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In August 2019, Toru Takamatsu became the youngest master sommelier in history at just 24 years old.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jan 21, 2024

Japan’s first master sommelier dreams of Hokkaido wine glory

Why would a master sommelier go from Michelin-starred restaurants to the hands-on life of an apprentice winemaker in Hokkaido?
Skilled workers walk to a building for a skill test at a Haryana state government recruitment drive to send workers to Israel, at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak, India, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 19, 2024

Undeterred by conflict, Indian workers seek jobs in Israel

Masons, painters, electricians, plumbers and farmers say they could make five times more money in a year than they would at home.
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hits a return against Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko during their third round match on Friday at the Australian Open.
TENNIS
Jan 19, 2024

No handshakes as Belarus' Sabalenka downs Ukraine's Tsurenko

The match was a one-sided affair, as Sabalenka ruthlessly handed the 28th seed Tsurenko a dreaded "double bagel" in 52 minutes.
Wind turbines at an RWE wind farm off the coast of Great Yarmouth, England. RWE operates 3.3 gigawatts of offshore wind power in Europe.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2024

RWE plans further Japan offshore wind push after Niigata win

The German renewable energy company believes floating offshore projects will be the key to achieving the nation's goal of generating 45 GW of wind power by 2040.
Ryoji Ikeda’s “mass,” a site-specific installation at Helsinki’s Amos Rex museum, presents a stroboscopic video of black concentric rings that fill a square on the floor by rapidly expanding outward.
CULTURE / Art
Jan 20, 2024

Ryoji Ikeda adds to his universe of data in Helsinki

The Japanese composer and multimedia artist’s exhibition in Finland features two new site-specific installations that take advantage of the museum's unique interior space.
A group of Pikachu, three riding a Dragonite, play with Woopers, a Bulbasaur and other resort guests in “Pokemon Concierge.”
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 20, 2024

Pikachu just wants to help you relax these days

On Netflix’s “Pokemon Concierge,” the hyperactivity of the original gives way to soothing sights and tones that can help grown-up fans calm down.
Oil and gas tanks are seen at an oil warehouse at a port in Zhuhai, China, in October 2018.
BUSINESS
Jan 20, 2024

China defies sanctions to make Russia its biggest oil supplier in 2023

Russia shipped a record 107.02 million metric tons of crude oil to China last year, equivalent to 2.14 million barrels per day (bpd), the Chinese customs data showed.
A cut out of Lord Ram on a street ahead of the grand opening of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, India, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 20, 2024

A Hindu temple embodies the rise of Modi and India's deep divisions

With national elections a few months away, the inauguration of a controversial temple is symbolic of a changing India and marks the capstone of Modi’s 10 years in power.
India supporters wave the country's flag before the start of the national soccer team's Asian Cup game against Uzbekistan on Thursday in Al-Rayyan, Qatar.
SOCCER
Jan 20, 2024

Not just cricket: Qatar's Indians cheer on soccer minnows

At the Asian Cup in Qatar, Indian fans have been showing the world that their passion for sports doesn't end with cricket.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu will be wary of making too many changes after admitting that his tinkering against Iraq "had an effect on the players."
SOCCER
Jan 20, 2024

Shock Iraq defeat exposes Japan frailties at Asian Cup

The 2-1 loss leaves Samurai Blue facing a potential last-16 match with South Korea, assuming Japan still qualifies from its group.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning his fourth round match against France's Adrian Mannarino on Sunday in Melbourne.
TENNIS
Jan 21, 2024

No 'triple bagel' but Djokovic thumps Mannarino to reach quarters

The win marks a 32nd straight match victory at the tournament and a 58th Grand Slam quarterfinal, equaling the all-time record of Swiss maestro Roger Federer.
Past warnings of a housing-market crash in China have never been borne out. But unless the government takes concerted action, this time may well be different.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 21, 2024

Fixing China’s real estate sector

Housing dreams to economic nightmares, the perils of China's real estate boom.
Australia's Mack Horton celebrates after winning gold in the men's 400 freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, on April 5, 2018.
MORE SPORTS / Swimming
Jan 22, 2024

Australian swimming star Mack Horton retires ahead of Olympics

Horton, a fierce anti-doping campaigner, called time on his career on Sunday just months ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The rupture of one of the world's busiest shipping routes has exposed the vulnerability of China's export-reliant economy to supply snarls and external demand shocks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 22, 2024

Red Sea crisis pressures China's exporters as shipping delays mount

Further Red Sea disruptions would pile pressure on a struggling economy already contending with a property crisis and weak consumer demand.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a rally in advance of the New Hampshire presidential primary election in Rochester, New Hampshire, on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 22, 2024

Trump references atomic bombings to argue for presidential immunity

A federal court ruled last year that immunity would be lost upon leaving office, opening up former presidents to be punished for crimes committed during their tenures.
The value of Japan's exports rose at the fast pace in a year in December, propelled by shipments to China growing for the first time in over a year and record sales to the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 24, 2024

Strong December exports boost odds of a return to growth last quarter

A return to growth would make it easier for the Bank of Japan to end its negative rate policy.
Taiwan's roughly three decades of democracy have fostered a growing sense of self-identity, according to a long-running study by National Chengchi University.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jan 24, 2024

Taiwan’s China-backing party faces crisis after election defeat

Many voters are distrustful of the KMT's commitment to eventual unification with China, a goal shared by just a minority in the island.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One, during a news conference in Madrid on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jan 24, 2024

Madrid to host Spanish GP from 2026; Barcelona's future uncertain

The Barcelona circuit's contract expires after the 2026 race but F1 chief Stefano Domenicali suggested the Barcelona track could remain on the calendar beyond then.
A law making its way through the U.S. Congress would authorize the confiscation of billions of dollars in frozen assets owned by the Russian central bank, that would then be handed over to Ukraine as compensation for the war.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2024

Seizing Russia's central bank funds is illegal and unwise

A big question about giving Ukraine seized Russian funds is would such an asset grab break international law?
China Southern Airlines and Xiamen Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft at Boeing facilities in 2019. Between 2018 and 2022, Chinese customers booked only 25 Boeing planes, with sales dominated by cargo aircraft, according to Boeing data.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 25, 2024

Boeing delivers 737 Max jet to China in vote of confidence

It's unclear whether the event represents a real reset of the planemaker's relationship with Beijing or a temporary political concession.
Alexander Zverev celebrates his after victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarterfinals in Melbourne on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Jan 25, 2024

Alexander Zverev stuns Carlos Alcaraz to reach Australian Open semifinals

The big-serving German recovered from a major wobble to win 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 in just over three hours.
BUSINESS
Jan 25, 2024

China vows to improve business conditions, Japan top lobby says

Beijing has embarked on a push in recent months to attract foreign investment back, with the government pledging more "heartwarming” steps.
Photographer Robert Beck took the famous photo of Brandi Chastain celebrating the United States' victory in the Women's World Cup final in 1999 that appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
SPORTS
Jan 25, 2024

The Sports Illustrated cover, a faded canvas that once defined sports

Sports Illustrated's power to define sports discourse been steadily eroding, but it is hard to overstate the power it once had.
NATO, which celebrates its 75th birthday this year, has been successful at keeping the peace — but American underpinning can’t be guaranteed in perpetuity, especially with the possible reelection of Donald Trump. 
COMMENTARY
Jan 25, 2024

Europe should arm against the barbarians at its gates

Donald Trump told Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, that "NATO is dead." It would be prudent to take him at his word.
Some 5 million people globally die of causes related to air pollution from fossil fuels each year and climate change has a huge impact on people's health and psychological well-being.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2024

We’re finally recognizing climate change’s mental health toll

Climate change's impact on health, including psychological well-being, is overwhelming. COP28 took stock of this and put youth at the center of discussions like never before.
Shitsui Hakoishi, 107, works with researcher Yasumichi Arai (left) while her younger brother, Hidemasa, looks on. Researchers like Arai believe the healthy and active Hakoishi's cells may hold the secret to living a long life.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Jan 27, 2024

Living until 100, if not forever, in good health

Immortality may be out of reach, but can a slew of research projects prolong our natural aging process?
Taylor Swift attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 7.
CULTURE / Music
Jan 27, 2024

Outrage over deepfake porn images of Taylor Swift

One image of the U.S. megastar was seen 47 million times on X, the former Twitter, before it was removed Thursday.
Workers assemble electric vehicles at the Lucid Motors plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, in September 2021.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 28, 2024

Riyadh's multi-billion EV dream risks crashing into reality

Riyadh has spent billions to try to turn itself into a hub for electric vehicles and overcome obstacles including a lack of infrastructure and talent.
Bajaku Yoshiwara, a former pupil of "rakugo" storyteller Sanyutei Enka IV, speaks to reporters on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 28, 2024

Rakugo storyteller ordered to pay damages over power harassment

Bajaku Yoshiwara, who was studying the art of traditional Japanese storytelling under Sanyutei Enka IV at the time, sought ¥3 million in compensation.
Environment groups gather to oppose a key LNG terminal that threatened a delicate algal reef, in Taipei in December 2021. If Taipower can’t make sufficient progress on clean-energy generation, the island could potentially lose some of its allure as a destination for chip manufacturing.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 28, 2024

Taiwan’s troubled utility poses risk to chipmakers’ green goals

Political pressures have prevented the state-owned Taipower from passing on costs to customers, while bets on offshore wind have been marred by obstacles.

Longform

Atsuyoshi Koike, the president and CEO of Rapidus, says there is a “sense of urgency” when it comes to Japan’s efforts in manufacturing semiconductors. “We have to make sure we are successful,” he says.
Atsuyoshi Koike’s big game: Fourth down and 2 nanometers to go