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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Friday that he had OK'd a plan to attack the Gaza city of Rafah on the southern edge of the shattered Palestinian enclave.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 16, 2024

Israel approves plan to attack Rafah but keeps truce hopes alive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he had OK'd a plan to attack the city on the southern edge of the shattered Palestinian enclave.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 16, 2024

Top Biden official says stance on U.S. Steel deal doesn't hurt U.S.-Japan ties

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Biden's opposition to the U.S. Steel deal "doesn't take away one thing" from the relationship.
Women attend a singing class at Mama Sunset, a learning center for middle-aged and senior people, in Beijing in January.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 18, 2024

Silver lining: Tutoring the elderly is growing fast in China

The growth potential of the industry contrasts sharply with the decline of the after-school private tutoring sector following a crackdown in 2021.
A worker in the factory of Optimax Systems, in Ontario, New York on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 18, 2024

Markets frustrated as Fed drops no hints on post-pandemic economy

With investors having to guess how they will respond, households and businesses are finding it harder to plan.
A Palestinian child waits to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The United Nation's children's agency said on Sunday that many children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition.
WORLD
Mar 18, 2024

UNICEF says over 13,000 children killed in Gaza in Israel offensive

Israel's military assault on Gaza has displaced nearly its entire 2.3 million-person population, caused a starvation crisis, and killed over 31,000 people.
Mamiko Tanaka (right), wife of Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani, arrives at Incheon International Airport on Friday ahead of the 2024 MLB Seoul Series baseball games.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 18, 2024

A mystery no more: What we know about Ohtani’s wife

No one in the sports world is receiving as much attention right now as baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani — that is, besides his wife, Mamiko Tanaka.
U.S. President Joe Biden (right) is welcomed to Israel by the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The relationship between the two leaders has since soured.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 18, 2024

Biden and Netanyahu are going from frenemies to enemies

President Biden has warned the Israeli prime minister about crossing a red line, but that may cause more trouble than good, as history teaches us.
Shohei Ohtani at Gocheok Sky Dome ahead of the Major League Baseball Seoul Series, in Seoul on Saturday
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 19, 2024

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani to begin throwing program

Ohtani will not pitch this season following surgery on his right elbow.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday will be leading the monthly meeting known as the Ukraine defense contact group (UDCG) of about 50 allies that have been militarily supporting Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 19, 2024

Out of money, Pentagon chief looks to convince allies of commitment to Ukraine

Lack of funding is already having an impact on the ground in Ukraine and Ukrainian forces are having to manage scarce resources, officials say.
A screen at the headquarters of the Central Election Commission in Moscow shows the preliminary results of Russia's presidential election on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 19, 2024

West decries Putin's reelection while China and India vow closer ties

The contrasting reactions underscore the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
Displaced Palestinians, who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes, shelter in a tent camp in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip this month.
WORLD
Mar 19, 2024

Displaced Palestinians in Gaza face compounding health risks

While the U.N. warns of famine, humanitarian officials say fast-deteriorating sanitation conditions are making people even more vulnerable.
Japanese automakers explore a unified approach and industry consolidation to stay competitive in the global EV market.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 19, 2024

As China’s EVs approach, Japan’s carmakers must step on the gas

China sees an opportunity to dominate, and just as it did with sectors from steel to solar panels, it’s unlikely to always play fair.
Japan welcomed 2.79 million visitors in February, a record for the month and the most for any month since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
JAPAN
Mar 19, 2024

Japan sees record 2.79 million visitors in February due to Lunar New Year boost

The travel industry is getting a major boost from a weak yen that has made Japan a bargain destination for foreign travelers.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 19, 2024

Japanese business groups welcome BOJ's first rate hike in 17 years

"I think the BOJ has caught the indications that a virtuous cycle between wages and prices has started," Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura said.
Baseball fans wait to enter Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday ahead of the MLB opener between the Dodgers and Padres.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 20, 2024

K-pop stars to help showcase South Korea during Seoul Series

Before Ohtani’s debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres begins, K-pop girl group aespa will hit the stage for a performance.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, earlier this month.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2024

The zombification of American politics

Turning a party into an autocracy is a logical first step toward turning the country into one.
A soup kitchen distributes food in Havana on Jan. 15. The communist government of Cuba is grappling with its worst economic situation since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2024

Communist Cuba is on the brink of collapse

The communist government of Cuba is grappling with worst economic situation since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
With Vladimir Putin's electoral triumph, Russia's democratic facade fades further.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2024

Putin's win isn't just a sham. It's a danger.

Vladimir Putin can now expect at least another six years in office that would make him Russia’s longest-serving leader since Catherine the Great.
A recent $1 billion donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will make the school tuition-free indefinitely, but greater systemic changes would better serve students and society.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 20, 2024

Free tuition is no panacea for medical schools

An historic $1 billion donation paves the way for debt-free medical education.
Shohei Ohtani notched two hits in his Dodgers debut on Wednesday in Seoul.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 20, 2024

Dodgers begin Ohtani era with win over Padres in Seoul

Ohtani notched a pair of hits in the win, including a single off of compatriot Yu Darvish.
A woman checks a lottery ticket at a lottery ticket store in Shanghai
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 21, 2024

Chinese youth ease economical angst by playing the lottery

"It’s so difficult to make money now, no matter what you do”
European Council President Charles Michel during a news conference in Brussels on Feb. 1
WORLD / Politics
Mar 21, 2024

EU leaders to discuss using profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine

EU leaders have voiced alarm about the state of the war in recent weeks, with ammunition-starved Ukrainian forces struggling to hold back Russian troops.
After Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination last week, the buzzword underwent an evolution as he outpaces incumbent President Joe Biden in a number of major polls.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 21, 2024

'What if Trump?' Moshitora reenters Japanese lexicon

The compact Japanese buzzword has resurfaced in local media reports as the ex-president rises through a number of polls.
Consumer prices in Japan rose 2.8% in February from a year ago, with the pace speeding up from 2% in January, even though there have been pockets of weakness in consumer demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 22, 2024

Japan’s speedier inflation pace keeps BOJ’s next move in focus

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.8% in February from a year ago, with the pace speeding up from 2% in January.
Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani reacts after flying out in the seventh inning of the team's game against the Padres in Seoul on Thursday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 22, 2024

Dodgers shield Shohei Ohtani from media after interpreter fired

Ohtani's attorneys accused Ippei Mizuhara of "massive theft" tied to illegal gambling.
Smoke rises during an Israeli raid at Al Shifa hospital and the area around it, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City on Thursday.
WORLD
Mar 22, 2024

U.S. puts pressure on Israel with Gaza cease-fire resolution as Qatar talks continue

Hamas says it will release hostages only as part of a deal that would end the war, but Israel says it will discuss only a temporary pause.
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.
A lack of comprehensive consumption — and inflation — data makes it impossible to get an accurate picture of India's poverty.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2024

India’s poor will not be wished away

Poverty remains deeply entrenched in India and appears to have increased significantly.
Measles has a typical incubation period of 10 to 12 days, though this can extend to as long as 21 days. Early symptoms include a fever, cough and a runny nose.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 22, 2024

Japan urges priority for children as demand for measles shots spikes

Recent outbreaks in the country have led to a surge in interest in the vaccine among unvaccinated adults who haven't been infected with the disease.
Fans of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani outside the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS
Mar 22, 2024

MLB games streamed to skeptical South Korean fans herald global shift

There’s still no dominant sports broadcaster or streamer that serves all of Asia, and that means that there will be fierce competition.

Longform

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