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A person holds a placard as people gather outside the White House after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he is stopping his bid for reelection in Washington on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 22, 2024

Shock — and relief — as Americans digest Biden's election exit

U.S. President Joe Biden's shock decision Sunday to end his re-election bid drew an outpouring of heartfelt reactions from American voters.
The 2024 presidential race throws another curveball at the markets with U.S. President Joe Biden dropping out of the race.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 22, 2024

How investors are reacting to Biden dropping reelection bid

Many investors are waiting to see who the new Democratic nominee will be, with some uncomfortable about the uncertainty.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden walk through the colonnade on their way to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington in January 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 22, 2024

World leaders praise Biden’s record after U.S. president quits 2024 race

Leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, said they would continue to watch the U.S. presidential race closely.
U.S. President Joe Biden attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 22, 2024

A confident Netanyahu takes his message to a weakened Biden

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House is seen by many as a sign of U.S. President Joe Biden’s declining ability to impose his will on the world.
Mai Yamamoto drives to the basket during an Olympic tune-up game against New Zealand in Tokyo on July 4.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Jul 22, 2024

Akatsuki Japan believes it can 'surprise the world' in Paris

Women's basketball team will be looking to replicate its inspiring Olympic run in Tokyo and make waves in Paris.
The annual number of Self-Defense Forces personnel quitting mid-career has reached around 6,000, accounting for around 2% of all SDF staff.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 22, 2024

Defense ministry concerned as more SDF staff quit citing workplace issues

The government's Defense Buildup Program, formulated in 2022, emphasized curbing mid-career resignations of SDF personnel as an "urgent issue."
While chip stocks have been on a tear this year, some strategists see signs of overheating within the sector.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 22, 2024

Top Taiwan tech fund says there’s still more juice in AI rally

Fund manager sees more opportunities in Taiwanese and Japanese stocks amid tensions between the U.S. and China.
A street cleaner at the Lujiazui Finance District in Shanghai
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 22, 2024

Xi vows to rewire China’s finances and help indebted regions

Plans centered around shifting more revenue from the central to local coffers in China, such as by allowing regional governments to receive more of the consumption tax.
Fireworks during Irumagawa Tanabata Festival in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture in July 2023
JAPAN / Society
Jul 22, 2024

Many summer fireworks festivals in Japan canceled due to complaints

Property damage caused by debris, and littering and trespassing by those looking for a better view are among the reasons for the cancellations.
Paul Watson, leader of the environmentalist association Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, speaks at a news conference in Paris in December 2015.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 22, 2024

Greenland arrests anti-whaling activist on Japan warrant

Paul Watson's arrest is believed to be in connection with an Interpol Red Notice related to Watson's previous anti-whaling interventions in the Antarctic.
People visit the Xpeng booth during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition on April 19, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 22, 2024

Volkswagen and Xpeng deepen software collaboration across EVs in China

Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng said that it has entered into a technical collaboration agreement with Volkswagen.
At a waste center in Kamikatsu, Tokushima Prefecture, residents separate trash into 45 different categories as the town aims to become "zero waste."
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 22, 2024

How circular economy initiatives are changing the world

From Asia to Europe to Africa, public and private entities are finding new ways to revolutionize the economic paradigm from a linear to a circular model. In Japan, too.
One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
PODCAST / deep dive
Jul 22, 2024

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Homeless influencers, fantasy boyfriends and bubble-era bars — Kabukicho seems to have it all.
Scientists drive their snowmobiles cross the arctic during dawn near Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway, on April 10, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2024

Pentagon to bolster response to China and Russia in Arctic

Measures are needed "to ensure the Arctic does not become a strategic blind spot,” the Defense Department said in its 2024 Arctic Strategy released Monday.
A man squats next to a fire as Palestinians, who fled the eastern part of Khan Younis, were ordered by Israeli army to evacuate their neighborhoods in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday.
WORLD
Jul 23, 2024

Israel sends tanks back into Khan Younis area and kills 70

"It is like doomsday," said one resident of the area affected in Gaza.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 23, 2024

Taking on Trump, Kamala Harris vows to draw on prosecutorial experience

The U.S. vice president has also promised to drive forward laws to protect abortion rights and ban assault rifles, and focus on rebuilding the middle class.
As of Sunday, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical reported 279 deaths and 2,274 hospital visits due to health issues related to its beni kōji supplements, among which 461 required hospitalization.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 23, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma's president and chairperson resign over health scandal

For the first time in its history, someone outside of the Osaka-based drugmaker's founding family will become its president.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara meet in Singapore in June.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 23, 2024

U.S.-Japan security talks to cover 'extended deterrence' for first time

The allies' top diplomats and defense chiefs will for the first time cover the U.S. commitment to using its military capabilities, including nukes, to protect its ally.
Artificial intelligence is transforming various business sectors and the economy. But concerns about humanoid robots replacing all jobs are unfounded, as human dexterity will remain essential for the foreseeable future.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2024

AI is making robots smarter. They’ll need boundaries.

Where AI meets the physical world — and creates the potential for conflicts — is in manufacturing and logistics.
Starbucks mobile app shows an error message on Friday. A botched software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike crashed countless Microsoft Windows computer systems globally.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2024

CrowdStrike meltdown and the price of real security

Catastrophic system failure isn’t part of the equation — until it happens. Which will be occurring with increasing frequency in our deeply interconnected world.
A woman watches as soldiers practice laying mines and nets to stymie the landing of enemy forces at the mouth of a major river leading to the city in Taipei on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 24, 2024

China squeezes Taiwan by targeting islands and fishing sites

Mostly using its Coast Guard, Beijing appears to be asserting itself in new ways around Taiwan’s offshore outposts.
The health ministry is calling for people to take infection control measures thoroughly as cases of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases are rising in Japan.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 24, 2024

Japan battling 11th COVID wave, data shows, as KP.3 variant evades immunity

New infections have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks amid the rise of the highly transmissible new coronavirus variant.
Members of the State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament, attend a plenary session in Moscow on July 10.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 24, 2024

Russian MPs vote to broaden 'undesirable organizations' law

One of the bill's authors said that British, German and Japanese organizations could fall under the new legislation.
A computer-generated image shows the new refined design of a next-generation fighter aircraft being co-developed by Japan, Britain and Italy.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 24, 2024

Japan has ‘no concerns’ over rumored hitch in joint fighter jet plans

While experts agree there are currently no indications that the U.K. might drop out of the program, the multilateral project still faces a number of challenges.
Amazon has launched an online service enabling customers in Japan to purchase prescription medications without having to visit physical pharmacies.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 24, 2024

Amazon Pharmacy goes live in Japan

Through the new service, Japanese consumers will be able to obtain medications without having to visit physical pharmacies.
The yen strengthened Wednesday to break the psychological threshold of ¥155 against the dollar, with technical indicators suggesting the momentum can continue.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 24, 2024

Yen extends advance as unwinding of global carry trades ramps up

Investors are betting on more rate hikes in Japan and the chance of further intervention by authorities to prop up the Japanese currency.
Former President Donald Trump gets ready to take the stage shortly before the assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July, 13. Four U.S. presidents have been killed in office.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2024

The U.S. presidency is a deadly job — and always will be

Roughly a quarter of all U.S. presidents have been victims of serious assassination attempts — four of which ended in death.
King Charles and Queen Camilla of Britain attend a ceremony on June 25 to welcome Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on a seven-day state visit to the U.K.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 24, 2024

The imperial visit that crowned Japan-U.K. friendship

Having overcome past tensions, Japanese-British relations are at their peak, as seen during Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako's state visit to the U.K. in June.
Green products must meet customer needs at competitive prices to succeed. If such technologies gain traction, both the planet and consumers will benefit.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2024

Going green doesn’t have to be a giant money suck

Green products must meet customer needs at competitive prices to succeed. If such technologies gain traction, both the planet and consumers will benefit.
U.S. rugby player Ilona Maher poses for a portrait during the Team USA media summit ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, at an event in New York on April 15.
BUSINESS
Jul 24, 2024

Athlete influencers compete for likes as well as medals in Paris

In years past, athletes might have needed a manager to negotiate deals with brands. Now, a company will reach out directly to strike a deal.

Longform

Passengers that were on a morning train attacked by members of the Aum Shinrikyo group wait for medical assistance outside Kasumigaseki Station on March 20,1995.
The day a religious cult brought terror to Tokyo