop of Iran's support for the Palestinian Hamas militant group, whose assault into Israel on Oct. 7 triggered Israel's invasion of Gaza.
WORLD
Apr 19, 2024

Tehran signals no retaliation against Israel after drones attack Iran

Iran's response appeared to be gauged toward averting a region-wide war.
Japan's core inflation slowed in March and an index gauging broader price trends fell below 3% for the first time in over a year, as analysts try to gauge when the Bank of Japan will move again.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 19, 2024

Japan’s inflation cools ahead of BOJ policy board meeting

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.6% in March from a year ago, cooling from February’s 2.8% gain.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks at a news conference in Washington on Thursday alongside Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 19, 2024

BOJ's Ueda signals possible rate hike if weak yen boosts inflation

The BOJ will scrutinize how the yen's declines so far this year could affect the economy and prices, Ueda said.
The average daily room rate of hotels in Japan for March marked the highest level since August 1997, as the country saw a record number of foreign visitors in March.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 19, 2024

Japan hotel prices near 30-year high as weak yen lures record tourists

The average daily room rate for March was about ¥20,986 ($136), the highest level since August 1997 and a nearly 20% increase from the same period in 2023.
The main goal of Australian's new defense strategy is to change a potential adversary’s belief that it could achieve its ambitions with military force at an acceptable cost.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 19, 2024

Australia, like Japan, sees national security interests ‘farther afield’

The goal of Australia's new strategy is to change a potential adversary’s belief that it could achieve its ambitions with force at an acceptable cost.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during an event in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 20, 2024

Japan finance chief issues fresh warning on excessive yen moves

Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki repeated his warning to investors against pushing down the yen too much.
New York police said the man, who they identified as Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, did not appear to be targeting Trump or others involved in the trial.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 20, 2024

Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway

Police said the man, who they identified as Max Azzarello of St. Augustine, Florida, did not appear to be targeting Trump.
More than half of respondents in a recent survey say they would continue to buy a product at the same supermarket even if prices rose by 10%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 22, 2024

Higher price tolerance among Japan's shoppers supports further BOJ rate hikes

A recent survey by an inflation expert showed that more than half of respondents would keep buying a supermarket product even if prices rose by 10%.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right) reacts after a play during the Thunder's win over the Pelicans in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 22, 2024

Thunder hold off Pelicans in Game 1 thriller

The Thunder earned a thrilling 94-92 victory in their playoff opener.
Giants starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitches against the Tigers at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on April 18.
BASEBALL / Sac Bunts
Apr 22, 2024

Resurgent Tomoyuki Sugano off to strong start on mound for Giants

Sugano is off to a 2-0 start in three outings this season.
Former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to court on the first day of opening statements in his trial in New York on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 23, 2024

On first day of Trump hush money trial, prosecutors say he corrupted 2016 election

New York prosecutors said on the first day of Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial that the former president corrupted the 2016 election.
The dollar's resurgence has come on the back of a slew of signs that the U.S. economy avoided the slowdown many anticipated.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 23, 2024

U.S. dollar’s extended reign delivers stark wake-up call to markets

Global investors are talking about "U.S. exceptionalism” after a predicted slowdown to the nation's economy didn't transpire.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda hasn’t ruled out responding to exchange rates with a policy move if the impact on prices is seen to be "non-negligible.”
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 23, 2024

BOJ to hold rates with focus on hawkish signals to buoy yen

Gov. Kazuo Ueda and his fellow board members are set to keep the short-term rate around 0% to 0.1% at the end of their two-day policy meeting.
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 23, 2024

As Iran tensions ease, Israel turns sights back on Hamas and Rafah

The Israeli prime minister has pledged to "increase the military and diplomatic pressure” on Hamas, aiming to free hostages and declare victory.
Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in the country's Darfur region cross the border into Chad in August.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 23, 2024

Humanitarian catastrophes and the world's forgotten conflicts

Tragically, there are global catastrophes that, by virtue of their longevity and their distance from us, have fallen out of sight.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves the Manhattan Supreme Court on the sixth day of the hush-money trial against him on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 24, 2024

Ex-tabloid CEO says he bought and killed stories about Trump affairs

The National Enquirer's ex-CEO said he deliberately didn't publish stories about Donald Trump's affairs to help the former president's 2016 election.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 24, 2024

Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy

The visit highlights behind-the-scenes moves by Tokyo to cultivate ties with the Trump camp ahead of November’s U.S. presidential election.
An electronic board in Tokyo showing the yen-dollar rate on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 24, 2024

Japan ‘very close’ to yen intervention, former top currency official says

Market reaction to U.S. data could encourage Japanese authorities to act about the yen, according to Mitsuhiro Furusawa.

Longform

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