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U.S. lawmakers last week overwhelmingly backed a bill to ban TikTok unless Chinese parent company ByteDance divested itself within six months.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 18, 2024

Monsters, asteroids, vampires: AI conspiracies flood TikTok

YouTube tutorials show users how to create "viral conspiracy theory videos" and profit off TikTok's Creativity Program.
Prime Minister and Liberal Democratic Party President Fumio Kishida delivers a speech during the LDP's 91st party convention in Tokyo on Sunday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2024

What is being missed about the funding scandal

In discussions about the LDP funding scandal, certain considerations are missing. Beyond lambasting the party, these must be addressed for a clear vision.
A container ship passes at Keelung port in northern Taiwan in July 2010.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Mar 18, 2024

Pressure builds for charge on shipping sector's CO2 emissions

At an International Maritime Organization meeting, 47 countries are supporting the imposition of a fee on each ton of greenhouse gas the industry produces.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani arrives at Incheon International Airport in South Korea ahead of the MLB's Seoul Series, on Friday.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 19, 2024

All eyes on Ohtani on eve of MLB's Seoul Series

The Dodgers star touched down in South Korea to a welcome worthy of a K-pop act
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo attend a working luncheon at the Sofitel Hotel in Manila on Tuesday. Blinken’s trip, which also touched upon economic cooperation, followed a trade mission visit by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo a week earlier.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 19, 2024

Blinken pledges closer U.S.-Philippine security ties ahead of trilateral summit with Japan

The top U.S. diplomat and his Philippine counterpart also signaled the allies were eyeing ways to "operationalize" security cooperation with Tokyo.
Japanese automakers explore a unified approach and industry consolidation to stay competitive in the global EV market.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 19, 2024

As China’s EVs approach, Japan’s carmakers must step on the gas

China sees an opportunity to dominate, and just as it did with sectors from steel to solar panels, it’s unlikely to always play fair.
An illustration of the planned Paris Games opening ceremony on the River Seine
OLYMPICS
Mar 20, 2024

Russians and Belarusians will not take part in Paris Games opening parade

The athletes from the two countries will be competing as independents without their flags and anthems following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka hits a forehand during a match at Indian Wells on March 13.
TENNIS
Mar 20, 2024

Tennis rallies around Sabalenka at Miami Open after boyfriend's death

Sabalenka's partner, Belarusian former NHL ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, 42, died earlier this week, police said.
A commuter walks along an overpass in Jakarta.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Mar 20, 2024

Only 10 countries had healthy air quality in 2023, report finds

Sources of PM2.5 pollution vary widely, but the overwhelming cause is the burning of fossil fuels.
Hong Kong leader John Lee (center) with lawmakers after they passed the city's new security law. Hong Kong has fast-tracked into law domestic security legislation that critics say could muzzle open economic discussion and tighten control over foreign bodies operating in the global finance hub.
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2024

Hong Kong's new security law only deepens challenges for financial hub

While the city’s role as a financial center dwarfs that of rivals, more firms are choosing Singapore as their Asian base.
Artisan Suzanne Ross says Japanese lacquerware is a "treasure that belongs to the world."
JAPAN / Society
Mar 20, 2024

Wajima artisan’s livelihood, four decades in the making, upended by disaster

Lacquerware artist Suzanne Ross' life was upended by a massive earthquake. Now, she's determined to keep her craft alive.
Baseball fans wait to enter Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday ahead of the MLB opener between the Dodgers and Padres.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 20, 2024

K-pop stars to help showcase South Korea during Seoul Series

Before Ohtani’s debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres begins, K-pop girl group aespa will hit the stage for a performance.
Naomi Osaka smiles after a point during her win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday.
TENNIS
Mar 21, 2024

Confident Osaka eases into Miami Open second round

Osaka had little trouble in defeating Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto to move into the second round.
Protesters hold up placards demanding the release of detained Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military in March 2021.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 21, 2024

Myanmar junta facing 'existential threat,' says U.N. expert

"Those who have bet on the junta to restore order and stability in Myanmar have made a losing bet," said Tom Andrews.
Sayaka Murata uses inventive language to bring the character of Keiko to life in "Convenience Store Woman."
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 22, 2024

'Convenience Store Woman' and the 'normal' in life and literature

Author Sayaka Murata's use of marked and unmarked language provides new layers to a commentary on modern society.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino said that since he took command in 2021, the PLA has added over 400 advanced fighter aircraft and more than 20 major warships, and has more than doubled its inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 21, 2024

China on track to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, U.S. commander says

All signs point to the People's Liberation Army meeting President Xi Jinping’s preferred timeline, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief says.
With little pushback from the international community, particularly the U.S., China has managed to expand its maritime borders unilaterally in the South China Sea without hardly firing a shot.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2024

The South China Sea could boil over

With the wars in Ukraine and Gaza stretching its military resources thin, a direct confrontation with China is the last thing the U.S. needs.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani talks with interpreter Ippei Mizuhara during a spring training game in Phoenix on March 12.
BASEBALL / MLB
Mar 21, 2024

For Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara was far more than just an interpreter

The 39-year-old has been a ubiquitous presence in Ohtani’s life since his move to the major leagues ahead of the 2018 season.
Tourists wearing rented 'maiko' costumes stroll down a street in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 18, 2024

Kyoto and the hard part of soft power

Kyoto has the kind of soft power few cities — and countries — possess.
A lack of comprehensive consumption — and inflation — data makes it impossible to get an accurate picture of India's poverty.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 21, 2024

India’s poor will not be wished away

Poverty remains deeply entrenched in India and appears to have increased significantly.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference on Tuesday after the central bank ended its ultra-aggressive monetary stimulus program and scrapped the world's last negative interest rate.
EDITORIALS
Mar 22, 2024

The BOJ's rate hike is both more and less than it seems

There are some fears that the BOJ's return to a positive interest rate environment threatens weak companies.
In Hideo Yokoyama’s “The North Light,” an architect sets out to solve a mystery when he finds out the family he built a prizewinning house for has vanished.
CULTURE / Books
Mar 23, 2024

'The North Light': One man's psychological journey subverts the crime genre

Hideo Yokoyama's novel centered on a man confronting the shattered pieces of his life offers a look into post-bubble Japan's architectural world.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen in action during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 23, 2024

Max Verstappen continues pole perfection in Australia

It was the irrepressible Dutchman's third pole out of three this season and fourth in succession dating back to 2023.
TENNIS
Mar 24, 2024

Sun returns to Miami as Swiatek dominates and Osaka earns big win

It is another big step in the 26-year-old Japanese's comeback, having now picked off two top 20 ranked players in the six matches since her return.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz celebrates with the winner's trophy after taking the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday in Melbourne.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 24, 2024

Sainz leads Ferrari 1-2 in Australia as Tsunoda grabs first points of 2024

Japan's Yuki Tsunoda had his best drive of the season and finished eighth to give him momentum heading into the Japanese Grand Prix in two weeks.
Some 43% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials say they suffer from a flawed perception of their finances.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 24, 2024

'Money dysmorphia' traps the younger generations

Some 43% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials say they suffer from a flawed perception of their finances.
The Central business district of Hong Kong. Hong Kong IPOs have dried up as stock prices slump and economic prospects wane.
BUSINESS
Mar 25, 2024

Once high-flying bankers in Hong Kong become a lost generation

The damage is underscored by the barrage of layoffs, the retreat of global capital, and the city’s diminishing role as an international financial center.
South Korea's economy is one of the world's most advanced by many metrics but has been unable to shake its classification as an emerging market due to a host of issues, including the way its currency is managed.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

South Korea's push to make its markets global dogged by FX history

The export powerhouse is struggling to loosen the tight currency restrictions that have been a major pain point for investors and traders in the country.
People feel that Japan may be getting out of deflation and there could be an economic transformation, a top regulatory official says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 25, 2024

Japan seeing more interest from foreign asset managers, official says

Tokyo has inched up one position higher to 19th place in the Global Financial Centers Index.
Globally, the area covered by mines has doubled over the past three years, driven by demand for critical minerals, according to a 2023 study.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2024

For mineral-rich Philippines, green metals rush is a balancing act

The county has the world's fourth-largest copper reserves, fifth-biggest nickel deposits and is also rich in cobalt — which are important for clean energy.

Longform

It's back to the classroom for some residents as municipal governments across the country conduct lessons to learn how to use new technologies.
Can aging Japan go digital without leaving anyone behind?