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Investors stand in front of an electronic board showing stock information on the first trading day after the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday at a brokerage house in Shanghai.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Aug 26, 2023

China’s market rescue is failing as Xi holds back on stimulus

China’s regulators face a losing battle convincing global funds to invest in the nation’s stocks without stronger stimulus packages.
Since Waifu began, inclusivity goals have become more common in clubs across Tokyo.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 26, 2023

Queer clubbing moves beyond Ni-chome

Those looking for a safe space to party don't have to stick to one neighborhood in the capital.
A billboard promoting contract army service in front of the Private Military Company Wagner Center in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 27, 2023

Kremlin eyes how to bring private military group under its control

The organization’s military prowess, experienced operators and ties to African governments may be too valuable to lose.
Members of the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and U.S. armed forces carry national flags during the opening ceremony of joint military exercises in Taguig, Philippines, in October 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Aug 27, 2023

How Japan can make the most of its latest diplomatic tool

Japan recently decided to establish a policy of Official Security Assistance. But how can it ensure its success?
A Chinese coast guard ship (top) shadows a Philippine re-supply vessel on Tuesday in the disputed South China Sea.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 27, 2023

Chinese aggression in South China Sea must be challenged, U.S. Navy official says

Vice Adm. Karl Thomas assured the Philippines of U.S. backing in the face of "shared challenges" in the region.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 29.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 29, 2023

Donald Trump faces up to six trials during 2024 primary season

The four criminal indictments pose the greatest threat to the former U.S. president because they all carry potential prison terms.
Then Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and U.S. President Donald Trump meet during their final debate ahead of the 2020 election, in Nashville, Tennessee, in October of that year.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2023

Trump vs. Biden: Do American voters want either?

Confidence among the American public in their leaders and in their political system continues to erode.
Kanji Matoba offers a prayer in front of a touch screen displaying a portrait of his late wife, at a columbarium in Sendai.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 4, 2023

New types of graves and services reflect changes in tradition

The COVID-19 pandemic made such services as grave visiting in place of families or ones using virtual reality technology take root.
A farmer tries to beat out a fire in abandoned farming land amid a drought in Anamaduwa, Sri Lanka.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 30, 2023

Drought deals second blow as Sri Lanka struggles back from crisis

The southwest monsoon farmers rely on for the summer harvest was scant this year because of the El Nino weather pattern
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 30, 2023

Putin’s China visit marks renewed assurance, expert says

The Russian president's plan to travel to China demonstrates a confidence that his authority is stronger than ever after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
People celebrate in support of a military coup, in a street in Port-Gentil, Gabon, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 30, 2023

President Ali Bongo detained as military coup declared in Gabon

Officers declared on television that election results had been canceled, borders were closed and state institutions were dissolved.
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Lloyd Harris during their match at the U.S. Open in New York on Thursday.
TENNIS
Sep 1, 2023

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz cruises into third round at U.S. Open

Alcaraz moved one step closer to setting up a rematch of his epic showdown against Jannik Sinner in last year's U.S. Open quarterfinals.
Of the five nations in Southern Africa where elephants live, a survey has found that Botswana has the largest elephant population with 131,909.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 1, 2023

More elephants in Southern Africa than previously thought: survey

The aerial survey done using seven fixed-wing aircraft covered Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A show of support from some of the tech industry’s biggest names will help bolster Arm's IPO, which is expected to raise $5 billion to $7 billion.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 2, 2023

SoftBank lines up Apple and Nvidia as strategic Arm IPO backers

The show of support from some of the tech industry’s biggest names will help bolster an IPO that is expected to raise $5 billion to $7 billion.
Chinese tech giant Baidu's ERNIE Bot is seen on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Sep 2, 2023

'Talk about something else': Chinese AI chatbot toes party line

Chinese tech giant Baidu's ERNIE Bot is highly censored, offering state-approved answers to taboo questions.
Survivors of the fire that ripped through the five-story building in the early hours on Thursday, killing 74 people, wait in line to receive donated food at a provisional shelter in Johannesburg on Friday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 3, 2023

Inside the Johannesburg building where scores burned alive

Dozens of abandoned buildings have been "hijacked" or taken over by criminal syndicates who charge fees for staying there.
After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, many people who were unable to return home took shelter at the Tokyo International Forum.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 3, 2023

Tokyo lacks places for stranded people just after quake

With transportation networks severely disrupted, experts ponder how to care for those who wouldn't be able to go home.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center) arrives for a trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, on Aug. 18.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Deterrence is not enough in Northeast Asia

Forging closer ties with Japan is crucial for Yoon to achieve his foreign-policy goal of making South Korea a pivotal global player.
A schoolgirl wears a padded hood for protection from falling debris during an earthquake simulation exercise at an elementary school in Tokyo. The government estimates a 70% chance of a magnitude 7 event striking directly underneath the capital in the next 30 years.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 4, 2023

Tokyo has lived on the brink of the ‘Big One’ — for a century

The Great Kanto Earthquake demolished the nascent Japanese capital, killing more than 100,000 people — some 3% of the city’s population at the time.
Nestled behind a seawall on the Pacific coast are the Minamisoma Mano-Migita-Ebi solar power plant and the Manyo no Sato wind farm. The 2011 tsunami struck this portion of the coast with a wave that is reported to have been around 18 meters high.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
Sep 5, 2023

How a nuclear disaster turned Fukushima into a renewables leader

Following 3/11 — and the cratering of support for nuclear energy — Fukushima positioned itself at the forefront of Japan’s low-carbon transition.
Employees work on the assembly line at an electric vehicle plant in Shanghai. Cutting salaries is illegal in China, but complex pay structures offer loopholes.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 5, 2023

China's auto workers bear brunt of price war as fallout widens

Cutting salaries is illegal in China, but complex pay structures offer ways around this.
Arm Holdings kicked off its roadshow for initial public offering on Tuesday, disclosing that the proposed range would value it at between $48 billion and $52 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2023

SoftBank's Arm launches IPO courting T Rowe in $52B valuation ask

T Rowe Price has been an anchor investor in some of the biggest stock market debuts.
An activist in Seoul protests Japan’s plan to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
PODCAST / deep dive
Sep 7, 2023

Anger at Fukushima’s wastewater; hope in its renewables

Good news and bad news out of Fukushima.
Cuban American soprano Lisette Oropesa stars as Violetta in a restaging of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” directed by Sofia Coppola in her opera directing debut in 2016
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 8, 2023

Rome Opera's tragic heroes resonate in modern times

For its Japan tour, the company will perform lavish productions of "La Traviata," directed by Sofia Coppola, and "Tosca," by Franco Zeffirelli.
Japan Wind Development's Tohoku headquarters in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2023

Internal email sheds light on wind-power bribery scandal

Tokyo prosecutors have obtained an email as possible evidence of Akimoto having made statements before lawmakers at the request of Tsukawaki.
China's exports fell by 14.5% year on year in July, a stark contrast from the robust 17.2% export growth recorded in July 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 11, 2023

Why hasn’t China rushed to bail out its economy?

China's reluctance to unveil a massive stimulus package despite the ongoing economic slowdown has puzzled foreign observers and the Chinese public alike.
A family plays the Monster Catcher crane game at Happy Land Marina amusement arcade in Hiroshima.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Sep 18, 2023

Crane games win hearts at amusement arcades with limited-edition prizes

Thanks to the growing popularity of anime, crane games have become a popular family pastime and are also attracting foreign visitors.
Fukuoka, known for its outdoor food stalls, is a popular destination for Japanese tourists, but now it's starting to draw more international travelers, too.
LIFE / Travel
Sep 9, 2023

Beyond its yatai, Fukuoka hosts travel pleasures aplenty

Tourists come for the city’s lauded cuisine, its casual atmosphere, vibrant arts and nightlife scenes and temperate climate.tk
A screen shows an image of Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers in Beijing in August last year. The PLA's newspaper recently explained to its readers how ChatGPT can be used for military purposes.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 12, 2023

Will generative AI hold power in international relations?

The technology has the ability to create influential text and imagery, giving it power to potentially sway public opinion.
LeBron James last represented Team USA at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he won his second gold medal.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Sep 12, 2023

Reports: LeBron James and Steph Curry among NBA stars eyeing Paris Games

The Lakers veteran led the U.S. to Olympic gold in 2008 at Beijing and 2012 at London but has not played since.

Longform

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