Search - 2023

 
 
Migrant workers harvest and package vegetables in a greenhouse in Gasan-myeon, South Korea, in December 2023. Though a shrinking population makes imported labor vital, migrant workers routinely face predatory employers, inhumane conditions and other abuse.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 11, 2024

South Korea accused of 'human trafficking' with seasonal worker program

Filipino workers say brokers charge excessive fees to find them back-breaking work, confiscate their passports and documents, and cheat them out of wages.
Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi on Tuesday sought to allay the concerns of probation officers nationwide, saying it is important to create an environment in which they can work with peace of mind.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2024

Social media posts reveal potential motive in probation officer’s murder

Posts linked to the 35-year-old suspect suggest he was dissatisfied with his probation, police sources said.
Toyota Industries holds its shareholders meeting in Takahama, Aichi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2024

Scandals and profitability in focus as Japan firms hold shareholders meetings

The strong interest in compliance follows a string of testing fraud scandals at automakers, while the focus on profitability has led to a flurry of shareholder proposals.
Kazuki Suzuki, one of the suspects, was taken into police custody in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 11, 2024

'Side job' fraud believed to have taken ¥1.9 billion from 8,600 victims

The fraud group ran multiple "side job" websites while recruiting members through social media and paying them an average of about ¥500,000 as monthly wages.
Some experts believe if Beijing wants to assert its dominance on the world stage, then it is hard to see where common ground for compromise with the West can be found.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2024

The U.S. debate over China policy intensifies

Some experts believe if Beijing wants to assert its dominance on the world, then it is hard to see where common ground for compromise with the West can be found.
Family members and supporters demand the immediate release of hostages kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7 attack in Israel, as they protest outside a meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 12, 2024

Israel calls Hamas' response to U.S. cease-fire plan a rejection

The outlook for the U.S. cease-fire plan in Gaza remains uncertain as neither Hamas nor Israel publicly committed to a deal.
The Fair Trade Commission in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 12, 2024

Hashimoto Sogyo inspected over nonpayment of overtime

The antimonopoly law prohibits the abuse of a shipper's dominant position over an operator.
Leaders of six major countries hold a joint news conference following an inaugural summit held in the Parisian suburb of Rambouillet in November 1975.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 12, 2024

G7 becomes political playmaker; major nations to hold 50th summit

The world's major democracies are set to hold their 50th summit, a milestone for the framework.
Scottie Scheffler pumps his fist after making a putt during the final round of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Jun 12, 2024

U.S. Open field chasing Scottie Scheffler's greatness

Rory McIlroy describes Scheffler as relentless, with the American having played 14 times with only one tournament finish outside the top 10.
From left: Promoter Frank Warren, fighter Anthony Joshua and Saudi official Turki al-Sheikh attend a fight between Dmitry Bivol and Malik Zinad in Riyadh on June 1.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
Jun 12, 2024

Saudi Arabia wealth fund holding talks to create boxing league, sources say

PIF is looking to invest in a joint venture with some of the sport's stakeholders that would feature more boxing bouts.
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police building in the city of Fukuoka
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 12, 2024

Fukuoka police arrest man in connection with 'Luffy' crime ring

The suspect, Takayuki Kagoshima, 55, had been detained by Philippine immigration authorities since March.
A rohingya refugee child from Myanmar walks along the road in the evening at Balukhali camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in 2018.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 12, 2024

Myanmar poverty deepens, economic growth stagnant, World Bank says

The ongoing civil war in Myanmar has displaced over 3 million people and raised poverty rates to 32.1%, reverting to 2015 levels.
Tourists rest in the shade at the Tsukiji outer market in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 12, 2024

Japan marks first 'extremely hot day' of 2024

The temperature hit 35 degrees Celsius in Fukushima Prefecture and rose above 30 C in parts of Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said.
Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary soldiers in Sudan. The International Criminal Court has begun investigating the events of an eight-month period in 2023 when soldiers from the RSF targeted unarmed civilians.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 12, 2024

Top war crimes court appeals for evidence of atrocities in Sudan

The move comes days after a U.N. official warned of a strong chance genocide had been committed in Darfur — a worrying echo of events two decades ago.
Soyo Hinata (right) and Lillian Ono, members of Climate Case Japan, with a petition for human rights relief before submitting it to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations in Tokyo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Society
Jun 12, 2024

Activist group asks Japan's bar association for help on climate action

It will likely take more than a year for the association to scrutinize Climate Case Japan's petition before deciding what steps to take next.
Only 6% of the Japanese workforce is engaged while a third of the workforce is job hunting or looking out for new opportunities, according to a Gallup report.
BUSINESS
Jun 12, 2024

Despite its hardworking image, Japan might be No. 1 in quiet quitting

Only 6% of the Japanese workforce is engaged, one of the lowest readings in the world, according to a Gallup report.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with the trophy after his club won the FA Cup over Manchester City on May 25.
SOCCER
Jun 12, 2024

Manchester United manager Ten Hag to stay at Old Trafford

The decision comes after an end-of-season review by the club's board for the 2023-24 campaign, which finished on a high with a shock FA Cup final win.
Denmark's food agency has issued a warning over the levels of capsaicin, the active component of chile peppers, in certain instant noodle products.
WORLD
Jun 12, 2024

Denmark recalls South Korean noodles for being too spicy

Three products were assessed to have dangerous levels of capsaicin, the active component of chile peppers.
A BYD Atto 3 electric SUV on the streets of Frankfurt, Germany, on Feb. 21, 2023
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 13, 2024

EU hits Chinese EVs with tariffs, drawing rebuke from Beijing

The move comes less than a month after the U.S. announced plans to quadruple duties for Chinese EVs.
Russian and North Korean flags fly at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur region in September.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 13, 2024

China and Russia fail to stop U.N. meeting on North Korean rights abuses

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called on Wednesday for a review of sanctions against Pyongyang.
Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2024

ICC looks to set up Asian regional hub office in Tokyo

The new International Criminal Court office is expected to focus on public relations.
A street vendor shelters from the sun on the outskirts of Cairo.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 13, 2024

Egypt's extreme heat is an ominous warning for global economies

Experts worry this summer will be even more brutal than last year in Egypt, upending commodities and agriculture.
Filippo Grandi, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva on Feb. 7
WORLD / Society
Jun 13, 2024

U.N. agency says record 117 million people forcibly displaced in 2023

The United Nations refugee agency on Thursday said the number of people forcibly displaced stood at a record 117.3 million as of the end of last year, warning that this figure could rise further without major global political changes.
Honda unveiled small electric commercial van N-VAN e: on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 13, 2024

Honda to start selling micro-sized electric vans in October

Honda is determined to pursue EVs despite a slowdown in global demand
Container ships and bulk carriers off Singapore's shores on Feb. 19
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 13, 2024

Singapore port container logjam worsens as ships avoid Red Sea

The congestion is only emerging now because it took time for the port to reach its maximum utilization level.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington on June 22, 2023. As the United States prioritizes teamwork with its partners in the Asia-Pacific region, many believe they are witnessing a lasting change in American power.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 13, 2024

In China’s backyard, the U.S. has become a humbler superpower

The United States no longer presents itself as the confident guarantor of security but as an eager teammate for military modernization and tech development.
The Shein logo on hangers at a pop-up store in Dublin on Nov. 8, 2022
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 13, 2024

Shein steers tough course in pursuit of blockbuster London IPO

Both of the U.K.’s major political parties have met with Shein leaders, according to reports, though neither has come out in support publicly.
Toshiba Vice President Koji Ikeya says the company will aim to boost profitability by investing about ¥50 billion in fiscal 2026.
BUSINESS
Jun 13, 2024

Toshiba to double investments in power and defense business

The Japanese electronics and machinery maker will aim to boost profitability by investing about ¥50 billion in fiscal 2026.
Former lawmaker Tomohiro Konno has been arrested for allegedly lending his name as a lawyer to other people to do legal work in violation of the attorney law.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 13, 2024

Ex-Japan Lower House member Konno arrested over name-lending

Konno allegedly lent his name to have other people do legal work to recover special fraud damage for five victims, with virtually no cases of damage recovery.
Displaced Sudanese families wait to receive food from a charity kitchen in the city of Omdurman, Sudan, in April.
WORLD / Society
Jun 14, 2024

Famine watchdog says many Sudanese face starvation in coming months

About 3.6 million children in Sudan are acutely malnourished, according to a joint statement by U.N. chiefs.

Longform

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