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Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 6, 2020

Japan's new Olympic experiment is a risky mistake

Various measures to protect spectators are being tested out, including smartphone apps that issue warnings about which parts of a stadium are crowded at any given moment.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 5, 2020

A transfixed world waits to see what’s next in America

All over the world, the results trickling in from across the American electoral map made for confounding, fascinating must-watch drama.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2020

In China, big tech isn't the enemy. It's the strategy.

China is redoubling efforts to wean itself off foreign companies, with the result likely to be a cohort of domestic giants and a slow freeze-out of overseas competitors.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 4, 2020

With Pennsylvania up in the air, one rural county goes big for Trump

As commissioners of Fulton County, Pennsylvania, worked to finish tallying the vote early on Wednesday, the only question was whether U.S. President Donald Trump would top the 84% support he received in the rural Republican stronghold in 2016.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 4, 2020

Don’t invoke Bush v. Gore to challenge 2020 voting

A note to Republicans and Democrats alike: Bush v. Gore does not draw into legal doubt the right of local authorities to decide how to conduct their elections.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 3, 2020

What are the odds of a disputed U.S. election? Pretty high.

Whatever goes wrong — and chances are something will — we will likely be having an argument over the vote count.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 2, 2020

Johnny Depp loses 'wife beater' libel case against The Sun

Hollywood star Johnny Depp on Monday lost his libel battle with a British tabloid that labelled him a “wife beater,” after a London High Court judge ruled he had repeatedly assaulted his former partner and put her in fear for her life.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2020

Democracy dies when Facebook and Twitter define the truth

Democrats and Republicans alike missed the point on Wednesday when members of the Senate Commerce Committee had their last chance before the election to grill the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, and Google. With the GOP on the hunt for partisan bias and the Democrats urging greater efforts to reduce misinformation,...
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2020

Why emerging markets are wary of a modern monetary fix

For countries that pass the threshold conditions, MMT says the only real constraint on government spending is inflation.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 2, 2020

In dash to finish, Biden and Trump set up showdown in Pennsylvania

The president now appears more competitive in the state than in Michigan and Wisconsin, and Biden's clearest electoral path to the White House runs through it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Nov 2, 2020

Women are leading Taiwan’s public relations war against China

The island's legislature consists of 43% women, the highest rate of female legislative representation in Asia, and among the highest in the world.
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 1, 2020

Parkrun returns to Japan after seven-month hiatus

Parkrun, a free, inclusive running event, offers safe opportunities for physical fitness and community building — even amid a pandemic.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2020

Trump’s election gift to China

At the ideological level, a U.S. election meltdown featuring bitter political clashes and endless litigation would be a propaganda bonanza for the Chinese Communist Party.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 31, 2020

The real winner of the work-from-home economy

South Korea has shown its resilience in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and is seeing its economy return to positive territory.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 29, 2020

Can China’s COVID-19 recovery continue?

Unlike previous recoveries, fixed asset investment in the private sphere is rising while growing at a slower pace in the public sector.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2020

To retire rich, don’t leave too much to your kids

Don't be surprised if those retiring in 2035 need an extra five years or more of future income because of longevity alone.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2020

The Middle Eastern past is never dead

If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails to develop a viable Palestinian state, his escape from history could prove very short-lived.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 28, 2020

Banning glitter won’t save the oceans

Those sparkly bits of plastic that make ornaments twinkle, wrapping paper glimmer and wreaths shimmer are increasingly seen as an environmental hazard.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 28, 2020

Zero hour is coming for emissions. Believe it.

Any targets laid out by politicians will find themselves up against institutional inertia, unintended consequences and political pushback.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2020

Two LDP factions face uncertain future after losing race to Suga

The status of Shigeru Ishiba's group is up in the air, while Fumio Kishida is exploring mergers with other factions to bolster his chances of becoming prime minister.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 27, 2020

COVID-19 tests are the real pandemic moneymakers

Renewed outbreaks highlight the need for a better approach to containing the virus, and broad surveillance testing offers a way forward that's easy on the economy.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 27, 2020

Nine scenarios for the 2020 U.S. elections

Can U.S. voters really stop the degradation of their politics? Will they make the right decision on Nov. 3? There is not much that friends and foes can do about it now.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 27, 2020

Malaysia’s embattled premier retains support of key ally

Malaysia’s biggest ruling party said it would continue to support the government, providing a reprieve for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin amid calls for him to step down after a failed bid for emergency rule.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 27, 2020

Germany warns of ‘consequences’ if Thai king breached law

Demonstrators are questioning the king's legal status in the European country and asking Germany to probe whether he has exercised royal authority during his time there.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 26, 2020

COVID-19 explodes the myth that women ‘opt’ out of the workforce

While time away from work is often portrayed as a choice for women, the evidence shows that it's usually a choice reluctantly made.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2020

Tobacco nationalism is more toxic than tobacco

The Indian government, too, has a toxic dependence on tobacco. It's called ITC Ltd.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2020

Australia's money laundering detectives have been out at the pub

Unlike cash laundering, which involves a relatively small number of casinos and businesses, invoice-based laundering can take place between almost any two companies.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2020

Science panel controversy overshadows Suga’s Diet debut

The session will likely see a fierce showdown between an experienced power-broker with his own policy ambitions and opposition parties determined to grill the new leader.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 24, 2020

Aging is the next global economic threat

Falling in living standards in some countries, such as Japan, can be blamed in part on a smaller workforce having to prop up a growing pool of retirees.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Oct 23, 2020

Biden punts on expanding Supreme Court, calling for panel on issue

The matter took on new urgency after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month and Republicans rushed to fill her seat amid the election endgame.

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