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Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, attends an event in Seoul on Thursday. He is one of the most polarizing political figures in South Korea with a fervent base of supporters on the left and a large block of opponents in the conservative camp.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2024

Indicted opposition leader is South Korea’s top contender for president in 2027

The victory of his party in Wednesday's parliamentary elections was quite a turnaround for Lee Jae-myung.
Protesters step on a caricature of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as they take part in a demonstration to condemn China's recent "aggressive actions" in disputed waters of the South China Sea, in front of the Chinese Consulate in Makati, Metro Manila, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 13, 2024

China feels boxed in by the U.S. but has few ways to push back

Aside from pointed words and the perfunctory maritime patrol, Beijing's options to push back against U.S. pressure appear limited, analysts say.
Nao Hibino hits a return to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva during their women's singles match of the Billie Jean Cup tennis qualifying tie between Japan and Kazakhstan in Tokyo on Saturday.
TENNIS
Apr 13, 2024

Osaka not needed as Japan reaches BJK Cup finals for first time

The former world No. 1 was appearing at the competition for the first time since 2020 and won her opening singles game on Friday.
An AA patrol for electric vehicles in Birmingham, England. Fewer than 10% of the U.K.’s 236,000 auto mechanics are qualified to work directly on EV batteries or their cases, according to the Institute of the Motor Industry.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 13, 2024

EVs head for junkyard as mechanic shortage inflates repair costs

High costs are prompting underwriters to total cars with relatively benign damage — prematurely consigning electric models to the junk heap.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's summit in Washington showed that Japan's evolving defense policy reflects a changing security landscape. It will also require increased defense spending and commitments to international engagement.
EDITORIALS
Apr 12, 2024

Japan steps up to become a 'full global partner'

One U.S. official described the results of the Japan-U.S. talks as probably the largest set of substantial, significant deliverables ever seen.
Average age of Japanese chief executives increased for 33 consecutive years to 60.5 last year.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2024

Japan biz leaders' average age rises for 33rd straight year

As of December last year, the average age of company leaders stood at 60.5 years old. In 1990, the average age was 54.
O.J. Simpson listens to the not guilty verdict after his murder trial with his attorneys F. Lee Bailey (left) and Johnnie Cochran Jr. (right) in Los Angeles in October 1995.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 14, 2024

What happened to damages that O.J. Simpson owed to the victims’ families?

Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Brown Simpson and Goldman in a 1995 criminal trial, but a civil jury later concluded that he caused their deaths.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during a spring training game on March 12.
BASEBALL / MLB
Apr 15, 2024

Ohtani’s dizzying three weeks end in exoneration by authorities

At times, baseball’s biggest star seemed in danger of being tainted by a gambling scandal, before his longtime interpreter was charged with fraud.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Opposition figurehead decries China's 'alarming' sway in Solomon Islands

The archipelago is the unlikely focal point of a diplomatic scramble pitting a rising China against Western rivals.
Scottie Scheffler receives his green jacket after winning the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Apr 15, 2024

Dominant Scottie Scheffler finishes strong to claim second Masters title

Scheffler dominated a back-nine shootout to capture his second green jacket at the Masters.
A acting torch bearer participates in a torch relay test in Troyes, France, on March 22.
OLYMPICS
Apr 15, 2024

Paris' Olympic flame to be lit in Greece

Spectators will be able to attend the torch relay events for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rapidus' semiconductor foundry construction site in Hokkaido
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2024

Chip plant wizard weathers Hokkaido’s bitter cold in latest test

Construction firm Kajima is plowing through a series of challenges to get a chipmaking factory built on time in snowy Hokkaido.
LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi and election strategy committee chair Yuko Obuchi speak to reporters in Tokyo on April 2.
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

By-elections to determine Kishida’s fate within LDP

Losing in the Shimane No. 1 district, long an LDP stronghold, would mark a major blow to the prime minister.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday.
BASKETBALL
Apr 15, 2024

Caitlin Clark leads way as top star in intriguing WNBA Draft

The Indiana Fever will — barring an unfathomable change of direction — select Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft.
Leaders of intelligence agencies testify before a congressional committee about worldwide threats in Washington on March 11.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2024

Campaign puts Trump and the spy agencies on a collision course

Some former officials fear that Trump, if elected again, would try to weaken intelligence agencies or undermine their independence.
The problem many developing countries have in repaying their debts might be even bigger than the world realizes, as many sovereign debts are hidden.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 10, 2024

Tackling the world’s hidden debt problem

Low-income countries are struggling to repay their debts. Better transparency and accounting systems could help them tackle this challenge.
Held April 19 to 21 and organized by the nonprofit organization Kominka Japan, the Minka Summit bridges architectural tradition with contemporary possibilities.
LIFE / Style & Design
Apr 16, 2024

Minka Summit returns for third year of home design, talks and more

The Minka Summit showcases Japan's traditional homes amid modern crises and a steady build in interest.
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki warns he’s ready to take action in the foreign exchange market after the yen fell further past ¥154 to the dollar.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 16, 2024

Japan’s tepid warning on yen fuels renewed weakness ahead of IMF

The finance minister’s comments come after the yen set a fresh 34-year low of ¥154.45 following stronger than expected U.S. retail sales figures.
Spectators watch the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai in April 2019. The event will return to the city this weekend for the first time since the pandemic.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Apr 16, 2024

Pride and hype as F1 roars back to China after COVID-19 absence

Fans will get to see Shanghai native Zhou Guanyu drive at his home track in Formula One for the first time.
Coral reefs bleach in the Great Barrier Reef as scientists conduct in-water monitoring during marine heat in Moore Reef, Australia, on Feb. 27.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Apr 16, 2024

Coral reefs suffer fourth global bleaching event, NOAA says

At least 54 countries and territories have experienced mass bleaching among their reefs since February 2023.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos answers questions from the media in Manila on Monday. Marcos has said that the Philippines will invoke its defense treaty with the U.S. if a Filipino soldier dies from a foreign attack.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

Philippines may invoke U.S. pact if foreign attack proves deadly, says Marcos

Making the comments Monday, the Philippine president referred to his conversation with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last week at the Pentagon.
In a Kyoto long past, the "hyakki yagyō" (100 demon night parade) haunted a sleepy corner of Kyoto. Now, one enterprising monster enthusiast has won a small batttle to keep the march alive.
LIFE / Travel
Apr 17, 2024

Kyoto’s demon night parade lives to haunt another day

Held this year on April 20, an ancient Kyoto monster march has overcome obstacles to continue going bump in the night.
Israeli soldiers mount an Israeli flag on a military vehicle near the Israel-Gaza border on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

Israel vows response to Iran attack amid growing calls for restraint

Israel's military chief of staff said Iran's direct attack "will be met with a response" as world leaders call for no further escalation.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, arrives to a state dinner in honor of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington on April 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

U.S. envoy visits Korean border after Russian veto dents sanctions enforcement

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield's trip is the highest-profile visit by a U.S. official since Vice President Kamala Harris went there in 2022.
Max Lange, 19, a plant mechatronics engineering trainee from Oederan, stands next to a solar panel rolling off the assembly line as part of the last production of solar modules at the Meyer Burger Technology AG plant, due to an announced closure of the plant, in Freiberg, Germany, on March 12.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 16, 2024

Lacking support in battle with China, European solar firms head to U.S.

This week the European Commission has launched a voluntary charter for governments and companies to sign in support of solar manufacturing plants.
Japan and other countries are holding annual talks on saury catch quota.
JAPAN
Apr 16, 2024

Japan and eight other countries discuss saury catch rules

Slated to run until Thursday, the talks will focus on setting calculation rules to allocate catch quotas.
French President Emmanuel Macron with French fencing champion Sara Balzer and Minister of Culture of France Rachida Dati, as the president attends a demonstration by the French fencing team during his visit to the Grand Palais, 100 days ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 16, 2024

Macron’s push to arm Europe is getting more urgent — and more dangerous

The fundamental problem for Macron is that he hasn’t managed to energize either France’s voters or its economic and military might behind his approach.
Workers clean argeli bark in the Ilam district of eastern Nepal. Thousands of miles away, in Japan, the bark will be used to make yen notes.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

On Himalayan hillsides grows Japan’s cold, hard cash

One of the poorest pockets of Asia supplies a primary ingredient for the economy in one of the richest.
China's yuan is at five-month lows and has lost 1.9% to the dollar this year as foreign investors pull more money out of its struggling markets.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Apr 16, 2024

China's cycle of dollar hoarding and weakening yuan gets vicious

Analysts say one of two things needs to happen to end the downward spiral, but both seem distant.
The salvaged Sewol ferry (back) on display at a port in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province on Tuesday, as South Korea marks the 10th anniversary of the country's worst-ever maritime disaster.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 16, 2024

South Korea marks 10th anniversary of Sewol ferry disaster

Families called out the names of the deceased and threw flowers into the water, followed by a moment of silence.

Longform

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