Search - 2023

 
 
Homes affected by sea level rise on Tierra Bomba Island, Cartagena, Colombia
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 22, 2024

Global sea level jumped due to El Nino and climate change, NASA says

The global average sea level rose by about 0.76 centimeters from 2022 to 2023 — nearly four times the increase of the previous year.
Baseball player Shohei Ohtani poses with his Japanese interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara (right), and his agent, Nez Balelo, during a news conference after signing a 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 22, 2024

Shohei Ohtani scandal raises the stakes on sports betting

The speed at which U.S. sports leagues have embraced betting put the Japanese star's fastball to shame.
Mobile phones seized from an apartment room in Phnom Penh in relation to a special fraud case are shown at a police station in Saitama Prefecture in November.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 22, 2024

Arrests of 'tokuryū' gang members estimated to have topped 10,000

More than 10,000 members of so-called tokuryū criminal groups are believed to have been arrested in Japan in the three years through 2023, a National Police Agency (NPA) survey showed Thursday.
Retired management professor and trekker Jitendra V. Singh completed his goal of collecting all 46 prints in the series “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” in 2023.
CULTURE / Art
Mar 23, 2024

One collector’s high mountain road to Hokusai

A professor’s 30-year dream of assembling a complete set of “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji,” the pinnacle of the artist’s career, leads to an auction.
Hedge funds have been consistently short the yen since 2021, according to CFTC, with the trade remaining popular in recent months on expectations that the BOJ’s pursuit of policy normalization will nonetheless remain accommodative.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 23, 2024

Hedge funds boost bearish yen bets after BOJ’s dovish hike

The yen fell more than 1% against the dollar following the conclusion of the central bank’s meeting Tuesday, and is now set for a second weekly drop.
An electronic stock board in Tokyo on Thursday. Signs that deflation has ended are driving investors to bet ever more on Japan’s economic growth.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 23, 2024

Japan’s stock boom gets broader support than just exporters

Signs that deflation has ended are driving investors to bet ever more on Japan’s economic growth.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 23, 2024

Max Verstappen continues pole perfection in Australia

It was the irrepressible Dutchman's third pole out of three this season and fourth in succession dating back to 2023.
Smoke rises from Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, on March 17. Ending the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and deterring conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region is a key global goal.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Mar 31, 2024

How should Japan deal with Ukraine, Gaza and the Indo-Pacific region?

The power, institutions and values that underpin the international security order are being compromised worldwide.
Hackers linked to North Korea, among the most sophisticated in the business, are showing no signs of letting up in targeting the cryptosphere.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 23, 2024

North Korean hackers stalk crypto startups scrimping on security

Startups strapped for cash after a prolonged funding drought have cut security spending even as soaring digital-asset prices tempt hackers.
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini arrives in Egypt, near the border with the Gaza Strip, on Saturday.
JAPAN
Mar 23, 2024

Japan considers resuming UNRWA funding

Japan, along with North American and European countries, had suspended its UNRWA funding in January.
Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos in 2011
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 24, 2024

Longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos dies at 94

A successful trial attorney who made his fortune in class-action lawsuits, Angelos led a group of investors that purchased the Orioles in 1993.
People lay flowers at a makeshift memorial Saturday near the Crocus City Hall, a popular concert venue where more than 130 people were killed Friday night in an attack outside Moscow.
WORLD
Mar 24, 2024

Russia mourns victims of deadly concert hall attack as airstrikes rock Ukraine

A national day of mourning over the attack was declared as Russian forces unleashed a fresh large-scale missile barrage against Ukraine.
Then-U.S. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton tour the American Cemetery in Manila in November 1994, two years before the alleged assassination attempt.
WORLD
Mar 24, 2024

The al-Qaida plot to kill Bill Clinton that history nearly forgot

Four former U.S. officials, including the ambassador in Manila at the time, Thomas Hubbard, confirmed the foiled attack against Bill Clinton.
Japanese Gold medalist Kaori Sakamoto waves to fans during the women's victory ceremony during the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Figure skating
Mar 25, 2024

With third straight title, Sakamoto leaves her mark on skating history

Japan's other skaters didn't fare so well in Montreal, with Shoma Uno missing out on achieving the same feat.
Some prominent private equity-related dealmakings in Japan in 2023 include the ¥2.1 trillion ($14 billion) takeover of Toshiba.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

Japan private equity deals jump in otherwise gloomy year for Asia

Japan’s momentum is expected to continue into 2024 as companies face pressure to improve shareholder value.
Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai announces that he will not run in the next Lower House election during a news conference at LDP headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 25, 2024

LDP heavyweight Nikai says he won't run for reelection

Toshihiro Nikai, 85, said he had conveyed his decision to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as the LDP grapples with an ongoing political funds scandal.
Japan's Evelyn Mawuli (left) goes on the attack as Canada's Laeticia Amihere plays defense in the first quarter of an Olympic women's basketball qualifier on Feb. 11 in Sopron, Hungary.
BASKETBALL
Mar 25, 2024

Basketball star thrives on court again after putting herself first

Evelyn Mawuli is helping to normalize career breaks for reasons other than physical health.
The Central business district of Hong Kong. Hong Kong IPOs have dried up as stock prices slump and economic prospects wane.
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2024

Once high-flying bankers in Hong Kong become a lost generation

The damage is underscored by the barrage of layoffs, the retreat of global capital, and the city’s diminishing role as an international financial center.
Rakuten Group's Rakuten Point is the most frequently used reward point service, according to a survey.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Mar 25, 2024

Race to expand corporate economic blocs heats up in Japan

Corporate groups are enticing customers with a variety of services, often bolstered by reward points, primarily geared toward shopping purposes.
Globally, the area covered by mines has doubled over the past three years, driven by demand for critical minerals, according to a 2023 study.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

For mineral-rich Philippines, green metals rush is a balancing act

The county has the world's fourth-largest copper reserves, fifth-biggest nickel deposits and is also rich in cobalt — which are important for clean energy.
Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara watches the season opener against the Padres next to the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani in Seoul on Wednesday. Concerns have emerged over how the scandal might affect Ohtani's future in the MLB.
BASEBALL / MLB / EXPLAINER
Mar 25, 2024

Ohtani’s former interpreter’s gambling scandal: What we know so far

Here is a breakdown of events leading to the interpreter’s firing ahead of the baseball superstar's plan to speak to the media about the scandal.
Visitors view a BYD Dolphin EV car at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show in Bangkok in 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024

Chinese EV makers to take center stage at Bangkok motor show

The popularity of Chinese EVs in Thailand underscores the growing challenge Japanese auto giants face in a vehicle market they have long dominated.
Nissan Motor will launch 30 new models over the next three years, including 16 electrified models.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 25, 2024

Nissan to launch 30 new models by 2027 and boost global sales volumes

Nissan was a pioneer in EVs but the carmaker has been eclipsed by the likes of U.S. rival Tesla and Chinese leader BYD.
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among anti-graft probes into Hanoi’s top leadership.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 25, 2024

Vietnam could lose its 'China +1' appeal among political turmoil

Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong resigned on Wednesday among a wider probe. This could compromise Hanoi's image as an economic alternative to Beijing.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani delivers a statement during a news conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 26, 2024

Ohtani denies betting on baseball and accuses ex-interpreter of lying and theft

The baseball star expressed shock over the gambling scandal involving his long-time ex-interpreter, in his first public comments on the matter.
Nvidia Corp Chief Executive Jensen Huang speaks at the COMPUTEX forum in Taipei on May 29, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 26, 2024

Google, Qualcomm and Intel launch bid to break Nvidia’s grip on AI

Almost as important to Nvidia as its hardware is its CUDA software platform, relied on by more than 4 million global developers to build AI and other apps.
A Russian law enforcement officer walks near the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a shooting incident, outside Moscow, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 26, 2024

The leader of Islamic State group linked to Moscow attack has global ambitions

The leader of the Afghan branch of the group has overseen its transformation into one of the most fearsome branches of the global Islamist network.
A view of the Dali cargo vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Mar 26, 2024

Baltimore bridge collision sends vehicles tumbling into water

Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in a "very serious condition," and were searching for more after the Francis Scott Key Bridge fell into the water.
The combined number of new AIDS patients and other HIV carriers came to 960, according to preliminary data released by the health ministry on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024

New HIV carriers in Japan up for the first time in seven years

The health ministry attributed the rise to a recovery in the number of HIV test takers after a drop due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical has announced a recall of its products.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 27, 2024

Concerns mount after two deaths linked to Kobayashi Pharma supplement

A government probe is being conducted to establish whether the supplement, which contains beni kо̄ji red fermented rice, led to the deaths.

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