Search - 2020

 
 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a news conference during a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 12.
COMMENTARY / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 27, 2023

Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From a weak anti-war leader to a symbol of the fight for liberation

Shifting away from direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's leader has called for weapons and galvanized national unity in the face of war.
Director Christopher Nolan (right) poses with "Oppenheimer" cast members (from left) Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt at the film's premiere in Paris earlier this month.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jul 27, 2023

Summer film releases in Japan and the 'Oppenheimer' problem

Moviegoers may not get their "Barbenheimer" moment, as Japan likes to keep things family friendly in summer.
People sing songs, including "Glory to Hong Kong," during a demonstration in Hong Kong on Sept. 16, 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2023

Hong Kong court rejects ban on pro-democracy anthem

The court said the publication and proliferation of the song is already punishable under the city’s National Security Law, also questioning the efficacy of a ban.
A Toyo Safety Industrial helmet with a built-in fan is showcased at Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition in Tokyo in July.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023

Fan-cooled beds and baby carriers among new gadgets to beat heat

At Tokyo’s annual trade show last week the focus was on how to keep workers in high-temperature environments cool and reduce the risk of heatstroke.
The planned 2025 Osaka Expo site
JAPAN / Society
Jul 31, 2023

First foreign pavilion application fails to calm Osaka Expo nerves

Officials worry that unless other countries move to set up their pavilions soon, some who have agreed to build them could reverse course.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends one of his campaign rallies in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
WORLD
Aug 1, 2023

Trump's bid to quash Georgia probe rejected by judge

The judge denied Trump's request to disqualify the lead prosecutor, block any potential indictments and throw out a special grand jury report.
Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing in May.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 1, 2023

Elon Musk’s unmatched power in the stars

The tech billionaire has become the dominant power in satellite internet technology. The ways he is wielding that influence are raising global alarms.
Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 1, 2023

Myanmar junta pardons Suu Kyi on some charges

The pardons would mean a reduction in her prison term of six years, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun said.
Former U.S. President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump arrives to speak at an event in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 15.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 2, 2023

Indictment could push Trump closer to 2024 Republican nomination

The former U.S. president has made the indictments a central plank of his campaign platform, portraying himself as the target of a biased justice system.
Jacob Anthony Chansley near the entrance to the Senate after breaching security defenses on Jan. 6, 2021
WORLD
Aug 2, 2023

Who else faced legal consequences after the U.S. Capitol attack?

Numerous people have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to crimes after seeking to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in 2020.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, arrives at Reagan National Airport in Washington en route to his arraignment in federal court on Thursday.
WORLD
Aug 4, 2023

Trump pleads not guilty to charges of obstructing election

After the hearing, the former U.S. president briefly addressed reporters at the Washington airport, calling it a "very sad day for America.”
Ater Jimmie Husen
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 6, 2023

On plates, Sweden and Japan are a natural pair

Swedish and Japanese cuisine are not natural allies, but diners in Japan don’t seem to care when they taste this unique fusion for themselves.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on July 29
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 6, 2023

U.S. prosecutors ask for protective order, citing threatening Trump post

Despite a history of online bullying, Trump’s campaign issued a statement insisting that he was practicing his First Amendment rights.
Masatoshi Akimoto at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Thursday
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 7, 2023

Scandal-hit ex-LDP member a major backer of renewable energy

Masatoshi Akimoto opposes building new nuclear reactors or replacing current ones, and has said that wind power in particular has much potential.
A shopper at a Beijing grocery store in 2022. China's consumer and producer prices have both declined from 12 months ago, indicating that the world’s second-largest economy may be weakening.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 9, 2023

China shows signs of deflation as consumer and factory prices fall

A prolonged property market slump, plunging demand for exports and subdued consumer spending are weighing on China's economic recovery.
Indian border security force soldiers stand guard at a checkpoint along a highway leading to Ladakh in Kashmir's Ganderbal district in June 2020.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 6, 2023

China-India border conflict holds lessons for Japan, too

India has learned that bilateral ties and economic interdependence do not constrain China's territorial ambitions. That is a lesson Japan should heed.
The Pentagon on Tuesday looked to soften the blow of an explosive report that Chinese hackers had infiltrated Japan's most sensitive defense networks, saying that it was "confident” about sharing intelligence with Tokyo.
JAPAN
Aug 9, 2023

U.S. ‘confident’ in Japan intel sharing, but Taiwan concerns linger

The Pentagon has moved to soften the blow of a report that said that “shockingly bad” hacking had been uncovered by the U.S. in the fall of 2020.
If you have a specific birth plan in mind, like giving birth at home, it's important to make sure the clinic you use offers that option.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Aug 14, 2023

Giving birth in Japan? Here’s what you need to know.

Giving birth can be overwhelming — even more so if you don’t understand the local language or know the steps you need to take.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks at an event in Las Vegas on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 16, 2023

Yellen's Las Vegas stop shows Bidenomics can be a tough sell

Even as Americans feel the benefits, it's not clear this approach will deliver Biden the votes he needs in 2024.
U.S. President Joe Biden during an event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. The president has crisscrossed the nation visiting groundbreakings and factories to sell his agenda, dubbed Bidenomics, with the Inflation Reduction Act as the centerpiece.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 17, 2023

Fires and heat block Biden from taking victory lap for climate law

It’s not the first time circumstances beyond Biden’s control have undone his efforts to revel in a victory.
In 1990, there were five times as many men who had alcohol use disorder than women — now it’s two times, according to the director of a research institute on alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023

Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them

Analysis of data from the CDC found that alcohol-related deaths among women increased by nearly 15% per year between 2018 and 2020.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during Round 3 at the LIV Golf-Bedminster 2023 at the Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Aug. 13.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 19, 2023

Trump center stage despite threat to skip Republican debate

The 77-year-old former president, who is rarely out of the headlines, has been vocal about possibly skipping the event in the city of Milwaukee.
Residents walk past trees and powerlines that were downed following the passage of Hurricane Fiona, later downgraded to a post-tropical storm, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in September 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 19, 2023

Climate haven no more? Floods and fires ravage eastern Canada

Storms, floods, a cold snap and record wildfires have all battered the eastern province of Nova Scotia over the past year.
An area congested with wooden houses in Tokyo's Higashi-Ikebukuro district
JAPAN / Society
Aug 20, 2023

Tokyo aiming to eliminate areas congested with wooden houses

As of 2020, Tokyo had some 8,600 hectares of such areas that are expected to suffer particularly severe damage in the event of a large quake.
While most players in the field of neurotechnology are exclusively concerned with medical uses, Elon Musk is touting the possibility of telepathy, using the technology to store memories or to enable humans to continue their existence without their bodies.
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 21, 2023

The race to link our brains to computers is heating up

Brain implants have long been trapped in the realm of science fiction, but medical trials suggest the devices could play a big part in humanity's future.
Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas (left) battles for the ball against English forward Lauren James during in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney on Sunday. Spain won the match 1-0.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 22, 2023

FIFA boss should read the pitch on women’s pay

More than 2 billion people are expected to have tuned in. About 2 million attended matches in person. Both records. The FIFA Women’s World Cup generated more than $570 million to break even.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (left), former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (center) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the first debate between Republican candidates on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 24, 2023

Absent Trump still steals show at raucous Republican debate

Trump's snubbing of the event deprived a chasing pack of rivals, whom he leads in polls, of the opportunity to direct shots at him live on stage.
A woman stands on one side of the wall texting in front of a nightclub while, on the other side of the wall, a man works in an izakaya.
PODCAST / deep dive
Aug 24, 2023

One night out in Tokyo

As the last trains leave the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, much of the city heads home. However, Tokyo never sleeps.
Since Waifu began, inclusivity goals have become more common in clubs across Tokyo.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 26, 2023

Queer clubbing moves beyond Ni-chome

Those looking for a safe space to party don't have to stick to one neighborhood in the capital.
Spectators gather in the gallery of the House Chamber during a special session on public safety to discuss gun violence in the wake of the Covenant School shooting, at the Tennessee State Capitol, in Nashville, Tennessee, last Tuesday.
WORLD / Society
Aug 28, 2023

Record number of U.S. children killed by guns in '21, study shows

Gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020.

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