Search - 2023

 
 
Tokyo has the highest price-to-income ratio for high-rise condominiums in the country, at 17.78 times.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 12, 2024

New Japanese condos now cost 10 times average salary, study shows

Wages are not keeping up with rising costs, resulting in developers focusing on the higher end of the market.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange as he takes part in the Wall Street bell ringing in Manhattan, on Thursday
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 13, 2024

No winners seen in Trump’s ‘destructive’ energy tariffs

Tariffs threaten to be particularly troublesome for a North American energy industry that has been tightly integrated for decades and already favors U.S. interests.
A man checks a tunnel found under a mosque in Tadamon district, which is littered with bones, in Damascus, Syria, on Thursday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Dec 13, 2024

At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors and seek answers

After Bashar Assad's ouster, residents hope the site in Damascus' Tadamon district can be cordoned off for those responsible to be held accountable.
Children eat at a <i>kodomo shokudo</i> in the city of Osaka. The number of such cafeterias, which provide free or low-cost meals to children in need, has surpassed 10,000 nationwide.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 13, 2024

Number of cafeterias for children in need hits record high in Japan

There are now more kodomo shokudo, which offer free or low-cost meals, than elementary and junior high schools.
Shohei Ohtani's prowress on the diamond translated into an outsized influence on Japan's consumer trends this year.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Dec 13, 2024

The year that Shohei Ohtani achieved 'yokozuna' status … in the market

To qualify as a genuine "hitto" (hit), a product or service must harness some new concept or technology in a manner that significantly impacts the marketplace.
Mitsubishi Electric CEO Kei Uruma
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 13, 2024

Mitsubishi Electric explores forming power chip alliances in Japan

A sense of urgency is growing in the power chip industry as Japanese companies fall further behind German market leader Infineon Technologies.
Investors' expectations for corporate governance reform triggered by the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s campaign have been a major driver of the rally in Japanese stocks over the last two years, but the market’s historic crash in early August has changed the dynamics.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 13, 2024

Cheap valuations are out as investors like new metric for Japan stocks

Investors are now trying to identify companies that have strong fundamentals but have a lot to gain by improving capital allocation, one portfolio manager said.
Farhan al-Khouli, a Syrian military conscript who deserted his post on the first day of the rebel offensive, works at a horse stable in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 13, 2024

Demoralized and abandoned by allies: Why Syria’s army failed to fight

Rampant corruption and a heavy reliance on foreign allies hollowed out Bashar Assad's once-feared army.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Japan's same-sex marriage ban, along with their lawyers and supporters, hold signs saying the court ruled the ban as unconstitutional on Friday in front of the Fukuoka High Court.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 13, 2024

Fukuoka High Court rules ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional

It is the third such high court ruling so far in Japan after the Sapporo High Court in March and the Tokyo High Court in October.
Yoichi Miyazawa (right), chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, said Friday that both the LDP and Komeito have agreed to decide on the start date for higher income taxes at a later date.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 13, 2024

LDP-Komeito bloc defers decision on income tax hike to boost defense budget

The bloc originally aimed to raise income tax rates in January 2027, but reconsidered following discussions with the opposition Democratic Party for the People.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin meets with his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani,  at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 13, 2024

The global spy alliance should let Japan join

Tokyo’s inclusion in the club is long overdue, especially as the region combats China’s growing assertiveness and the unpredictability of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
Astros slugger Kyle Tucker (30) prior to a game against the Chicago White Sox in August
BASEBALL / MLB
Dec 14, 2024

Cubs acquire star OF Kyle Tucker from Astros

In return, the Astros received infielder Isaac Paredes, right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith.
Tour guides wait to collect tour groups from Hong Kong outside the Shenzhen Bay border crossing in Shenzhen, China
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2024

Educated young Chinese turn to tour guiding as job market wavers

Tour guiding is becoming an increasingly popular fallback option in a China rife with employment instability as the economy slows.
The Stratos direct air capture facility, a joint venture between Occidental Petroleum and asset manager BlackRock, in Ector County, Texas
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / ANALYSIS
Dec 14, 2024

Earthquakes and blowouts undermine case for carbon storage in Texas

Texas has seen surging interest from companies hoping to bury carbon dioxide in its oilfields.
France's newly appointed Prime Minister Francois Bayrou at the Hotel Matignon in Paris on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 14, 2024

Macron hands new French PM the tough job of managing Le Pen

Bayrou, 73, replaces conservative heavyweight Michel Barnier, who was ousted last week after far-right leader Marine Le Pen joined the left in a censure motion.
Gifting secondhand used to have a bad rap, but it doesn’t carry the taboo it once did.
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2024

How to buy a secondhand gift someone might actually want

Gifting secondhand used to have a bad rap, but thanks to more environmentally conscious consumers, it doesn’t carry the taboo it once did.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts at the end of his team's loss to Juventus on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Dec 15, 2024

Man City boss Pep Guardiola says no regrets over contract extension

Following a series of disappointing Premier League performances, City finds itself in fifth place with 27 points, trailing leader Liverpool by nine points.
A Hight Logistics electric BYD truck is loaded with a container at a seaport in Long Beach, California, in April 2023.
BUSINESS
Dec 15, 2024

Chinese firms take on EV truck challenges

Fleets of electric heavy goods vehicles from China have been growing internationally, even as Western countries target the country's EV cars with heavy sanctions.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou speaks to press in Paris on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 16, 2024

Macron has a new prime minister but the same old problems

73-year-old Francis Bayrou was the torch-bearer of centrism until Macron reshaped the political landscape in 2017.
Palestinians inspect the damage at a tent camp sheltering displaced people, following an Israeli strike in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday.
WORLD
Dec 16, 2024

Israeli forces carry out air and ground attacks in Gaza; dozens dead

Israel's air and land offensive that has killed almost 45,000 people, mostly civilians, according to authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
185 content moderators sued Meta last year, saying they had lost their jobs for trying to organize a union.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 16, 2024

Meta contractor dismissed threats to moderators by Ethiopia rebels: court documents

Court documents say that Meta allegedly ignored advice from experts it hired to tackle hate speech in Ethiopia.
Customers queue at a bank ATM in Lagos. Roughly 93% of total currency in circulation sits outside of banks.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 16, 2024

Nigeria’s dying ATMs leave a cash-shaped hole filled by agents

Roughly 93% of total currency in circulation — or 4 trillion naira ($2.6 billion) — sits outside of banks as of September.
Efforts to reduce methane emissions from dairy cows in the U.K. using the feed additive Bovaer, proven safe and effective, have sparked public backlash fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2024

No, sanitizing cow burps won’t sour your milk or contaminate your cheese

The problem the project addresses is real enough. Beef and dairy products are extremely carbon-intensive food items.
Houthi supporters hold a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Friday. A coordinated international military effort is needed to exploit Iran's weakened influence and neutralize the Houthi threat in Yemen.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2024

The next Iranian proxy to target is the Houthis

A coordinated international military effort is needed to neutralize the Houthi threat in Yemen, which disrupts global shipping and exploits Iran's weakened influence.
Thimphu TechPark building in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Oct. 17
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 16, 2024

Secret to AI profitability is hiring a lot more doctorates

Nagging questions persist about whether AI will actually prove useful enough for businesses around the world to pay up for it.
Ko Sung-kook, a conservative commentator who hosts Kosungkook TV on YouTube, meets his fans during a rally to support President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 16, 2024

Inside South Korea's right-wing YouTube world openly embraced by Yoon

The impeached president's claims of "anti-state" pro-North Korean sympathizers as justification for martial law is a familiar theme on right-wing channels.
Indian billionaire Gautam Adani attends the 51st Gems and Jewellery Awards in Jaipur, India, on Nov. 30.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 16, 2024

Extradition of India's Gautam Adani seems unlikely, experts say

Adani Group has called the allegations against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani "baseless" and vowed to seek "all possible legal recourse."
The Seattle Storm's Jordan Horston on Jul 16. The Storm will face the Atlanta Dream in Vancouver next August for the WNBA's first regular-season game outside the United States.
BASKETBALL
Dec 17, 2024

WNBA to host first regular-season game outside the United States

The announcement comes amid rapid expansion for the top-flight North American league.
Team USA players during the 2023 Ryder Cup opening ceremony in Rome in September 2023
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Dec 17, 2024

U.S. team to get paid for playing in Ryder Cup

U.S. team members will each get $500,000, with $300,000 of that going to charity and the remaining $200,000 serving as a stipend.
Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks to the nation at the Presidential Office on Dec. 7.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 17, 2024

Martial law fiasco casts doubt over South Korea's nuclear power push

Stocks related to the nuclear sector have already suffered losses due to souring investor sentiment since the political crisis began.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition