Search - 2012

 
 
Simon Cheng, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong now living in Britain, at the offices of an organization he founded to aid new Hong Kong arrivals, in London on May 20. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kongers have resettled in the United Kingdom since 2021, including prominent pro-democracy activists — and China has not forgotten them.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
May 27, 2024

Spying arrests send chill through Britain’s thriving Hong Kong community

The arrests have cast a spotlight on activists’ concerns about China's surveillance of its critics abroad.
The rate of the U.S. dollar against the yen is displayed on an electronic stock board outside a securities firm in Tokyo earlier this month.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 28, 2024

Popularity of yen 'carry trade' may dent impact of BOJ rate rises

The weakening yen and strengthening greenback are increasing the attractiveness of the strategy by boosting its total return.
Mainland Chinese tourists on a converted car ferry in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor on April 19, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 29, 2024

Business-first Hong Kong now comes with a catch: Beijing politics

The former British colony is hewing closer to mainland China, blurring distinctions that once cemented the city’s status as mostly free from Chinese politics.
Despite the United Arab Emirates taking "significant steps to address" gold smuggling, Bern-based NGO SwissAid says billions of dollars worth of the precious metal arrive in the country from Africa every year.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
May 30, 2024

Billions in African gold smuggled to UAE every year, SwissAid says

The nongovernmental organization estimates that the illicit trade amounts to between $23.7 billion and $35 billion annually, based on current market prices.
As the world marks World No Tobacco Day on Friday, debate is growing over passive smoking in one crucial space that remains unregulated: private homes.
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 30, 2024

In Japan, neighborly debates light up over secondhand smoke

Passive smoking has become a concern because many people live in multiunit apartment buildings or small houses with little space between them.
With brightly colored hair and equally colorful attire, the 48-year-old Maaya Orii certainly stands out in a crowd.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 1, 2024

Paging Dr. Maaya, the neurosurgeon doubling as a fashion designer

Maaya Orii works as a neurosurgeon in Tokyo on weekdays and as a doctor in Kushiro, Hokkaido, on weekends. In her spare time, she’ll shift gears and focus on fashion.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol addresses the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul on Monday as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Qiang listen on.
EDITORIALS
May 31, 2024

A long-neglected trilateral resumes — to expected results

Revival of this trilateral has been driven by Chinese uncertainty: worries about its economy and anxiety regarding geopolitical developments.
The view from the top of one of the five 70-meter-deep shafts spread across the tunnel system of the ¥230 billion Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 3, 2024

Tokyo underground: Exploring what lies beneath the world’s largest city

Tokyo has developed a massive network of underground infrastructure to support its population, a system being put to the test by extreme weather.
Bidet toilets are the norm in Japan, where more than 80% of homes have one. But their numbers are growing worldwide.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2024

Feeling flush: Japan's high-tech toilets go global

Sales are surging abroad and especially in the United States, led by A-list bidet fans such as Drake, the Kardashians and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Jacob Zuma, former South African president, left, visits the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) stand at the Independent Electoral Commission national results center in Midrand, South Africa, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2024

Jacob Zuma the disruptor has South Africa’s fate in his hands after vote

Six years after being pushed from office, Zuma successfully upstaged his successor Cyril Ramaphosa in national elections this week.
An earthquake-damaged area in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, in May 2023. The Noto Peninsula has been experiencing an ongoing “seismic swarm” since late 2020.
ENVIRONMENT / Earth science / OUR PLANET
Jun 3, 2024

How rain and snow play a role in Noto’s ‘seismic swarm’

The seismic activity in the region is synchronized with changes in underground pressure, which is influenced by seasonal patterns of precipitation.
French forward Kylian Mbappe waits for the arrival of the French president at the team's training camp ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, France, on Monday.
SOCCER
Jun 4, 2024

'Superstar' Mbappe makes 'dream' move to Real Madrid

The player is set to earn €35 million a season, according to reports in Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be appearing in his 11th major tournament at Euro 2024.
SOCCER
Jun 7, 2024

Portugal putting faith in Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024

Roberto Martinez has given Cristiano Ronaldo his full backing since taking over as Portugal coach.
A Neon Genesis Evangelion statue on display at small worlds miniature museum in Odaiba.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2024

Gainax, known for 'Evangelion' anime production, goes bankrupt

Business conditions began to deteriorate around 2012, and the firm lost its anime production capabilities following an exodus of its creative staff.
Myo Kyaw Kyaw, 38, a member of Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority who is seeking refugee status in Japan, speaks during an interview on May 29.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 9, 2024

Japan's revised immigration law sparks deportation worries

The revised immigration law allows the deportation of individuals who have applied for refugee status three times even while their applications are being processed.
Former lawmaker Tomohiro Konno has been arrested for allegedly lending his name as a lawyer to other people to do legal work in violation of the attorney law.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 13, 2024

Ex-Japan Lower House member Konno arrested over name-lending

Konno allegedly lent his name to have other people do legal work to recover special fraud damage for five victims, with virtually no cases of damage recovery.
Fumio Kishida
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2024

Kishida Cabinet approval hits new low of 16.4%: Jiji poll

The result suggests that the Cabinet's efforts to revise the political funds control law in the wake of a slush fund scandal have not been well received by the public.
Japanese players celebrate after winning a point against Canada during a Volleyball Nations League match on Thursday in Fukuoka.
OLYMPICS / Volleyball
Jun 14, 2024

Japan’s women’s volleyball team punches ticket for Paris

The JVA received the news from FIVA, the sport’s governing body, after it calculated the rankings points as of Thursday.
The contested Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 16, 2024

Philippines submits U.N. claim to extended continental shelf

Manila claimed it was entitled to "establish the outer limits of its continental shelf" up to 350 nautical miles (648 kilometers) off the western island of Palawan.
Andy Murray has a chance to compete at his fifth Olympic Games this year in Paris.
TENNIS
Jun 17, 2024

Britain's Andy Murray uncertain about competing in fifth Olympics

Murray said Sunday he was "not 100% sure" he will play at the Paris Olympics despite being selected for his fifth Games.
Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in action against the Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova in Nottingham, England, on Saturday
TENNIS
Jun 18, 2024

Jabeur 'avoids risk' by missing Paris Olympics

Last year Jabeur underwent surgery on her right knee.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court with the NBA championship trophy after Boston clinched the title on Monday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 20, 2024

Celtics celebrate as confidence grows that winning run is just beginning

The Celtics sealed the NBA title earlier this week, but Boston had actually been waiting for this moment for over a decade.
Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan celebrates scoring his team's second goal during host Germany's group-stage win over Hungary on Wednesday in Stuttgart.
SOCCER
Jun 20, 2024

Hosts Germany through to last 16 of Euros as Scotland earns draw

Germany followed up its 5-1 demolition of Scotland in the tournament's opening game by seeing off the Hungarians in Stuttgart.
An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin, in the South China Sea on March 9, 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 20, 2024

Collisions make visible China's 'salami-slicing strategy' in South China Sea

A Filipino sailor lost a thumb in a confrontation with China's coast guard at the Second Thomas Shoal on Wednesday, according to the Philippine navy.
Residents at a residential facility for the elderly in Sapporo show off their nails after getting them done during an on-site training session for welfare nail technicians in May.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 20, 2024

'Welfare manicures' bring a touch of color to the lives of Japan’s elderly

The practice, which took off in 2012, has been well-received among residents of care facilities for the elderly and people with disabilities.
An electronic shelf tag at a supermarket in Tokyo's Sumida Ward shows a product is sold at different prices according to the expiration date and inventory status.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 21, 2024

Japan's food loss hits a record low in fiscal 2022

With the goal met for businesses to reduce food waste, the government will consider setting a new reduction target.
Japan head coach Eddie Jones attends a training session in Tokyo on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jun 21, 2024

Wary England set for Eddie Jones reunion in steamy Japan Test

Temperatures are set to reach 30 degrees Celsius in the capital for Eddie Jones' first game since returning to the Japan job for a second stint.
Digital crime in Sweden has doubled since 2021 and become a growing risk for the Nordic economy.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 22, 2024

Ditching paper money makes Sweden a haven for digital criminals

Digital crime in Sweden has doubled since 2021 and become a growing risk for the Nordic economy.
Sanfrecce have attracted more than 25,000 fans to each of their J. League games at the spectacular Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima since it opened in February.
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 23, 2024

Sanfrecce feeling right at home at shiny new stadium in Hiroshima

The soccer club's new home has helped the team attract more than 25,000 fans to each J1 game in the baseball-mad city.
Japan's men's and women's gymnastics teams pose for photos during a news conference to announce the team's uniforms for the 2024 Games.
OLYMPICS / Gymnastics
Jun 24, 2024

Leotard vs. unitard debate in gymnastics still raging ahead of Paris Olympics

The German gymnastics team took a stand against sexualization in the sport in 2021, but heading into Paris, the leotard is still very much in vogue in Japan and abroad.

Longform

A man offers prayers at Hebikubo Shrine in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward. The shrine is one of several across the country dedicated to the snake.
Shed your skin and reinvent yourself in the Year of the Snake