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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath attend an election campaign rally in Kanpur, India, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 6, 2024

Fake videos of Modi aides trigger political showdown in India election

India's election will be the world's largest democratic event. With nearly a billion voters, tackling the spread of misinformation is a high stakes job.
Cars pass Chinese flags on a highway ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit in Belgrade, Serbia, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 6, 2024

China’s billions help Xi make useful friends in Eastern Europe

China's ties with Serbia and Hungary highlight how it's helping transform a corner of Europe when much of the continent views Beijing as a strategic rival.
The Kioke Summit on Shodoshima has seen a steady rise in participants from dozens in its early days 12 years ago and about 100 in 2019 to more than 600 this past February.
LIFE / Food & Drink
May 8, 2024

On Japan’s island of olives, age-old shoyu secrets survive

Each Kioke Summit features many activities including a "kioke" auction — shoyu fermentation barrels that fetch anywhere from ¥60,000 to ¥450,000.
Naoya Inoue celebrates his victory over Luis Nery in their IBF-WBA-WBC-WBO super bantamweight title boxing match at Tokyo Dome on Monday.
MORE SPORTS / Boxing
May 7, 2024

After blockbuster boxing victory, what next for ‘Monster’ Inoue?

Some want the boxer to take on more fights outside of Japan.
Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel is set to open in June in the theme park's new section featuring areas based on "Frozen," "Tangled" and "Peter Pan."
BUSINESS
May 7, 2024

Tokyo DisneySea taps ‘Frozen’ and 'Peter Pan' in ¥320 billion expansion

The expansion, which opens to the public June 6, is expected to help boost total annual sales by ¥75 billion.
Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge (center) among his pacers during a training session in Kaptagat, Kenya, on Saturday.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
May 8, 2024

Kipchoge's road to third Olympic gold starts in Kenya's Rift Valley

"I'm feeling good. But I think the next months will be more interesting," the athlete said after a training session.
A Chinese flag is flown near a Huawei store in Shanghai in 2023.
WORLD / Politics
May 8, 2024

U.S. revokes some export licenses for firms supplying China's Huawei

Huawei was placed on a U.S. trade restriction list in 2019 amid fears it could spy on Americans.
Brazil's Ronaldo (left) celebrates his goal against Turkey with teammate Ronaldinho during a World Cup match in Ulsan, South Korea, in June 2002.
SOCCER
May 8, 2024

Is Brazil still the land of soccer?

"We're at a low point. We used to have more top-quality athletes," the late Pele's eldest son, Edinho, said recently.
Head of North Korean propaganda Kim Ki Nam has died at 94.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 8, 2024

North Korea propaganda boss who shaped image of leaders dies at 94

He played an essential role in shaping the country’s messaging as leadership transferred to Kim Jong Il, and helped in the succession of Kim Jong Un.
Antigovernment protesters sing the protest anthem "Glory to Hong Kong" on May 13, 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 9, 2024

Hong Kong court bans protest anthem, saying it can be used as weapon

The ruling to ban the anthem "Glory to Hong Kong" comes amid what critics say is an erosion in Hong Kong's rule of law and individual rights.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held a news conference on Thursday, his first in about two years as he tried to set a new course for his conservative government after suffering a stinging defeat in parliamentary elections last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 9, 2024

South Korea’s Yoon tries to reset agenda with rare news conference

The leader used the event to lay out his priorities for his remaining three years in office.
Japan will add large fin whales to its list of commercial whaling species.
JAPAN
May 9, 2024

Japan to start hunting fin whales after five years of commercial whaling

The country resumed commercial whaling in 2019, after withdrawing from an international body that regulates the commercial hunt of the marine mammals.
Archaeologists say a 1,600-year-old wooden coffin at the Tomio Maruyama tumulus in the city of Nara was kept in good condition probably because it was protected by a layer of clay and copper ions that had seeped out of the mirrors that were buried together.
JAPAN / History / FOCUS
May 9, 2024

How the discovery of a giant sword in Nara offers clues into ancient Japan

Experts say a series of surprise finds at the burial mound could help untangle the many mysteries surrounding the rulers of fourth-century Japan.
Hong Kong is looking to Saudi Arabia in efforts to attract a new set of investors to replace Western nations who may be deterred from doing business in China at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 9, 2024

Hong Kong woos Saudi money in attempt to revive stock market

Its bourse operator has been having a tough time in recent years amid a stuttering Chinese economy and saber-rattling by Beijing and Washington.
The United States Steel's plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania. Nippon Steel is sticking to its plan to close a deal by year-end to buy U.S. Steel.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 9, 2024

Japan's Nippon Steel sticks to plan to close U.S. Steel deal by year-end

The takeover should bring Nippon Steel's global crude steel capacity to 86 million tons per year, close to its goal of 100 million.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman chairs a session of the virtual Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Riyadh in December 2020.
JAPAN
May 10, 2024

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to visit Japan

The visit to Japan by Saudi Arabia's de-facto leader, known by his initials MBS, will be his first since 2019.
A toddler tries to pull an electric kettle cord. Parents can often recognize the dangers within their own home, but may not be as vigilant when visiting new places during the holidays.
JAPAN / Society
May 10, 2024

Indoor child safety warnings issued for caregivers in Japan

Parents can often recognize the dangers within their own home, but may not be as vigilant when visiting new places during the holidays.
The Liberal Democratic Party faction once led by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe holds a fundrasing party in Tokyo in May 2023.
JAPAN / Politics
May 10, 2024

Abe faction's ex-treasurer pleads guilty to underreporting political funds

Junichiro Matsumoto admitted to underreporting political funds totaling ¥670 million ($4.3 million) in the period from 2018 to 2022.
LY said in November that there had been unauthorized access of its systems by a third party via Naver's cloud system, causing the leak of the personal data records of more than 300,000 Line users and others.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 10, 2024

Naver exploring options including stake sale in Line operator

Naver apologized for a recent security breach that led the Japanese government to issue administrative guidance.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese leader Xi Jinping review troops at the Tarbes Airport in southern France on Tuesday. Some experts believe Xi wants to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States with his European tour.
EDITORIALS
May 10, 2024

It’s ‘divide and conquer’ as Xi courts Europe

Xi wants to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States, or at least inhibit their convergence on a policy that identifies China as a threat.
Voters register at a polling station in Gujarat, India, on May 7.
WORLD / Politics
May 13, 2024

Low turnout and acrimony coloring Indian election at halfway point

India began its seven-stage election on April 19, with voting scheduled to end on June 1.
U.S. President Joe Biden touts the economic benefits of semiconductor investment at Intel’s Ocotillo Campus in Chandler, Arizona, on March 20.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 13, 2024

Global chips battle intensifies with $81 billion subsidy surge

The rush of funding has hardened battle lines in the U.S.-China trade war, including in nations like Japan.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi (left), and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul walk with other officials during their talks in Beijing on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2024

South Korea and China's top envoys eye trilateral summit with Japan

Seoul has not formally announced the date for the summit — the first since 2019 — but media reports have said it will take place on May 26 and 27.
East Japan Railway has set out a strict policy of not yielding to unreasonable demands from customers. The government and ruling parties are considering a labor law revision to strengthen measures against "customer harassment."
JAPAN / Politics
May 14, 2024

Japan mulls legislation against customer harassment

46.8% of union members said they had experienced customer harassment in the past two years, according to a survey this year by UA Zensen.
Spectators gather on South Padre Island to watch the planned launch of SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft from the company's Boca Chica launchpad, near Brownsville, Texas, on March 14.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2024

Musk's SpaceX is quick to build in Texas, slow to pay its bills

Unpaid bills and finger-pointing among contractors have led many construction-industry businesses to file liens against SpaceX properties.
Scottie Scheffler makes his final putt during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on April 22.
MORE SPORTS
May 14, 2024

Golf's No.1 Scottie Scheffler arrives at Valhalla for PGA Championship

The 27-year-old American, who captured his second Masters title last month, has won four of his past five starts.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi called a South Korean opposition party leader's landing on Takeshima "totally unacceptable."
JAPAN / Politics
May 14, 2024

Japan protests Takeshima trip by high-profile South Korea politician

Former South Korean Justice Minister Cho Kuk on Monday visited the small, rocky group of isles, known as Dokdo by Seoul.
A new era in Japan-U.S. military cooperation is set to begin after Japan's parliament enacted new laws to establish a joint command headquarters for the nation’s Self-Defense Forces.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 14, 2024

Let the real work on Japan’s defense modernization begin

Scheduled to go into effect in March 2025, the Japan Joint Operations Command will centralize command of the country’s military services.
Following the success of the Parklet cafe and bakery, Jerry “JJ’ Jaksich has launched his Baby J’s
line of chicken sandwiches right next to Tokyo’s Olympic stadium.
LIFE / Food & Drink / TOKYO FOOD FILE
May 15, 2024

Baby J’s hits a home run with its fried chicken sandwich

Marinated in buttermilk and deep-fried to a golden brown, Tokyo has neither seen nor tasted a sandwich like this before.
A demonstrator holds a music score while singing the “Glory to Hong Kong” protest song during a flash mob protest in Hong Kong in September 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2024

Videos of Hong Kong protest song blocked on YouTube after court order

The Court of Appeal granted an injunction that holds platforms responsible for hosting the song, exposing global internet companies to new legal risks.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.