Search - 2023

 
 
Israeli soldiers escort a group of international journalists along a trail just across the border in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
WORLD
Oct 15, 2024

How Israel’s army uses Palestinians as human shields in Gaza

Seven Israeli soldiers interviewed presented the practice of using detainees as human shields as routine, commonplace and organized.
Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto talks to his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo while delivering a speech during an event showing the quick-count results of the general election in Jakarta on Feb. 14.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 15, 2024

How Indonesia's outgoing president steered his son to the vice presidency

Insiders describe how Joko Widodo steered his introverted son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, into politics as part of an effort to maintain influence after leaving office.
The Iron Dames car shared by Rahel Frey, Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting is pushed into the garage during the World Endurance Championship race in Austin, Texas, earlier this year.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Oct 15, 2024

While motorsports' inclusivity has improved, there's still work to be done

The Iron Dames team is among those battling for a more welcoming motorsports environment for women.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange's push to get companies to outline capital allocation plans has spurred investors to question management teams seen falling short, said Georgeson CEO Cas Sydorowitz.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 15, 2024

Japanese company shareholders increasingly challenge management

Shareholder resistance is now routinely a feature of Japan's annual general meeting season.
Over the past 10 years, the athletic performance of women in their 40s showed a decline in the total score as well as in individual categories, according to the Japan Sports Agency.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 15, 2024

40% of Japanese women in their 30s and early 40s don't exercise at all

The trend reflects the fact that women in this age group tend to be busy with child rearing or work, according to the Japan Sports Agency.
With projections indicating a population drop in Japan from around 125 million to 63 million by 2100, traditional solutions like immigration and labor reforms are unlikely to be effective in time.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 15, 2024

Japan should master, not resist, its demographic destiny

Japan needs a strategic reorientation toward accepting and mastering its demographic changes rather than resisting them.
Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister (center) Melanie Joly, Canada's foreign minister (left) and Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's public safety, democratic institutions and intergovernmental affairs minister, during a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 17, 2024

Trudeau describes failed efforts at quiet diplomacy with Modi

Canada is not looking to provoke a fight with India and has repeatedly tried to give "off ramps” that have been rejected, Justin Trudeau said.
Journalist Shiori Ito's documentary "Black Box Diaries," which follows her own investigation into her sexual assault and struggle for justice, was one of 19 Japanese films that screened at the Busan International Film Festival this month.
CULTURE / Film
Oct 18, 2024

Japan-based features generate buzz at Busan International Film Festival

With 278 films on offer, Asia's largest film festival tackled heavy themes such as assisted suicide and struggles faced by migrants.
The average fee to send $200 from Japan is the highest among G7 countries at 6.94%, according to World Bank data for the first quarter of 2024.
BUSINESS
Oct 17, 2024

Wise becomes first foreign firm to gain direct access to Japan's payment clearing network

The move could put pressure on banks including megabanks and smaller players in the competitive market for remittances.
Washington has alleged that Indian agents were involved in an attempted assassination plot against Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. An indictment of a former Indian intelligence officer was unsealed on Thursday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 18, 2024

U.S. charges ex-Indian spy in foiled Sikh separatist murder plot

An indictment of Vikash Yadav, a former officer in India's Research and Analysis Wing spy service, was ordered to be unsealed on Thursday.
The Tokyo District Court on Friday sentenced Australian Daniel Mathew Otto, 32, to two years in jail for breaking into a home in Shinjuku Ward in June 2023 and injuring an elderly man who lives there. Otto had claimed that a language mix-up led to the victim thinking he was a robber.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 18, 2024

Australian man claiming language mix-up jailed over Tokyo break-in

He claimed he was trying to warn the home owner of danger by telling him to “Go to a door.” The victim heard him shout "gōtō da" (This is a robbery) instead.
A Palestinian boy holds up a portrait of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a rally in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on Friday.
WORLD
Oct 19, 2024

Hamas mourns Sinwar, vowing no hostage release until war ends

The killing of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the deadliest attack in Israeli history, had raised hopes of a turning point in the war.
Israeli security forces stand guard near the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea on Saturday.
WORLD
Oct 20, 2024

Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him

Netanyahu's office said a drone was launched towards his residence but he and his wife were not home and there were no injuries.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Fall meetings signage outside the IMF headquarters in Washington on Sunday
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 21, 2024

As poor nations' default wave peaks, a cash shortage could replace it

The issue, and what to do about it when Western countries are increasingly loath to send money overseas, is a key topic at the IMF World Bank autumn meetings this week.
ASEAN leaders pose for a group photo during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane on Oct. 10. U.S. President Joe Biden was notably absent once again from this years ASEAN gathering.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

The U.S. risks irrelevance in Asia

While the Biden administration has boosted U.S. influence in the short term, the long-term outlook for Washington is one of increasing irrelevance in Asia.
Imports of Japanese koi were suspended in November 2023, when Chinese authorities stopped renewing import permits to fish farms once they expired from the end of October 2023.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2024

China resumes imports of Japanese koi fish

Imports were suspended in November 2023, when Chinese authorities stopped renewing import permits to fish farms once they expired.
Limited to fall, "Saba Nouveau" is served with in-flight meals for first-class passengers of Japan Airlines domestic flights and sold at supermarkets in urban areas.
JAPAN
Oct 22, 2024

Mackerel from Norway boosting presence in Japan

130,000 to 140,000 tons of Norwegian mackerel is consumed in Japan annually, including imports via China and Vietnam.
The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture. The government aims to restart the plant to ensure stable power supplies amid an expected increase in power demand for data centers and other facilities.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 23, 2024

Japan's parties divided over nuclear energy amid rising power demand

Political parties have made various pledges on nuclear power ahead of Sunday's general election, ranging from abolishing all nuclear plants to maximizing their use.
Japan's factory activity contracted in October on subdued demand and weak orders.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

Factory activity down for fourth straight month, private-sector survey shows

In the service sector, firms said economic weakness in Japan and overseas had prompted clients to hold back on new orders, the survey showed.
Sayaka Ishii will compete in the quarterfinals of the Pan Pacific Open on Friday.
TENNIS
Oct 24, 2024

Sayaka Ishii making name for herself in tennis while cheering on famous father and BayStars

Like the BayStars, Ishii has battled past higher-ranked opponents and will be hoping to continue to thrive in the role of underdog.
Nanako Fujita competes during a race in 2019. The recent news of Fujita quitting after her suspension for breaking horse racing's strict phone rules shows that bad habits related to smartphone use don't discriminate.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Oct 25, 2024

Horse racing in Japan has a smartphone problem

Nanako Fujita's recent retirement over breaches of smartphone rules put a spotlight on a big issue for horse racing in Japan.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in London on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 26, 2024

As U.S. election looms, Biden aides struggle with Middle East wars

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was dispatched to the region to find a way toward stability, but there was no sign of progress.
A Nvidia chip during the Taipei Computex expo in Taipei on May 29, 2023
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 28, 2024

How a Mumbai drugmaker is helping Putin get Nvidia AI chips

An inconspicuous pharmaceutical company exported 1,111 units of Dell Technologies' most-advanced servers to Russia in April-August of this year.
Hawks infielder Hotaka Yamakawa celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the BayStars in Game 2 of the Japan Series in Yokohama on Sunday.
BASEBALL
Oct 28, 2024

Hawks halfway to third straight Japan Series sweep as series heads to Fukuoka

The Hawks have won 14 straight Japan Series games.
Japanese comedian and Shohei Ohtani impersonator Aki Teriyaki has been to every MLB game Ohtani's teams have played since 2022.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 28, 2024

Meet the tiny, but mighty, Shohei Ohtani impersonator who went to 500 MLB games

Japanese comedian and Shohei Ohtani impersonator Aki Teriyaki has been to every MLB game Ohtani's teams have played since 2022.
Israeli soldiers outside the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in central Gaza (UNRWA) on Feb. 8
WORLD
Oct 29, 2024

UNRWA's role as a lifeline for Palestinians through decades of conflict

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees was banned from operating in Israel by the Israeli parliament on Monday.
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto (front) stands next to Indonesia's new Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin during a handover ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Jakarta on Oct. 22.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 31, 2024

Indonesia’s new president faces $186 billion debt dilemma

Indonesia might have as little as $70 billion in government coffers after debt servicing and the required fund transfers to regional governments.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a live interview with U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson in the finale of the Tucker Carlson Live Tour at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2024

Election falsehoods take off on Youtube as it looks the other way

The largest video platform has become a home for election conspiracy theories, half-truths and lies, which provide it with revenue.
Chinese solar panel manufacturer Trina Solar's facility in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam, on Aug. 30
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 4, 2024

Chinese solar firms, ever-nimble, go where U.S. tariffs don't reach

Chinese solar firms have repeatedly sidestepped tariffs to dominate the global markets despite U.S. efforts over more than a decade to rein them in.
Smoke billows from a chimney at a combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Drogenbos, Belgium, on Dec. 6, 2023.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Nov 4, 2024

The world promised to tame methane, but emissions are still rising

World leaders and fossil fuel executives have declared tackling methane — and doing so quickly — a crucial priority.

Longform

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