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Japan's Koki Kano (right) battles Yannick Borel of France in the gold-medal bout of the men's individual epee at the Paris Olympics on July 28.
OLYMPICS / Fencing
Aug 5, 2024

How a grassroots push helped Japan's fencers become world-beaters

Japan bagged five fencing medals in Paris to put it atop the medal table in the sport, the first time a non-European nation has done so.
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after beating Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles final at the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
OLYMPICS / Tennis
Aug 6, 2024

Roland Garros delivered an Olympic tourney for the ages

The 37-year-old's win over Carlos Alcaraz was one of the best Olympic matches since the sport returned to the fold in 1988.
Kohei Saito, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Tokyo, in a "common forest" in Hachioji, Tokyo, in July
JAPAN
Aug 6, 2024

Slow down to save the planet, says Japanese philosopher Kohei Saito

Capitalism is the root cause of climate change, and we need to stop chasing growth, Saito argues.
U.S. President Joe Biden escorts Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to their trilateral summit at the White House in Washington in April.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 6, 2024

As U.S. ‘minilateral’ diplomacy grows, Japan emerges as key actor

As geopolitical tensions in the region rise, the breakout of any conflict would put Tokyo on the front lines alongside Washington.
Athletes who are part of the Refugee Olympic Team participate in the Parade of Nations on the River Seine during the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics on July 26.
OLYMPICS
Aug 6, 2024

Refugee Olympic Team representing displaced people and making its mark in Paris

The refugee team, which first competed at the 2016 Games, will walk away from the Paris Olympics with one medal and potentially more.
Despite China’s advocacy for “no first use” as a global standard and its call for inclusion in international law for nuclear weapons, many analysts view it as a political statement rather than a practical strategy.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 6, 2024

China’s 'no first use' nuclear policy rings hollow for many

Critics argue that China's NFU policy is less credible due to its expanding nuclear arsenal and the secrecy surrounding
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the newly minted Democratic vice presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign rally with U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

Harris and Walz campaign together for first time as White House ticket

The event kicked off a multiday tour of U.S. battleground states aimed at introducing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the national stage.
Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, leaves his house to attend a court hearing in Dhaka on May 2.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

Nobel winner Yunus to lead Bangladesh after shunning politics

Though he’s mostly stayed away from politics, Muhammad Yunus is one of Bangladesh’s most famous faces.
Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota, speaks during an event at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin, on Jan. 25.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

How Tim Walz pushed Minnesota toward aggressive climate policies

Tim Walz, the Minnesota governor tapped to become the Democratic vice presidential nominee, has accelerated his state’s embrace of clean energy and electric vehicles.
Shujun Wang leaves the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on June 26 during his trial on charges that he acted as an agent of a foreign government. Wang, who billed himself as a scholar and a democracy activist, was convicted in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday of acting as a spy for the Chinese Communist Party.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

Chinese academic convicted of acting as foreign agent in U.S.

The U.S. Department of Justice is cracking down on what it calls "transnational repression" by U.S. adversaries such as China and Iran.
Google may try to avoid antitrust actions by terminating an agreement which makes its search engine a default on Apple devices.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 7, 2024

Google antitrust ruling may pose $20 billion risk for Apple

A potential remedy for Google to avoid antitrust actions could involve terminating the agreement, which makes its search engine a default on Apple devices.
Thailand's Move Forward Party Leader Pita Limjaroenrat (center) during a rally in Bangkok in July 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

Thai court disbands opposition party over royal reform push

In a unanimous ruling, the nine-member court found that Move Forward’s bid to amend the lese majeste law violated poll rules.
High School peace messengers call for abolition of nuclear weapons in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York in November.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 7, 2024

Hiroshima student activist calls for abolition of nuclear weapons

Yukiko Ouchi established an organization promoting peace to pass down the voices of hibakusha to younger generations.
People shake hands with army personnel as they celebrate the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 7, 2024

Bangladesh army refused to quell protest, sealing Hasina's fate

In Bangladesh, resentment still lingers even among retired soldiers that Hasina had been allowed to leave.
As investors look for opportunities in the new environment created by the Bank of Japan and the resulting market turmoil, there is broad consensus that they will have to reevaluate what they thought they knew about the country.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2024

Japan morphs into the center of worry for global investors

In less than a week, Japan has completely upended the world’s expectations for its markets and economy.
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attend the Japan-U.S. Extended Deterrence Dialogue in Tokyo on July 28.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 7, 2024

Japan-U.S. alliance transforms with concrete 'two-plus-two' talks

Despite the long and challenging history of Japan-U.S. two-plus-two meetings, this year's Tokyo meeting was truly groundbreaking.
U.S. Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, and her just-announced running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, greet supporters on Tuesday at Temple University in Philadelphia, the first day of their "Battleground State Tour."
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 7, 2024

Harris VP pick is a regular guy — exactly what she needs

Walz is the perfect counterbalance to Harris. He brings deep experience as a governor, House contacts as a former congressman and an everyman back story.
A Deadpool cosplayer walks outside the convention center during Comic Con International in San Diego, California, on July 26.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 8, 2024

Box-office hero Deadpool could set record at comic-book auction

Cover artwork featuring Deadpool's first appearance in the comics went on sale at Heritage Auctions with an asking price of $7.5 million.
Vinesh Phogat of India (in red) wrestles Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the women's 50-kg semifinals on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics. Phogat was later disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024

Disqualification costs India a medal, but its Olympic future still looks bright

Vinesh Phogat had a chance to win a first Olympic gold for Indian women. But even after he disqualification, the country's female athletes have a promising future.
Avocados hang off a tree at an orchard in Tancitaro, Michoacan state, Mexico
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Aug 7, 2024

Avocado goldrush links U.S. companies with Mexico's deforestation disaster

The U.S. demand for avocados divides communities in Mexico, where it is both a driver of economic growth and a catalyst for environmental crises.
An employee of Luxor's International Airport stands near an EgyptAir plane in Luxor, Egypt, in 2021.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

U.K. and Egypt issue alerts for Iran and Lebanon airspace amid growing risk

Many airlines are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace while also calling off flights to Israel and Lebanon.
A bulletin board shows the day's highest temperature in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on July 29.
JAPAN / Boiling Point
Aug 8, 2024

From Naha to Nemuro, how Japan’s cities are responding to more heat

Municipalities are reaching for everything from automated misting systems to anime to help cool residents and educate them about the risks of heat.
Utagawa Hiroshige produced several highly successful series of landscape prints over the course of his career, including “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” — the largest collection of his career.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 8, 2024

The definitive guide to Utagawa Hiroshige's masterwork is a feast for the eyes

Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks' new book is a rare compendium of the Japanese artist’s landscapes, even by local standards.  
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 9, 2024

Trump offers three September debates against surging Harris

Donald Trump has found himself on unfamiliar ground as something of a bystander, eclipsed by Kamala Harris' rise as he has scaled back his own campaigning.
Taxis wait for fares outside the airport in Wuhan, China. Ride-hailing and taxi drivers are among the first workers globally to face the threat of job loss from artificial intelligence, experts say.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 9, 2024

China's drivers worry as robotaxis pick up pace — and passengers

Automating jobs could benefit China in the long run given a shrinking population, economists said.
A solar farm in Dunhuang, northwest of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. Last year, China broke records in adding new wind turbines and solar panels. This year, it’s set on making sure people use them.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Aug 9, 2024

China’s policy blitz shows fresh resolve to support clean energy

China's latest moves signal a change in priorities taking place in Beijing to move to cleaner energy.
A petrochemical plant in China. Asia's producers face the toughest outlook, with oversupply likely to persist.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Aug 9, 2024

Petrochemical makers enter survival mode amid global glut

Major petrochemical producers in Asia and Europe are selling assets, shutting older plants, and retrofitting facilities.
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday as selloffs in global markets, including Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, deepened amid concerns about a slowdown in the global economy.
EDITORIALS
Aug 9, 2024

BOJ rate hike spooked markets, but it's not the sole culprit

Unwinding decades of loose monetary policy was always going to be challenging, and the global economy must brace for similar adjustments from other central banks.
A nature experience program at the Global Mizuiku Summit in Vietnam.
ESG CONSORTIUM
Aug 12, 2024

Suntory nurtures water, forests and future generations

Just like Suntory Holdings says in its corporate philosophy, “To inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature,” the company contributes to the enrichment of people’s lives beyond merely selling food and beverages globally. Although responsive to...
Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
COMMUNITY / Issues / Longform
Aug 9, 2024

In search of the ‘Japanese dream’

You've likely heard of the American dream. In Japan, where no such concept exists, immigrants forge their own ideals.

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