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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses for a group photo with other regional leaders prior to the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) leaders meeting in Tokyo in December.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 16, 2024

Japan's energy diplomacy reflects global divide over how to reach net zero

Japan’s focus should be on advancing truly innovative and effective renewable technologies, rather than prolonging fossil fuel use.
The race to succeed Fumo Kishida as the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party promises to be the most competitive in memory. There is no heir apparent and the party's internal structure has been decimated by scandal.
EDITORIALS
Aug 16, 2024

Kishida’s tenure has simple lessons for his successor

The race to succeed Kishida promises to be the most competitive in memory. There is no heir apparent and the LDP's internal structure has been decimated by scandal.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Takayuki Kobayashi speaks to reporters during a visit to Tokyo's war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Thursday, the 79th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 17, 2024

Takayuki Kobayashi set to announce LDP presidential bid

The 49-year-old lawmaker, serving his fourth term in the House of Representatives, has already secured support "from well over 20 people."
Security guards on the observation deck of the Istanbul Sapphire building.
WORLD
Aug 17, 2024

The shaky ground below Istanbul is getting people worried

After last year's devastating quake, and criticism the authorities weren’t prepared, banks are now getting ahead on contingency planning.
If Shigeru Ishiba, a former secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, announces his candidacy for the party's presidential election, it will be his fifth attempt at the top post.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 18, 2024

Shigeru Ishiba to announce LDP leadership candidacy soon

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week said that he will not seek reelection as LDP president and will step down after the party picks his successor.
The volunteer lifesavers of Nishihama Surf Lifesaving Club never know what's in store at the start of their day.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Aug 19, 2024

It's no simple day at the beach for Japan's volunteer lifesavers

Protecting beachgoers from drowning, heatstroke and possible tsunami, lifesavers are seeking formal recognition for what they do.
Collector containers at the Climeworks AG carbon removal plant in Hellisheiði, Iceland. Once fully operational, the facility will be capable of capturing up to 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 19, 2024

New 'carbon removal budget' suggests massive removal shortfall

Much of the technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere hasn’t reached its full potential — and time is running out.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 19, 2024

Singapore’s Wong hands out fresh perks ahead of election

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong sought to reassure citizens their voices are being heard during his first and last National Day Rally before Singapore's general election.
Participants of Shomeikai’s Type B employment support workshop take part in a training session at a rental meeting room in the city of Fukuoka in May.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Aug 26, 2024

Welfare workshop helps people with disabilities become IT engineers

Shomeikai leverages on a cutting-edge software development methodology that lets users work in a team and support one another.
Wind turbines in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2024

Japan offers lifeline to ESG investing amid backlash overseas

In light of the anti-ESG sentiment in the U.S. and Europe, analysts said that Japan can play a key role in driving sustainable finance globally.
An infant orangutan with its mother in Sepilok, Malaysia, on Saturday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 19, 2024

Apes to stay at home as Malaysia tweaks 'orangutan diplomacy'

Countries that buy Malaysian palm oil can "sponsor" one or more orangutans, and the funds collected will be used to implement conservation programs, minister says.
Digital minister Taro Kono at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo in September 2023
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 19, 2024

LDP presidential hopefuls' first hurdle — securing 20 signatures

Each needs to garner support from 20 LDP lawmakers before the registration deadline for them to stand in next month's election.
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi announces his candidacy in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 19, 2024

Rising star Takayuki Kobayashi launches bid for LDP president

The former economic security czar has touted his candidacy as a symbol of radical change in a party embattled by scandals.
New gene-edited crops could address climate change and agricultural challenges; however, high regulatory barriers and safety concerns limit innovation.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 18, 2024

It’s time to embrace a new era of gene-edited food

New crops may improve our health or help us mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (left) and Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa (second from left) pose for a photo with Indian defense chief Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 21, 2024

Japan and India to update key document on security cooperation

Tokyo is also looking to provide New Delhi with advanced naval antennas and exploring the possibility of repairing Japanese warships in India.
Military vehicles carrying DF-26 ballistic missiles travel past Beijing's Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in Beijing in September 2015.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 21, 2024

Biden approved secret nuclear strategy refocusing on Chinese threat

In a new classified document, the U.S. president ordered preparations for possible coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China and North Korea.
The 7-Eleven convenience store chain, a deeply ingrained part of modern Japanese life, faces a potential takeover by Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard.
COMMENTARY
Aug 21, 2024

A 7-Eleven buyout would stretch Japan’s appetite for M&A

The country’s convenience stores have become essential to daily life. That has many fearing the prospect of a foreign takeover.
The yen's rebound is clouding an outlook for Japanese firms' earnings that have enjoyed a boost from the weak yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Yen’s rebound threatens earnings growth in Japan

Weak demand in China and the risk of a slowing U.S. economy are fueling worries about how sustainable their earnings growth will be.
Shoppers outside a Sephora store in Vancouver on Aug. 15
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

LVMH’s Sephora cuts around 10% of staff in China as its woes deepen

While Sephora has expanded to some 300 stores since entering China in 2005, the country is increasingly difficult for higher-end retailers to navigate.
Seven & I Holding’s logo is seen at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo on Aug. 19. Apart from 7-Eleven, Seven & I also owns, has stakes in or operates a number of other iconic properties, including Denny’s, Tower Records and Ito-Yokado.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 22, 2024

Japan warms to audacious Canadian bid for 7-Eleven operator

The deal might just work if Alimentation Couche-Tard lets the convenience store chain get on with business and continue to develop and expand globally.
Transport ministry officials enter the Kobe plant of Kawasaki Heavy Industries for an on-site inspection on Thursday.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024

Transport ministry raids Kawasaki Heavy over ship engine test tampering

The firm has admitted inappropriately tweaked testing equipment to keep emissions data within ranges of customer specifications and reduce the variance of data.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, arrives to speak on the fourth day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 23, 2024

Harris accepts historic nomination to start election sprint

Her challenge now is to harness the energy and excitement of a party reinvigorated by her rapid ascent.
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters in Yokohama on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 23, 2024

Shinjiro Koizumi is public's favorite for next LDP leader, poll shows

Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba also received a strong degree of support.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to Liberal Democratic Party members during a leadership election at its headquarters in Tokyo in September 2020.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 24, 2024

Ex-defense chief Shigeru Ishiba announces fifth bid for LDP presidency

The party heavyweight underscored a commitment to clean politics, pledging to work to restore trust in the LDP after a wide-ranging slush fund scandal.
Emergency responders assist a man who collapsed during lengthy heat wave in Phoenix in July last year.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 24, 2024

Heat kills thousands in the U.S. every year. Why are the deaths so hard to track?

As heat waves become more frequent and intense, researchers and activists say the lack of effective tracking is leading to needless deaths.
Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls' School in Kanoi village near Jaisalmer, India, earlier this month. In the sweltering heat of India's Thar desert, an architecturally striking school is an oasis of cool.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Aug 24, 2024

Indian desert school's unique design offers respite from heat

Temperatures inside the school, designed by U.S. architect Diana Kellogg and built by local artisans, can be as much as 20% lower than those outside.
Cho Seong-hoan tends to bees at a farm near the Demilitarized Zone, in Paju, South Korea, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 25, 2024

The DMZ is an unhealed wound for South Korea. It’s also a source of great honey.

The area is home to a biodiverse landscape and is a place of deep meaning for nearby farmers whose bees can fly freely through it.
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 25, 2024

Once allies, Ishiba, Kono and Koizumi set to battle for LDP president votes

The three, dubbed the "Koishikawa coalition" after kanji characters from each of their last names, will jostle for party member support in the Sept. 27 election.
A Tepco official shows emptied water tanks at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as he explains about a plan to dismantle the tanks.
JAPAN
Aug 26, 2024

Tepco aims to dismantle Fukushima water tanks from 2025

Tepco plans to dismantle 12 empty treated water tanks out of about 1,000 existing tanks.
A store clerk tries to cool things down in front of their shop by spraying a hose.
BUSINESS / Economy / Longform
Aug 26, 2024

Is extreme weather changing the way Japan shops?

Intense heat and an increase in storms, by-products of a changing climate, are altering consumer behavior.

Longform

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