Search - 2019

 
 
A plant set up at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Sewerage's Sunamachi Water Reclamation Center in Koto Ward to recover phosphorus from sewage sludge
JAPAN / Society
May 17, 2024

Tokyo to recycle phosphorus from sewage sludge for farm fertilizer

Phosphorus, along with nitrogen and potassium, is a crucial component of fertilizers.
Legislation that allows the option of joint custody of children after divorce is passed at the Upper House plenary session on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 17, 2024

Japan changes law to allow joint custody after divorce

For decades in Japan, one parent — almost always the mother — has been granted legal custody when a marriage ends.

A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2024

America wasn’t made for walking, and it’s killing them

A 2010 study found that U.S. adults averaged 5,117 steps daily and that this was lower than the averages found in similar studies in Switzerland, western Australia and Japan.
A demonstration condemning the killing of three Chinese teachers from the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute in April 2022. Terrorist groups in Pakistan are targeting Chinese nationals and threatening Beijing's Belt and Road initiative projects in the country.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2024

Should we stay or should we go? China's dilemma in Pakistan

Beijing is pouring billions into Pakistan to complete a key Belt and Road initiative artery. But this is threatened by terrorist groups targeting Chinese nationals and interests.
The U.S. military's secretive X-37B, a crewless space shuttle-like space plane, lifts off on its seventh mission to orbit, the vehicle's first launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket capable of lofting it far higher than ever before, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, last December.
WORLD
May 18, 2024

New star wars plan: Pentagon rushes to counter threats in orbit

Citing rapid advances by China and Russia, the United States is building an extensive capacity to fight battles in space.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last July.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 18, 2024

Saudi crown prince seeks soft power in game hub Japan

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Japan soon, where he will hold talks on energy while hunting more opportunities in gaming.
While not the most outspoken politician on the issue, digital minister Taro Kono has a track record of being serious in his commitment to addressing the climate crisis.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
May 19, 2024

The politicians moving Japan forward on climate

In the halls of power, climate-friendly voices may be few and far between, but some in politics are pushing for more aggressive action on decarbonization.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang (from left), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol are expected to meet in Seoul on May 26 and 27.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2024

Japan, China and South Korea eye economics and infectious disease fight in joint statement

But another focus will be whether the three countries will be able to keep in step over issues related to nuclear-armed North Korea.
Argentina's president Javier Milei gestures on stage during the Spanish far-right wing party Vox's rally "Europa Viva 24" in Madrid on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2024

Spain's Vox holds mass rally with Argentina's Milei and foreign allies

Nearly 11,000 supporters, according to the right-wing party, jeered at every mention of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda, feminism or socialism.
Mrauk U, in Myanmar's Rakhine state, in June 2019. Clashes have rocked Rakhine since the Arakan Army attacked security forces in November.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2024

U.N. warns of further 'atrocities' in Myanmar

Clashes have rocked Rakhine state since the Arakan Army attacked security forces in November.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov attends a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with commanders of troops of military districts, in Moscow on May 15.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2024

The technocrat who’s taking control of Putin’s war effort

While other technocrats in Russian President Vladimir Putin's orbit privately see his geopolitical moves as problematic, the new defense minister is a true believer.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends a meeting with Russia's president in Riyadh last December.
JAPAN / Politics
May 20, 2024

Saudi crown prince postpones Japan trip over king’s health

Saudi sources said Monday that members of the delegation would still travel to Japan for some talks.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gives a speech after his final match in charge at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on Sunday, the final day of the Premier League season.
SOCCER
May 20, 2024

Jurgen Klopp encourages Liverpool fans to keep believing during emotional farewell

The beloved German encouraged the Anfield faithful to celebrate the moment, but embrace the future.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the South China Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela (top right) and Assistant Director-General of the Philippines’ National Security Council Jonathan Malaya (top left) attend a presentation showing alleged Chinese activities at Scarborough Shoal, during a news conference in Manila on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2024

Philippines urges China to allow scrutiny of disputed shoal

Maritime tension has been rising in the South China Sea between Manila and Beijing.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola poses with the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Sunday.
SOCCER
May 21, 2024

Guardiola casts doubt over long-term Man City future

The manager has seen the team secure six top-flight titles in seven seasons.
Supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange protest outside The Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in central London on Monday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 21, 2024

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange wins right to appeal extradition from Britain to U.S.

Assange, 52, is wanted in the U.S. on 18 charges, nearly all under the Espionage Act, relating to WikiLeaks' mass release of secret U.S. documents.
Russia's Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia addresses the Security Council during a meeting on the maintenance of International Peace and Security Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation at U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2024

Russia fails in rival U.N. bid on nuclear and other weapons in space

The draft failed to get the minimum nine votes needed: seven members voted in favor and seven against, while one abstained.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara is expected to hold bilateral talks with  his South Korean counterpart, Shin Won-sik, during the Shangri-La Dialogue to be held in Singapore from May 31.
JAPAN / Politics
May 21, 2024

Tokyo and Seoul to bolster defense ties with deal to prevent radar row repeat

The two neighbors' defense ministers hope to use an agreement to kick-start their defense relationship, which has been in limbo since the incident.
The modernization of Japan's defense strategy is not just about military capabilities, it is also about building consensus and fostering public understanding.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 21, 2024

The winding road to Japan's defense modernization

The government's efforts to engage the public on defense issues are crucial for building consensus and ensuring the sustainability of defense reforms.
Japan's new whaling mothership, the Kangei Maru, is seen during the ship's launch ceremony at a port in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 22, 2024

Japan's new 9,300-ton whaling vessel sets sail on first hunt

The departure of the Kangei Maru heralds a new era for an industry defended by the government as an integral part of Japanese culture.
Aonishiki at the Sumo World Championships 2023 on Oct. 8. The Ukrainian wrestler remains on track to reach the sport’s salaried divisions by the end of the year.
SUMO / Inside Sumo
May 22, 2024

Is Ukraine's Aonishiki set to be the next European sumo superstar?

28 wins in 30 bouts suggests the former evacuee is on the fast track to glory.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the families of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
May 22, 2024

Raisi death reshapes Iran succession, putting focus on Khamenei son

Following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's, son Mojtaba has emerged as a top contender.
Rohingya refugees cross a bamboo bridge in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on May 2.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 22, 2024

Rohingya activists say Myanmar armed group has displaced thousands

Clashes have rocked Rakhine since the Arakan Army attacked junta forces in November, ending a cease-fire that had largely held since a military coup in 2021.
Water tanks used to cultivate seaweed on land by Three Lines in Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture
JAPAN / Science & Health / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Jun 3, 2024

Poor seaweed harvest prompts Kyushu University team to look toward land

The team has found some success with on-land farming, although increasing production yields for commercialization remains a challenge.
A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage, carrying Russian the Meteor-M spacecraft and 18 Russian and foreign additional small satellites, blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region of Russia on Feb. 29.
WORLD
May 23, 2024

Russia launched space weapon in path of U.S. satellite, Pentagon says

Russia and the United States have traded accusations over weaponizing space in recent months, and they have proposed rival nonproliferation resolutions at the U.N.
Service prices, a key component of Japan’s inflation data, may be sturdier than in the past.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 23, 2024

Steady and widening service price rises may spur BOJ’s next move

Service prices, a key component of Japan’s inflation data, may be sturdier than in the past.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs with the ball during the first quarter of the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs in Baltimore on Jan. 28.
MORE SPORTS / Football
May 23, 2024

Slimmed-down Ravens QB Lamar Jackson looks to become more agile

Jackson — the most prolific running quarterback in the NFL — is hoping to make it even tougher on opposing defenses this season.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, soaked in rain,  pauses as he delivers a speech to announce July 4 as the date of the U.K.'s next general election, at 10 Downing Street in London on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 23, 2024

Sunak gambles on July 4 election as Tories struggle in polls

The leading opposition party holds a poll lead of about 20 points that Sunak has been unable to shift since he took over from Liz Truss in late 2022.
The Takarazuka Grand Theater in the city of Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture. A former top star of the Takarazuka Revue has been arrested for fraud.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 23, 2024

Former Takarazuka star arrested over alleged ¥10 million fraud

Police allege that Terumi Ogura convinced an acquaintance to invest the money by deceiving her that she was planning to produce a movie.
Managing India's regional tensions will be critical for the nation's future, as demographic shifts and economic disparities threaten to exacerbate existing divides.
COMMENTARY / World
May 23, 2024

Hindu-Muslim split isn’t India’s most dangerous divide

If the long-established consensus around states’ rights continues to erode, India will be in real trouble.

Longform

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