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Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 21, 2019

French court tells doctors to resume life support for paralyzed patient

A French appeals court on Monday ordered doctors to resume giving food and water to a French quadriplegic, lawyers said, some 12 hours after medics switched off the man's life support against his parents' will.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 20, 2019

From cardboard factory to the kantei? Yoshihide Suga gets PR makeover as rumors of PM bid soar

Unsmiling, tight-lipped and at times appearing heavy-handed, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was never exactly the type of politician the public would take a shine to — let alone swoon over.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 20, 2019

Alain Delon, set for Cannes honor, says that at least as an actor, he is 'irreproachable'

France's Alain Delon, set on Sunday to receive an honorary prize at Cannes that has sparked scrutiny of his views on women and same-sex couples, said in a newspaper interview that as an actor at least, he was beyond reproach.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
May 19, 2019

In referendum, Swiss voters approve tighter gun control

Swiss voters agreed Sunday to adopt tighter gun controls in line with changes to European Union rules, heading off a clash with Brussels, projections for Swiss broadcaster SRF showed.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 18, 2019

Surging suicide rate among American girls raises questions about social media

A spike in the suicide rate among young American girls is prompting leading researchers to ask questions about the role of social media in adolescent mental health.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2019

The end of the International Criminal Court?

By remaining in the ICC, states parties will sanctify the weaponization of international justice mechanisms to be used by the powerful against the weak but never against any of their own.
Reader Mail
May 17, 2019

Reasonable rules for attire needed

The Media Mix column "Keeping up appearances in the workplace" in the April 28 issue was a real eye-opener. It says office workers at Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. are allowed to wear casual clothes such as jeans and sneakers. The article also says that the company's advertising will incorporate its...
Reader Mail
May 17, 2019

Do more to ease tourist congestion

According to the news, the number of tourists is increasing in Japan to the point that it's actually causing a problem — "over-tourism." I can agree that there are a lot of tourists at sightseeing spots.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 17, 2019

Australian 'larrikin' ex-Prime Minister Bob Hawke dies at 89

Bob Hawke, a transformative and charismatic left-wing lawmaker with a "larrikin' streak who served as Australian prime minister from 1983 to 1991, died on Thursday aged 89, his family said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 16, 2019

Rebels hope to kill off May's Brexit deal in 'last-chance' vote

Brexit-supporting rebels in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party said on Wednesday they would vote down her European Union divorce deal when she brings it back to Parliament next month.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / SDG8.7 Dialogue Special
May 15, 2019

Well-being an important factor in business

Vibrant discussions focusing on an array of themes related to well-being took place at the Well-Being 3.0 Conference on April 12 in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2019

Nissan projects weakest profit in a decade as Carlos Ghosn woes linger

Nissan Motor Co., trying to rebuild its tarnished reputation over failed corporate governance following the criminal investigation of two former executives, cut its operating profit outlook by a sharp 28 percent for fiscal 2019 to its lowest in a decade.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 14, 2019

Macron gets it all wrong over Nissan

It's hard to fathom why France is still seeking a Renault merger, even after the idea helped bring down Carlos Ghosn.
COMMENTARY / World
May 14, 2019

The real reason you're not driving an electric car

The slow pace of battery technology advancement means the core component of an EV is still too expensive.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 14, 2019

Trump losing his fight to ban Huawei equipment from global mobile networks

U.S. President Donald Trump's worldwide campaign to blackball Huawei Technologies Co. is looking like a failure.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2019

Is the U.S. turning isolationist? It depends on who you ask

A poll shows few Americans know what 'liberal international order' means, but most like leading it.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 13, 2019

In midterm vote, Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte set to gain allies and shut out critics

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he hasn't lost an election in his three-decade political career. He's hoping his candidates for the midterm vote on Monday will continue that winning streak as voters assess his three years in office.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 11, 2019

Tabloids press pause as nation celebrates dawn of the Reiwa Era

Welcome one and all to Big in Japan, the Reiwa version. During the just-ended 10-day Golden Week holiday, only one general weekly magazine — Aera (May 13) — went to press, giving it the distinction of being the first publication out of the starting gates in the new era. Aera's coverage of imperial...
COMMENTARY / World
May 11, 2019

'Crispr babies' versus 'bubble boy'

The ethical difference between two feats of genetic medicine isn't that murky.
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2019

Nuclear paralysis and nuclear risk

The risk of nuclear war is increasing at a time when the world can ill-afford more troubles.
Reader Mail
May 10, 2019

Grasping at straws on Okinawa bases

Charles E. Morrison's opinion piece "Younger Okinawans' view of U.S. bases isn't black and white" in the May 8 edition seems to be trying to put lipstick on a pig. A search for a silver lining in a dark cloud cannot hide the fact that the majority of Okinawans want the U.S. military out. The surveyed...
EDITORIALS
May 9, 2019

Reiwa imperial rituals and the Constitution

Questions persist as to whether some aspects of the imperial family's traditional rites are congruous with the constitutional separation of state and religion.
Japan Times
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 8, 2019

Nancy Pelosi issues impeachment warning as White House escalates subpoena fight

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that the Trump administration's defiance of subpoenas could be an impeachable offense, even as the top White House lawyer instructed his predecessor not to comply with a subpoena from House Democrats.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 7, 2019

Younger Okinawans' view of U.S. bases isn't black and white

Widespread opposition to the base-relocation project off on the Henoko coast doesn't translate into a desire to eject the U.S. military presence in Okinawa as a whole.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 7, 2019

For the White House, getting back to the moon is the easy part

Several manned lunar landings are needed if the U.S. wants to head off China in space.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2019

Gun control takes center stage in 2020 U.S. Democratic presidential race

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on Monday released a sweeping plan to curb gun violence by creating a national licensing program and repealing a law that gives gun manufacturers legal immunity, becoming the latest Democrat in the 2020 presidential race to make gun control measures a feature of their campaign....
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 6, 2019

Fed-up Canada tells U.S. to help with China crisis over Huawei exec or forget about favors

Canada is leaning on the United States to help settle a dispute with China, which has started to block imports of vital Canadian commodities amid a dispute over a detained Huawei executive.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / Japan Pulse
May 4, 2019

Social media fails to follow traditional news outlets' stricter approach to portrait rights in Japan

A man in Chiba Prefecture became irritated last month at how long it was taking for a barrier at a rail crossing to open. Losing patience, he fetched a hand saw from his van and removed the barrier arm so that he could drive through.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
May 4, 2019

Deciphering the curious act of talking to oneself

Talking to oneself is not respectable. It suggests many things, none of them good: abysmal loneliness, a mental screw loose, a social wire frayed, insanity, dementia. Shukan Post magazine this month cites experts in dementia who see solitary dialogue as a potential premonitory sign — not a conclusive...

Longform

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