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Shigeru Ishiba (center) celebrates in Tokyo on Friday after he was elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. He defeated economic security minister Sanae Takaichi (second from left) in a runoff vote.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 30, 2024

Shigeru Ishiba’s tenure as prime minister could be short-lived

Questions about his leadership and management ability weaken his prospects.
The Bank of Japan's September board meeting summary suggests the BOJ will endeavor to send clearer hints before raising its benchmark rate again.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 1, 2024

BOJ keen to avoid surprises after rate hike tanked Nikkei, meeting notes show

The bank's July 31 rate hike shocked markets and prompted the 225-issue Nikkei average's biggest tumble on record.
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte takes over as NATO secretary-general from Jens Stoltenberg of Norway at a ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 1, 2024

Mark Rutte set to assume NATO top job amid Ukraine and U.S. uncertainty

Rutte is expected to continue rallying support for Ukraine, pushing members to spend more on defense and keeping the U.S. engaged in European security.
A section of forest in part of the Natura 2000 nature protection areas in Kirkkonummi, Finland, in July 2021.
WORLD
Oct 4, 2024

Europe’s global green ambitions push too hard once again

Europe forged an aggressive timetable three years ago to curb global deforestation, but it proved too much for some.
The units under construction at Jera's liquefied natural gas fired power plant inside the company's Anegasaki Thurmal Power Station in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, in June 2022
JAPAN
Oct 6, 2024

Japan and South Korea to expand initiative to cut methane emissions

Methane's greenhouse effect is believed to be more than 20 times that of carbon dioxide. Leaks of methane from gas fields are a major issue that need to be dealt with.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a Lower House session on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 7, 2024

Ishiba fends off questions on endorsement of scandal-tainted LDP members

The prime minister was grilled in parliament on the extent of support the ruling party will give those implicated in a recent slush funds scandal in upcoming polls.
Internal affairs minister Seiichiro Murakami speaks during an interview at the ministry in Tokyo's Kasumigaseki district on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 7, 2024

Japan's new internal affairs minister looks to boost regional revitalization

Seiichiro Murakami aims to increase the number of regional development cooperation volunteers from 7,200 to 10,000.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks during a news conference in Bangkok on Sept. 7.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 8, 2024

ASEAN must play key role in resolving Myanmar crisis, Thai prime minister says

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Monday the regional bloc ASEAN must play a key role in ending the protracted civil war in Myanmar, ahead of a summit of the leaders of the 10-member group in Laos this week.
Hiroshi Moriyama, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has a strong influence over the administration of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2024

LDP linchpin Moriyama has big influence over Ishiba

The newly elected president took his secretary-general's advice on several key matters, including party and Cabinet appointments as well as calling a snap election.
Capsule hotels were created as a way to deal with the amount of overwork employees tend to do in Japan. Can't commute home? Then spend the night in an tiny, affordable sleeping space.
BUSINESS / Tech / Longform
Oct 12, 2024

Japan wakes up to the market for a proper sleep

After years of sleep deficits and drowsy mornings, a growing number of products and services are being developed to help us rest easier.
Vince Carter spent 22 seasons in the NBA and was an eight-time All-Star.
BASKETBALL
Oct 14, 2024

Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups among 13 enshrined in Basketball Hall of Fame

Carter was known for high-leaping dunks during a 22-season NBA career while Billups won an NBA title with Detroit in 2004, taking NBA Finals MVP honors.
A building that houses a museum of penises and an H&M in Reykjavik, Iceland, has become the virtual home to some of the world’s worst perpetrators of identity theft, ransomware, disinformation, and other wrongdoing.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 14, 2024

Some of the web’s sketchiest sites share an address in Iceland

The street address of the Icelandic Phallological Museum is also the registered address for a company that allows people to shield their identities online.
A woman holds a banner during a demonstration in support of surrogate motherhood in Rome on April 5. The banner reads: "We are families not crimes."
WORLD / Society
Oct 17, 2024

Italy extends ban on surrogacy to couples who seek arrangements abroad

The highly divisive bill makes Italians who seek surrogacy in other countries liable for prosecution on their return home.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a BRICS business forum in Moscow on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2024

The rise of BRICS and the emerging multipolar world

The diversity among BRICS members presents challenges in forming a unified agenda, especially given differing political systems and goals.
Moldova'n President Maia Sandu attends a press conference at her campaign headquarters in Chisinau on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 21, 2024

Moldovan leader ahead with EU vote uncertain, partial results show

A referendum aiming to enshrine EU membership into Moldova's constitution had only 45% support, with about half of the electorate left to be tallied.
Since the Abu Dhabi takeover in 2008, Manchester City has gone from a middling team to winning six of the last seven Premier League titles, an unprecedented success in over 130 years of English soccer.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Soccer needs to avoid a tyranny of the rich

A dispute between the Premier League and Manchester City has both sides claiming victory.
An attendee walks past a picture of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump holding a gun and the words "Merry MAGA you filthy animal!" at the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, which the organizers call "the largest open carry rally in America," in Greeley, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 12.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

New cases of political violence roil U.S. before contentious election

There have been at least 300 cases of political violence since Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Moldova's incumbent President and presidential candidate Maia Sandu attends a press conference in Chisinau on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

Moldova votes in favor of EU membership by thin margin despite influence

Police in the country reported incidents including efforts to transport or bribe voters, photographing ballots, intimidation and scuffling.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs to first after hitting a single in the first inning against the Mets during Game 6 of the NLCS in the MLB playoffs in Los Angeles on Sunday.
BASEBALL / MLB / Sac Bunts
Oct 22, 2024

Shohei Ohtani closer than ever on World Series mission

The star stands four wins away from capping off a storybook first season with the Dodgers by achieving his dream of winning the World Series.
Asako Osaki attends the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, in New York in March.
BUSINESS / WOMEN AT WORK
Nov 3, 2024

How global lessons can improve prospects for women in rural Japan

Through motherhood, education and work, Asako Osaki worked to bring global standards to the front lines of gender issues.
Former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi stumps in the city of Nara on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 22, 2024

With her sights set on Ishiba's throne, will Takaichi take over the LDP?

Anything less than a comfortable victory in Sunday's general election will put the prime minister in a vulnerable position.
“Vote harassment” continues to be a significant barrier to women’s participation in politics, with only two prefectures having passed local ordinances aiming to eliminate the problem.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 24, 2024

1 in 4 female candidates face sexual harassment during campaigns

Despite a record 314 women running in Sunday's Lower House election, harassment continues to be a barrier to women's participation in politics.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin (right) and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 24, 2024

At Putin-hosted summit, one guest stood out: Erdogan

President Vladimir Putin has rolled out a red-carpet welcome in his pursuit of partners interested in ending U.S. dominance over the international financial system.
The vote of confidence in Masaso Kanda, former Japanese vice finance minister for international affairs, will be taken over a period of a month from Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 24, 2024

Masato Kanda, former top currency diplomat, sole candidate to head ADB

A vote of confidence in 59-year-old Kanda, who was recommended by the Japanese government, will be taken over the course of a month from Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, pose with other leaders for a group photo during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday. The summit illustrated a collective dissatisfaction with the current global power structure dominated by the U.S.
EDITORIALS
Oct 25, 2024

BRICS once again meet to complain and vent frustrations

While the summit gave the appearance of unity, there are significant differences in how member states perceive issues.
When Italy’s Cavour aircraft carrier visited Japan in August, it was the latest in a string of other ports of call by European nations such as Britain, Germany and France, all of whom are engaging in military and defense industry partnerships in East Asia.
ASIA PACIFIC / Longform
Oct 25, 2024

Will Europe's pivot to Asia have any teeth?

Deals are being made and carriers are making visits, but it is yet to be seen if nations on the other side of the world will come when a crisis hits.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Chisato Morishita bows to reporters on Sunday in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, after she was projected to win a seat in the Lower House election.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 28, 2024

Record number of women elected to Japan's Lower House

A total of 73 female candidates won seats in Sunday’s general election, making up about 16% of the membership of the chamber of parliament.
Protesters, including supporters of Georgia's opposition parties, hold a rally to dispute the result of a recent parliamentary election won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, in Tbilisi, Georgia on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 29, 2024

Georgia and Moldova votes show challenges of EU enlargement push

The EU has been making a renewed push to bring in new members since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Atomic bomb survivors and members of Nihon Hidankyo attend a news conference a day after the group won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, in Tokyo on Oct. 12.
JAPAN
Nov 2, 2024

Nihon Hidankyo to send 31 people to attend Nobel Peace Prize ceremony

"We hope to deliver the voices of hibakusha in the midst of perilous situations in the world," the assistant secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo said.
Members of the Lower House panel on the Constitution discuss issues related to constitutional amendments in June.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 5, 2024

Push for constitutional amendments in Japan wanes after election

The number of Lower House seats held by the parties positive toward constitutional amendments fell short of the 310 needed to put them up for a national referendum.

Longform

Totopa in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward was picked by consultants TTNE as the best sauna of the year.
Japan’s sauna movement: Relax, refresh, repeat