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Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meets with the family of one of the members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who were killed in the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy complex in the Syrian capital Damascus, during a funeral ceremony in Tehran on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 5, 2024

Iran embassy strike shows Israel's growing reach and disregard for norms

"In my view, it's without precedent," one analyst said, adding that he could not recall any state targeting another's diplomatic presence in this way.
Palestinians carry aid as others struggle to receive their portion amid widespread hunger in Gaza City on Thursday.
WORLD
Apr 5, 2024

Peace feels further than ever at six months of Israel-Hamas war

Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed over 33,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Oval Office in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 5, 2024

Biden ultimatum to Netanyahu: protect Gaza civilians, or else

Analysts said the implicit threat was to slow U.S. arms transfers to Israel or to temper U.S. support at the U.N.
Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome (STSS) is caused by bacteria called group A streptococcus, the same type that causes a strep throat infection, which affects mostly children. A strep A throat infection is not the same as STSS, however.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Apr 5, 2024

Japan's tissue-damaging bacterial disease: What you need to know

Misconceptions are fueling jitters at home and abroad, with travelers considering putting off their plans to visit the country.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a meeting of the Lower House Cabinet Committee on Friday
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 5, 2024

Kishida denies ex-PM Mori's involvement in LDP fund scandal

Many believe that Mori was involved in the scandal, as he had previously served as head of the Abe faction.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war, on Oct. 18. Despite growing pressure from Biden, the Israeli prime minister appears in no rush to end the war in Gaza. Some think he is dragging out the war to prevent the collapse of his fragile right-wing coalition and extend his time in office.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 6, 2024

After six months of war, some Israelis ask: Is Netanyahu dragging it out?

Despite growing pressure from U.S. President Joe Biden, Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu appears in no rush to end the war in Gaza.
Mourners gather in Tehran on Friday for the funerals of senior Iranian military and intelligence officials killed in Israel's bombing of the Iranian Embassy building in Damascus, Syria.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 6, 2024

Israel and U.S. are on alert for Iran to strike back at Israel

Analysts say Iran is more likely to strike Israel itself than through Hezbollah, its closest militant ally.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meets China's Vice Premier He Lifeng at the Guangdong Zhudao Guest House, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 6, 2024

U.S. and China to start new talks on balanced growth, Yellen says

The top priority of her four day visit to China was to persuade Beijing to rein in excess production capacity for clean energy technology.
The Noto Tetsudo railway resumed operations on Saturday. The railway stretches over 33.1 kilometers, connecting Nanao and Anamizu stations.
JAPAN
Apr 6, 2024

Quake-hit railway in Noto fully reopens after three months

The first train of the day departed from Anamizu Station adorned with a sticker that read: "Ganbaro Noto" (Let's go Noto).
U.S. independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event in Oakland, California, on March 26.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 7, 2024

'Real threat': U.S. presidential long-shot RFK Jr alarms Democrats

The environmental lawyer and conspiracy theorist has double-digit support and polling suggests he's hurting Biden more than Trump.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani singles during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 7, 2024

MLB commissioner says Ohtani and interpreter gambling probe to wrap up in 'short' time

The top MLB official also praised the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar for his move to stem questions over his involvement in the scandal.
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu during a practice session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Komatsu is the first Japanese to hold the top position at a non-Japanese F1 team.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 7, 2024

Tokyo native Ayao Komatsu brings ‘calm’ and ‘focus’ to improving Haas F1 team

The impact is apparent three months into leadership change that made Komatsu team principal.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during an interview at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Friday, ahead of his visit to the United States this week.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 8, 2024

Kishida advocates wider defense network ahead of U.S. trip

The Japanese leader said he would push ahead on cooperation with like-minded countries on security, including on defense equipment and technology.
During a rally in New York on Nov. 6, protesters call for a cease-fire in Gaza. U.S. President Biden should ensure that Israel abides by a March 25 U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 8, 2024

Biden must show Netanyahu that enough is enough

How can the U.S. president take the moral high ground if he allows Netanyahu to continue disregarding civilian life in Gaza, while arming Israeli soldiers?
A U.N. conference on Afghanistan in Geneva in September 2021. In December last year, the U.N. decided to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan, but the role hasn't been filled yet.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 3, 2024

Could a new U.N. envoy move the needle on Afghanistan?

If the Taliban refuse to dialogue with other Afghans, the U.N. should empower those outside of the group. The appointment of a special envoy could help.
Simon Harris, Ireland's prime minister-in-waiting, is among a vanguard of European politicians embracing the Chinese-owned social media platform, calculating that the need to reach younger voters outweighs security concerns.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

European politicians embrace TikTok despite security fears

Ahead of elections, mainstream politicians are wary of ceding ground to fringe parties who have successfully exploited its short video format.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visits the Guozijian Hutong Alley in Beijing on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

Yellen threatens sanctions for China banks that aid Russia war

America’s ultimate weapon against financial institutions is its ability to cut off access to U.S. dollars, a threat for any bank operating internationally.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol casts his ballot during early voting in parliamentary elections at a polling station in Busan, South Korea, on Friday, ahead of Election Day on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 9, 2024

South Korean parliamentary elections a political litmus test for Yoon

Wednesday's elections could have lasting implications for the final three years of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s single five-year term.
NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg (left) and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a news conference in Washington on Jan. 29
WORLD / Politics
Apr 9, 2024

World rush to rearm could cost G7 countries $10 trillion over next decade

Security challenges include an aggressive Russia, a volatile Middle East, and the Chinese military tugging U.S. attention toward the Pacific.
3M’s Cottage Grove, Minnesota factory had been churning out varieties of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS since the 1950s.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Apr 9, 2024

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ pervasive in water worldwide, study finds

The study of over 45,000 water samples worldwide found that about 31% of groundwater had levels of the chemicals considered harmful to human health.
Haruko Obokata speaks to reporters in the city of Osaka in 2014. Ten years after the STAP scandal, structural problems that led to the scandal persist, leaving ample room for researchers to tamper with research data, experts say.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 9, 2024

Little change in Japan’s research sector 10 years after stem cell fraud

A decade after the STAP scandal, there is still a lot of leeway for researchers to tamper with data.
Vladimir Putin knows that if NATO member states are dragged back into policing a restive Balkans, they will be distracted from their focus on supporting Ukraine.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2024

Putin’s new front in the Ukraine war is in the Balkans

The Russian leader is pushing propaganda and religious strife in Kosovo and Bosnia to distract NATO from his illegal invasion.
U.S. President Joe Biden waves with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife, Yuko, as first lady Jill Biden looks on at the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 10, 2024

Kishida kicks off state visit to U.S., with allies set for 'historic' defense upgrade

The state visit, which will include all the trimmings — including a swanky gala banquet — will be the culmination of years of deepening cooperation.
Get the rubber gloves and cleaning supplies out. This is the time of year when we should clean our homes and prepare them for the upcoming rainy season.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 11, 2024

Dust off your tidying vocabulary with a refreshing spring clean

While most Japanese households take part in a big clean at the end of the year, it doesn't hurt to tidy a little as the weather changes.
Indian folk singer Maithili Thakur speaks during an interview at her residence in New Delhi on April 2. Thakur thought she was successfull with millions following her Hindu devotional tunes on social media — but then Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent her popularity stratospheric.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 10, 2024

Modi taps India's influencers to rally millions ahead of key elections

Many social media stars given government-organized awards have a striking similarity in their promotion of India's Hindu-majority culture.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Apr 10, 2024

Kishida’s U.S. trip highlights economic and political compatibility

Kishida has worked closely with Biden to enhance the Japan-U.S. alliance, with the countries labeling their bilateral ties a “global partnership.”
Afghan children in the earthquake-hit district of Zinda Jan, in Herat, Afghanistan, in October 2023.
WORLD / Society
Apr 10, 2024

Afghan kids study without school buildings six months after major quake

The October earthquake killed more than 1,500 people and damaged or destroyed more than 63,000 homes, according to an assessment.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is interviewed Tokyo on April 5. Kishida left for the U.S. on Monday amid record low poll numbers due to his handling of the political funds scandal that has rocked the LDP.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Apr 10, 2024

Will Kishida dissolve parliament in June?

Speculation has been fueled by comments from Kishida’s fellow Liberal Democratic Party members and the prime minister himself.
D.B. Weiss, co-creator of the Netflix sci-fi drama series "3 Body Problem," is interviewed in Las Vegas, in January.  Some Chinese viewers have expressed disappointment with the adaptation's departure from the original source material.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2024

The ‘3-Body Problem’ of adapting content across borders

From anime to the latest Netflix blockbuster, changing material can be a controversial subject. How much modification is acceptable?
A man walks on a road in the Sugamo district of Tokyo. The recent death of a 112-year-old in Chiba Prefecture means no man who was born in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) is still alive in the nation.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 10, 2024

Kanagawa 110-year-old becomes Japan's oldest man

Tomisaburo Wakui was born in November 1913 during the Taisho Era (1912-1926).

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Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat