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Aziz Umerov looks at a portrait of his sister Leniye Umerova, a Ukrainian from Russian-annexed Crimea arrested in Russia, on August 11.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 7, 2023

Arrest, detain, repeat: Russian war critics in jail 'carousel'

Consecutive jailings aren't illegal, as Russian law allows judges to order "administrative" detentions of up to 30 days for minor infractions.
Cuban American soprano Lisette Oropesa stars as Violetta in a restaging of Giuseppe Verdi’s “La Traviata” directed by Sofia Coppola in her opera directing debut in 2016
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 8, 2023

Rome Opera's tragic heroes resonate in modern times

For its Japan tour, the company will perform lavish productions of "La Traviata," directed by Sofia Coppola, and "Tosca," by Franco Zeffirelli.
Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa with his dog Sunny in Fukuoka
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 9, 2023

Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa: 'It’s better to live without being noticed everywhere.’

A former rikishi, Kazuki Paul Tsuyukusa has swapped his sumo stable for the life of a salaryman.
A man walks on a bridge over a swollen river on Lantau Island in Hong Kong on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Sep 8, 2023

Hong Kong's heaviest rain since 1884 floods city streets and metro

Videos circulating on social media showed streets turning into raging rivers, with one showing water gushing down an escalator into a subway station.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends what state media report was a launching ceremony for a new tactical nuclear attack submarine in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 8, 2023

North Korea holds ceremony for new ‘tactical nuclear’ submarine

The country’s state media released photos Friday of a ceremony for the vessel, which appeared to have 10 missile tubes, attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (left), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center), Chinese Premier Li Qiang (back, second right), U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (front right) and Indonesian President Joko Widodo (back right) arrive for the East Asia Summit as part of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Jakarta on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 8, 2023

U.S.-China rivalry dominates ASEAN talks as summits wrap up

The meetings saw the United States, Japan, China and others look to shore up regional partnerships as they vie for influence over the 10-member bloc.
Pedestrians in front of the Shinsei Bank headquarters in Tokyo in October 2021
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 8, 2023

SBI Shinsei Bank to go private to repay public funds

By going private, SBI Shinsei Bank will free itself from the shackles of stock prices and be able to pay back the public funds "at some point."
The threat of Mosquito-borne dengue fever is not restricted to South Asia as infection rates are rising globally with 4.2 million cases reported in 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 8, 2023

Mosquito-borne dengue grows deadlier in South Asia as planet warms

Disease experts say the worsening outbreaks of dengue are linked to the impacts of climate change.
Tokyo's Ginza district. On Thursday, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said one person tested positive for BA.2.86 on Aug. 24.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Sep 8, 2023

New COVID variant detected in Japan amid wave of infections

While there’s no evidence so far that it causes more severe illness, experts say it may be more capable of infecting people who have been infected before.
Harvard historian Calder Walton says U.S. leaders have ignored China’s massive, multifront intelligence push.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 8, 2023

The vulnerability of open societies to foreign espionage

Are Western nations, with their open societies, making the same mistake with China as they did with the Soviet Union?
Major Japanese food and beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings made the decision not to feature Johnny's talents in its future sales promotion activities "to prevent itself from promoting human rights violations by a business partner."
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 9, 2023

Asahi to end use of Johnny's personalities in ads

The major Japanese food and beverage maker made the decision "to prevent itself from promoting human rights violations by a business partner."
A woman takes a picture as she attends an exhibition displaying destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk as part of the upcoming celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine, amid Russia's invasion, in central Kyiv, on Aug. 21.
WORLD
Sep 9, 2023

Russia ramps up artillery production, but still falling short

Russia may be able to increase production of artillery in the next couple years to about 2 million shells annually, a Western official has said.
Japan Wind Development's Tohoku headquarters in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 10, 2023

Internal email sheds light on wind-power bribery scandal

Tokyo prosecutors have obtained an email as possible evidence of Akimoto having made statements before lawmakers at the request of Tsukawaki.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the China-Africa leaders’ roundtable on the closing day of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on Aug. 24
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 7, 2023

China and doubling of BRICS size challenges the U.S.-led global order

Although China is the world’s second largest economy, it still claims to be a developing country and depicts itself as the champion of the Global South.
Hokutofuji (right) grapples with Kirishima during Day 3 of the Autumn Basho at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Tuesday.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 13, 2023

Hokutofuji shines early as sumo's English streaming era begins

The Day 2 presentation by YouTube channel Sumo Prime Time was a welcome development for international fans.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left) is sacked by Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on the play.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Sep 14, 2023

Jets' Aaron Rodgers vows to 'rise again' after season-ending injury

Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury four plays into his debut with the Jets on Monday.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses with his new Cabinet in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 14, 2023

Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle is about keeping friends and rivals close

The Cabinet reshuffle and Liberal Democratic Party senior leadership changes reflect a leader concerned with factional politics and potential rivals.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and members of his new Cabinet at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 14, 2023

More flash than substance in Kishida’s Cabinet reshuffle

The reshuffle was consistent with past Liberal Democratic Party practices and portends a continuation of status quo policies and initiatives.
Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in South Africa on Aug. 23
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 14, 2023

What does Xi really mean? Chinese diplomacy’s true intentions

Decoding the true meaning behind Xi Jinping's words, and his silences, reveals an increasingly isolated China.
Delivery trucks at a parking area along the highway in Chiba Prefecture in April
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2023

Japan set to expand visa framework to tackle driver shortage

The planned expansion of the visa framework is to attract foreign nationals to the logistics industries and to address the driver shortage problem.
Tesla has combined a series of innovations to make a technological breakthrough that could transform the way it makes electric vehicles and help Elon Musk achieve his aim of halving production costs.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 15, 2023

Tesla reinvents carmaking with quiet breakthrough

The company pioneered the use of huge presses to mold the front and rear structures of its Model Y in a "gigacasting" process.
Many scientists say more research into volcanoes is vital to gauge how far eruptions can briefly affect the long-term trend of global warming, which is primarily driven by burning fossil fuels.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / ANALYSIS
Sep 15, 2023

Why is 2023 so hot? A rare Pacific volcano is among the suspects

Greenhouse gas emissions are overwhelmingly to blame, scientists say, but water vapor from the Tonga eruption last year may have played a role too.
The agreement to settle an epic battle between Walt Disney and Charter Communications over distribution rights is ushering the end of the lucrative, decades-old pay-television bundle and creating a template for future deals that includes streaming services.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 15, 2023

Disney and Charter deal reshapes media landscape, executives say

The deal over distribution rights is ushering the end of pay-television bundles and creating a template for future deals that includes streaming services.
Starting next year, all renovations to the new Imperial Hotel are scheduled to finish in 2036.
CULTURE / Art
Sep 16, 2023

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Imperial Hotel enters the history books

The curtain is about to close on Frank Lloyd Wright’s contribution to Tokyo’s skyline.
Kabul is diverse and culturally rich, like the rest of Afghanistan. Yet the country has struggled with political inclusivity.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 15, 2023

Japan can help pave the way for an inclusive Afghanistan

A new generation of Afghan leaders wants to be included in the country's future. Japan is well-positioned to facilitate dialogue with the Taliban.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un receives a send-off as he departs by train from Pyongyang for a visit to Russia on Sunday.
COMMENTARY
Sep 15, 2023

North Korea’s newfound confidence is a dangerous and challenging thing

It is increasingly clear that Pyongyang has been emboldened by the formation of a new anti-U.S. bloc, prompting it to reach out to Beijing and Moscow.
Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton celebrates his try against Tonga during their 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match in Nantes, France, on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 17, 2023

Johnny Sexton breaks records as Ireland eyes Springkoks at World Cup

The 38-year-old became his country's all-time top scorer in a convincing bonus-point win over Tonga.
As Chinese leader Xi Jinping throws up a forcefield of security controls to repel perceived foreign threats, Beijing’s message to the public is that spooks are everywhere.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 18, 2023

Xi’s security obsession turns Chinese citizens into spy hunters

The push comes after Xi chaired a National Security Council meeting in May that stressed the importance of "extreme-case scenario” thinking.
Nobody wishes for a medical emergency, but preparing for one while you're in a foreign country can only make things easier.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Sep 18, 2023

How to avoid medical purgatory when hospitalized in Japan

Much like a legal will, a visit to the hospital is the last thing for which you want to prepare — yet doing so will save you stress and worry.
Japan needs to win its remaining two Pool D games in order to progress to the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Sep 19, 2023

Error-strewn loss to England leaves Japan facing uphill battle

The kick-heavy encounter in Nice left discouraged Brave Blossoms fans knowing their team will need a major turnaround to match its 2019 quarterfinal run.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat