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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference in Paris on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 3, 2024

Macron floats Ukraine troop deployment if front line breached

Macron described Russia under President Vladimir Putin as "a power of regional destabilization" and "a threat to Europeans' security."
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about student protests at U.S. universities during brief remarks at the White House in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
May 3, 2024

After breaking silence, Biden faces balancing act on Gaza demos

Biden took a tough, law-and-order tone after police broke up some of the protests that have rocked U.S. college campuses.
An <i>awamori</i> distillery in Okinawa Prefecture. Shipments of the rice spirit in 2023 dropped more than 50% from their peak in 2004.
JAPAN
May 3, 2024

Okinawa's rice spirit industry seeks rebrand amid falling shipments

Producers are seeking to devise new marketing strategies to make awamori appealing to both young consumers and international markets.
With less than two months left before the conclusion of the current session of parliament, any possibility that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida can deliver constitutional reform before the end of his term as Liberal Democratic Party president in late September, as he has promised, appears remote.
JAPAN / Politics
May 4, 2024

Debate on constitutional revision at a standstill despite Kishida's pledges

Lawmakers are instead focusing their attention on reviewing the political funds control law in the wake of the LDP's slush funds scandal.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit the garden of the residence of the governor of Guangdong, China, in April last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 5, 2024

France’s Macron calls for reset of economic ties with China

The French president said that Europe wants more reciprocity in its economic ties with China, in order to better ensure its economic security.
A supporter of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump waves a flag during a gathering in Palm Harbor, Florida, in March.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 5, 2024

Trump vows to fight 'anti-white feeling' in U.S. His allies have a plan.

Some high-profile supporters say policies for safeguarding people of color should be repurposed to protect the rights of white people as well.
Bruins winger David Pastrnak celebrates after scoring the winning goal in overtime of Boston's Game 7 win over Toronto on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS
May 5, 2024

Bruins end Leafs' season with OT win in Game 7

Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for Boston, which has now won seven consecutive playoff series against Toronto dating back to 1969.
Volunteers help carry out furniture in the town of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture on April 26.
JAPAN / Society
May 5, 2024

Volunteer activities in full swing in Noto during Golden Week

Local governments prepare for an influx of traffic during the holiday period as some volunteers begin entering the area in their own vehicles.
The 1960s protests, rooted in civil rights and anti-war movements, convulsed campuses nationwide for nearly a decade, while recent protests lack comparable breadth and intensity.
COMMENTARY / World
May 6, 2024

Comparing Gaza protests to the ’60s is wrong — and dangerous

Confusing a few weeks of pro-Palestinian activism with a more than decade-long movement could lead to needless tragedy.
Mikuni Minato is not a town that has recently fallen on hard times — it's been that way for a century.
LIFE / Travel
May 7, 2024

48 hours in Mikuni Minato, Japan’s port town that time forgot

A trip to Mikuni Minato may not appeal to the average tourist, but well-traveled residents will find it fascinating.
Stellantis premium brand Alfa Romeo reveals the Milano, its first fully electric car, during an event in Milan on April 10.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 7, 2024

EU election could force sharp turn in electric car policy

Europe's right-wing parties have made cancelling the 2035 deadline to phase out sales of internal combustion engine cars a rallying cry.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Kaga destroyer has undergone the first stage of modifications to turn it into a de facto aircraft carrier for F-35B stealth fighter jets.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
May 13, 2024

MSDF’s Kure base expanding mission as it marks 70th anniversary

The unit has increased its activities not only in national defense, but also in disaster relief operations and overseas missions.
The Lower House starts discussing a security clearance bill on April 19 in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 7, 2024

Unlike 10 years ago, Japan's new security bill sparks little debate

Some point to a shift in the nation’s security stance, while opposition party lawmakers indicate a general apathy among the media to cover the story.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks to reporters on Tuesday at the Prime Minister's Office following a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2024

BOJ’s Ueda tweaks weak yen remarks in possible hint of rate hike

Yen weakness has escalated despite Japan’s first interest rate hike since 2007 in March.
A suburb in Melbourne. Surging rents across many developed economies are proving to be a stubborn hurdle for central banks as they struggle to nail down inflation once and for all.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2024

Rents set to be last domino to fall in global inflation battle

Surging rents across many developed economies are proving to be a stubborn hurdle for central banks as they struggle to nail down inflation.
A Towa Bank employee's suicide in 2017 has been recognized as a work-related accident.
JAPAN / Society
May 8, 2024

Towa Bank employee suicide linked to overwork and harassment

Findings from the Labor Standards Inspection Office showed the man was under extreme stress due to unmanageable work pressures.
Brazil's Ronaldo (left) celebrates his goal against Turkey with teammate Ronaldinho during a World Cup match in Ulsan, South Korea, in June 2002.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Is Brazil still the land of soccer?

"We're at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son, Edinho, said recently.
Seigo Saito with his father, Kabutoyama Oyakata, at Isenoumi stable in Tokyo in December 2022
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 8, 2024

Wakaikari out to etch his family's place into sumo's history books

The 19-year-old from Tokyo is ranked near the top of the third tier for the upcoming summer tournament.
A 51-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of stabbing a young woman to death in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 8, 2024

Man arrested over fatal stabbing of young woman in Shinjuku

A 51-year-old man from Kawasaki was arrested at the scene.
Displaced Palestinians construct makeshift shelters in the rubble of destroyed homes after fleeing from Rafah, in central Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 9, 2024

Biden warns he’d hold back more weapons if Israel invades Rafah

U.S. President Biden's warning does not signify a break with Israel, U.S. officials said, but is rather to exert as much pressure as possible.
Real wages fell 2.5% from a year earlier in March, marking the 24th straight month of declines, exacerbated by a 9.4% drop in bonuses.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 9, 2024

Real wages fell for 24th month in March, dented by 9.4% decline in bonuses

Data for full-time workers that avoid sampling problems and exclude bonuses and overtime pay grew by 2.3%, above 2% for the seventh month.
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (left) works against the Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert during the second quarter in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series in Denver on May 4.
BASKETBALL / NBA
May 9, 2024

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic named NBA MVP for third time in four seasons

Jokic is the ninth player to win the award three or more times.
Figure skater Shoma Uno announced his retirement in an Instagram post on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
May 9, 2024

Former two-time figure skating world champion Shoma Uno retires

Uno said his years on the ice had been "wonderful."
Jalen Brunson scored 24 points in the second half after missing the final 15 minutes of the first half with an injury in the Knicks' win over the Pacers in Game 2 of their playoff series on Wednesday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
May 9, 2024

Jalen Brunson shakes off injury to lead Knicks past Pacers

Jalen Brunson returned from a first-half injury to spark a second-half comeback for the New York Knicks.
Archaeologists say a 1,600-year-old wooden coffin at the Tomio Maruyama tumulus in the city of Nara was kept in good condition probably because it was protected by a layer of clay and copper ions that had seeped out of the mirrors that were buried together.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
May 9, 2024

How the discovery of a giant sword in Nara offers clues into ancient Japan

Experts say a series of surprise finds at the burial mound could help untangle the many mysteries surrounding the rulers of fourth-century Japan.
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes in Rafah on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 10, 2024

Israel strikes eastern Rafah as cease-fire talks end with no deal

A senior Israeli official said the latest round of indirect negotiations in Cairo had ended, and Israel would proceed with its attack on Rafah.
Caitlin Clark was the top pick in the WNBA draft on April 15.
BASKETBALL
May 10, 2024

Caitlin Clark feeling no pressure as WNBA debut approaches

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is embracing the moment as she brings her super-sized star power from the collegiate game to the pro ranks.
People in a shopping district in Tokyo in March
BUSINESS / Economy
May 10, 2024

Japan’s households cut outlays as inflation remains sticky

Real outlays decreased 1.2% in March from a year before, falling for the 13th consecutive month.
Coffee trees in the Izumi district of Motobu, Okinawa Prefecture
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
May 20, 2024

New study finds Japan’s coffee cultivation has roots in Okinawa

Farmers in Okinawa hope the discovery will serve as a catalyst for boosting coffee production in the prefecture.
Many women suffer abuse for decades, afraid to speak out for fear of being stigmatized or blamed.
WORLD / Society / FOCUS
May 10, 2024

'Everyone around you loses': How domestic abuse hurts economies

Research suggests the global cost of all violence against women could be about 2% of gross domestic product, or the size of Canada's economy.

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