Search - i

 
 
As mind-numbingly big as the clean-energy price tag may be, it’s actually a bargain compared with the potential economic destruction of unabated climate change.
COMMENTARY / World
May 31, 2024

$215 trillion to save the planet is a bargain

And as mind-numbingly big as $215 trillion may be, it’s actually a bargain compared with the potential economic destruction of unabated climate change.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Friday night.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 31, 2024

Marcos lays out red line in South China Sea at security conference

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his clearest remarks yet on his red lines in the ongoing row with China over the disputed waterway.
A monitor showing the Nikkei 225 index and the yen exchange rate in Tokyo. The yen is expected to remain under pressure given the yawning gap between interest rates in Japan and the U.S.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 1, 2024

Japan spent record ¥9.8 trillion to prop up yen in past month

The record spending on intervention shows the government’s resolve to push back against speculators betting against the yen.
Pop project Kirinji was featured on the second episode of Tiny Desk Concerts Japan, an offshoot of NPR’s long-running web series that features artists performing stripped-down sets inside the cozy offices of the organization’s music department.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 1, 2024

The best-case scenario for Tiny Desk Concerts Japan

NHK's new project, an offshoot of NPR's web series that shows artists performing stripped-down sets, could become a place for the full spectrum of Japanese music to shine.
A Ukrainian serviceman prepares to fire a self-propelled howitzer toward Russian troops in May.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 1, 2024

Biden tip-toes deeper into Ukraine conflict with arms decision

Experts say the decision to relax some restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S. weaponry inside Russia could help blunt Moscow's offensive.
Voters stand in line to cast their ballot at a polling station on the seventh and final phase of voting of India's general election, in Patna on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

India’s long, bitter election fight heads toward finish line

The results won’t be declared until June 4, but Saturday will offer a clue as to whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on track for a third term.
South Korea's first openly gay legislator, Cha Hae-young
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 1, 2024

'We exist': South Korea's first LGBTQ councilor tackles inclusion

Cha Hae-young was elected to the Mapo district council on June 1, 2022 — the same day as Seoul's annual LGBTQ Pride march.
Benny Gantz has held a clear lead over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in opinion polls for months, but the latest surveys show a noticeable swing toward the prime minister.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Israel's Gantz at crossroads over challenge to Netanyahu

The former general faces a reckoning over his revolt against Netanyahu, who has been gaining ground in opinion polls.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and his South Korean counterpart, Shin Won-sik, meet on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 1, 2024

Japan and South Korea agree to prevent repeat of 2018 naval row

The move to shelve long-standing political differences is seen as a significant step toward restoring bilateral defense and security cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a campaign rally on April 8. Exit polls revealed on June 1 indicated that the opposition was struggling to significantly cut into the sizable majority held by Modi's party.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2024

Modi set for landslide election win in India, exit polls show

No prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru — who ruled India for 17 years after independence — has managed to secure three consecutive terms in power.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe waves to fans prior to a match in Toulouse in August 2023.
SOCCER
Jun 2, 2024

Mbappe the next prize for Real Madrid, the kings of Europe

The 25-year-old forward has been unable to win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain in seven years at the French club.
Pedestrians holding umbrellas during a downpour in Tokyo in June 2023
JAPAN / Science & Health / OUR PLANET
Jun 2, 2024

The growing link between extreme rain and respiratory health in Japan

Researchers have found a strong association between respiratory mortality and severe downpours of the kind being made worse by climate change.
Bidet toilets are the norm in Japan, where more than 80% of homes have one. But their numbers are growing worldwide.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2024

Feeling flush: Japan's high-tech toilets go global

Sales are surging abroad and especially in the United States, led by A-list bidet fans such as Drake, the Kardashians and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
A Palestinian youth moves containers of water past destroyed buildings in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on May 28.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2024

Israel pushes back against Gaza ceasefire Biden has outlined

Hamas said it welcomed any proposal "based on a permanent ceasefire" as well as "a total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."
Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel would give it greater access to the profitable U.S. market and further its long-term financial goals.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2024

Nippon Steel's Mori hints at selling some assets to aid U.S. Steel deal

The firm's vice chairman plans to return to the United States this week for more talks over the proposed acquisition.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a trilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their meeting at the Blue House in Seoul on May 27.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 3, 2024

South Korea to explore vast oil and gas prospects off east coast, Yoon says

The 500 billion won ($363 million) drilling project is slated to begin towards the end of the year, aiming for results by mid-next year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2024

KKR weighs entering private credit in Japan to challenge banks

In Japan, most direct lending has been done overseas, and the domestic loan market is dominated by major banks.
An earthquake-damaged area in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, in May 2023. The Noto Peninsula has been experiencing an ongoing “seismic swarm” since late 2020.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Jun 3, 2024

How rain and snow play a role in Noto’s ‘seismic swarm’

The seismic activity in the region is synchronized with changes in underground pressure, which is influenced by seasonal patterns of precipitation.
People walk with their luggage after a rainstorm hit Dubai, UAE, causing delays at Dubai International Airport on April 17.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 3, 2024

Airlines eye 'new frontier' of AI ahead of global summit

Aviation companies, long accustomed to thin profit margins, see AI as the newest way to boost productivity and gain a competitive edge.
Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda apologizes during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2024

Japan's auto-testing scandal deepens, resulting in some shipment halts

Toyota and four other Japanese automakers have admitted to falsifying testing data and performing tests under inappropriate conditions, among other infractions.
The stone pillar at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo that had "toilet" spray painted on it, on Monday after it was cleaned
JAPAN / Society
Jun 3, 2024

Police launch investigation over Yasukuni Shrine vandalism

In a video shared online, a man went to the shrine and urinated on a stone pillar before writing the word “toilet” in red spray paint.
Senior ruling and opposition lawmakers on the Lower House political reform committee decide Monday that the bill will be voted on in parliament the following day.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 3, 2024

Lower House vote on political funds law revision agreed

Movement on the vote follows a deal between the Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and Nippon Ishin no Kai on the content of the bill.
Fans cheer after Japan's men's volleyball team qualified for the Paris Olympics on Oct. 7 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo.
MORE SPORTS / Volleyball
Jun 4, 2024

Japanese volleyball’s fastest growing fan base — female superfans

More than 80% of the fans at men’s domestic competitions are said to be women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
French forward Kylian Mbappe waits for the arrival of the French president at the team's training camp ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France, on Monday.
SOCCER
Jun 4, 2024

'Superstar' Mbappe makes 'dream' move to Real Madrid

The player is set to earn €35 million a season, according to reports in Spain.
Israeli soldiers ready a tank near the border with Gaza on Thursday. The Jewish state's victory in the Gaza conflict will depend on addressing Palestinian despair.
COMMENTARY
Jun 4, 2024

Israel will always be held to a different standard

Arrest warrants, campus protests and genocide accusations were not inevitable. These were the direct results of Netanyahu’s choices.
A new report by international campaign group Global Witness alleges that TikTok approved adverts containing political disinformation ahead of European polls.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2024

TikTok fails 'disinformation test' before EU vote, study shows

The Chinese ByteDance-owned app said its systems correctly identified the breach, but the ads were approved due to "human error" by a moderator.
While European countries such as Germany have strengthened bilateral ties with Beijing, the EU as a whole is set on reducing reliance on the Chinese economy: a strategy that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls "de-risking."
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
May 31, 2024

Europe’s vulnerability in the EU-China-U.S. geoeconomic triangle

Behind a semblance of unity, the EU and U.S. could be on clashing trajectories in their pursuit of economic security to reduce dependence on China.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki has officially acknowledged that the government had intervened in the market to prop up the yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 4, 2024

Japan's yen intervention was effective to an extent, finance minister says

Figures disclosed by the Finance Ministry on Friday indicated that it spent ¥9.8 trillion combined to prop up the yen on April 29 and May 1, a record amount.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gives a presentation on Sunday night before Computex Taipei’s official opening to talk about the chipmaker’s strategic plans.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 4, 2024

Nvidia and AMD square off in fight to take control of AI

The heads of both companies employed different tacks in conveying their expertise during back-to-back shows at the world’s largest computing conference this week in Taipei.
Ukrainian soldiers patrol a heavily war-damaged area of the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine on May 20.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 4, 2024

Ukraine and its allies need a new strategy. Here’s a start.

With the war in Ukraine, stop talking about ‘liberal’ democracy and the ‘rules-based international order.’

Longform

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