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In 1990, there were five times as many men who had alcohol use disorder than women — now it’s two times, according to the director of a research institute on alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023

Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them

Analysis of data from the CDC found that alcohol-related deaths among women increased by nearly 15% per year between 2018 and 2020.
England captain Owen Farrell runs during training in Bagshot, England, on July 31.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Aug 18, 2023

World Rugby decision puts Owen Farrell's World Cup status in doubt

World Rugby said it appealing the decision to overturn the red card Farrell was given for tackle during England's game against Wales.
Novo Nordisk' anti-obesity drug Wegovy
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 18, 2023

Insurers can’t avoid covering weight-loss drugs forever

Evidence is mounting that drugs like Wegovy not only help patients lose weight but also help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference at Camp David in Maryland on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 20, 2023

Biden wants to sell his economic plan. But there's a problem.

The White House is embracing "Bidenomics” — originally intended to deride the president's policies — to instead promote his stewardship of the economy.
Surging populations of plant-eating insects are disrupting farms and the food supply chain, causing problems far more serious than sticky windshields from bug excrement.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 20, 2023

The insect apocalypse is coming to your neighborhood

Polar bears and sea turtles get most of the attention as victims of climate change, but when the bugs invade we're all going to feel it personally.
NASA and the Department of Defense are collaborating with Lockheed Martin to build and test a nuclear rocket engine by 2027.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 21, 2023

NASA’s $500 million rocket gamble is worth it

Nuclear rockets are worth pursuing, but only with careful safeguards and international cooperation.
Move Forward Party Leader Pita Limjaroenrat
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 21, 2023

Most disagree with Pheu Thai coalition government, poll shows

About 64% of 1,310 respondents said they "did not agree at all” or "disagreed” with Pheu Thai’s plan to lead what it called a reconciliation government.
The U.S. has 8,000 km of carbon dioxide pipelines, but will need at least 50,000 to hit climate goals, according to a carbon transport engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 21, 2023

U.S. Midwest is ground zero in the fight over carbon capture

The U.S. wants to greatly expand carbon capture and storage infrastructure, including pipelines, but many projects face opposition in the Midwest.
Semen Kryvonos, head of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 22, 2023

Ukraine's anti-graft police zero in on major wartime corruption

Fighting corruption has taken on vital significance with Kyiv hoping Western donors will send billions of dollars to help rebuild Ukraine.
Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas (left) battles for the ball against English forward Lauren James during in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sydney on Sunday. Spain won the match 1-0.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 22, 2023

FIFA boss should read the pitch on women’s pay

More than 2 billion people are expected to have tuned in. About 2 million attended matches in person. Both records. The FIFA Women’s World Cup generated more than $570 million to break even.
Challenges to the U.S. dollar’s vital role in the world economic and financial system are often said to be imminent, but somehow never materialize.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 23, 2023

A BRICS common currency is still a pipe dream

The greenback comprises just under 60% of global currency reserves, down from around 70% in 2000. Still that is well above any competitor.
A makeshift memorial in Moscow for Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin who is presumed to have died in private plane crash earlier in the week
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2023

If Prigozhin is gone, where does that leave Wagner?

What’s been said about President Vladimir Putin’s reign can also be applied to Prigozhin’s Wagner Group: "Nothing is true and everything is possible.”
A rescue worker stands next to a damaged building of the Moscow International Business Center following a drone attack in the Russian capital on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 26, 2023

Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russia are message for its own people

U.S. officials say they expect Ukraine to continue its attacks because they send a strong message: Kyiv can still strike back.
A new Russian textbook for high school students on general world and national history
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2023

Putin’s history lessons fail to heed the lessons of history

Putin seems to have forgotten is that rewriting history to serve the interests of those in power tends to invite dissent and often backfires.
One big challenge public health officials now face is how to restore trust so that people listen to future guidance on everything from flu shots to childhood vaccines.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 27, 2023

Not all COVID-19 ‘misinformation’ is equal — nor misinformation

Public health scientists have to figure out how to get back to the kind of nuanced, thoughtful discussions that were the pre-pandemic norm.
While privilege may always exist to some extent, efforts can be made to create a more equitable and humane society.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2023

We can move toward a post-privilege era. Who’s in first?

Privilege should be earned and shared, and it's not something that can be confined to a quiet street or an isolated island.
U.S. President Joe Biden has so far not commented on 91 felony counts in four indictments leveled at Donald Trump this year.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 28, 2023

Trump trials: A challenge and opportunity for Biden

So far, Biden hasn't weighed in on Trump's legal woes, which could boost the Republican's campaign while also shedding light on his alleged crimes.
Over the last decade, the attention given to falling income and wealth inequality has been tiny, creating a view of the issue that may be seriously out of date.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 29, 2023

We should concentrate on fighting poverty, not income inequality

Wealth inequality has recently gone down in the U.S. and the West, and the decline has been going on for the better part of the last decade.
Foxconn founder Terry Gou announces his bid for Taiwan's presidency in Taipei on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 29, 2023

Foxconn chief Terry Gou could upend Taiwan presidential poll

The tech titan has touted his business experience in announcing his presidential bid, but a number of challenges — including his ties to China — await.
An efficient, just-in-time strategy for manufacturing made Toyota’s production system famous.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 30, 2023

Toyota shuts factories, investors shrug. That’s resilience.

An efficient, just-in-time strategy for manufacturing made Toyota’s production system famous.
As China slips into deflation, one word is popping up more and more to describe the gloomy atmospherics: "Japanification."
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 30, 2023

'Japanification' for China? It should be so lucky.

China is not on the path to global dominance nor set for collapse, and observers should consider the various shades of gray in analyzing these countries.
Kyoko Yafuso and her son Keiju Togei pose in front of their store in the Sunrise Naha shopping street.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Sep 4, 2023

Tired Naha shopping arcade evolves into city’s best dining spot

Until about 10 years ago, the central shopping arcade around the Heiwa-dori street in Naha was deserted, with most stores closed and few visitors.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol hold a news conference during the trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, on Aug. 18.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 30, 2023

Camp David success depends on convincing the public

The Camp David statement is an important declaration of shared purpose and principles, and sets a path forward for substantive cooperation.
Actively managed exchange-trade funds are set to debut on the Tokyo Stock Exchange next week.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 31, 2023

Active ETFs cash in on corporate reform in Japan

Actively managed exchange-trade funds are set to launch in Tokyo next week.
Singaporean presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian gives speech on Aug. 22 in the lead-up to Friday's election.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 31, 2023

Singaporeans should vote in their imperfect elections

While the selection process for presidential candidates and the behavior of some of them may not be perfect, Singaporeans should vote on Friday.
Pictured in his Kyoto kitchen, Alain Ducasse has the largest collection of Michelin stars of any chef alive — not that he puts much stock in such accolades.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 3, 2023

Alain Ducasse: ‘The Kyoto customer wants refinement’

The world’s most Michelin-starred chef sees those stars as a “reward” instead of an “objective.”
While the Korean War armistice analogy is imperfect, it may provide the best available lesson for ending the war in Ukraine.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2023

Ukraine’s future isn’t German or Israeli but Korean

The Ukraine crisis needs a resolution, even if it means accepting an armistice that doesn't provide a clear victory for any party involved.
South Africa's Siya Kolisi takes selfies with fans after a practice session in Corsica on Aug. 29.
MORE SPORTS
Sep 1, 2023

Springbok icon Siya Kolisi defies odds to return in time for World Cup

Siya Kolisi rose from a hungry and impoverished childhood to become 'an international rugby icon.'
Emperor penguin chicks perished at multiple breeding grounds in Antarctica last year, drowning or freezing to death when sea ice was eroded by global warming.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Our addiction to fossil fuels is killing baby penguins

Global warming is decimating sea ice and, with it, baby penguins. But why should we care about this and other species dying off?
A Yes23 volunteer holds pamphlets while speaking with commuters about Australia's upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, in Melbourne.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 4, 2023

Most Australians oppose constitutional Indigenous panel, poll shows

The proposed Indigenous committee would advise Parliament on matters affecting Indigenous people in the country.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?