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The shutdown of Elon Musk's X has drawn parallels with authoritarian regimes, damaging Brazil’s international reputation and raising concerns about judicial overreach.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 4, 2024

Shutting off Elon Musk won't help Brazil's democracy

While regulating hate speech is complex, the approach by Brazil's Supreme Court might be excessive and counterproductive.
Osaka is set to open Grand Green Osaka in the city’s Umekita area. It is a sprawling redevelopment that combines a park with mixed-use skyscrapers and is part of a push to rejuvenate the merchant city.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 5, 2024

Japan’s second city can finally make Tokyo jealous

For the first time in years, Osaka has something that will make Tokyoites jealous. It might also serve as a symbol of the merchant city’s push for a comeback.
Held annually in Cologne, Germany, Gamescom is the world's largest gaming convention, meaning it attracts attendees and exhibitors from near and far.
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Sep 7, 2024

Traveling to Germany is ‘worth the cost’ for Japan’s indie studios

"Nothing beats seeing players' faces as they play our game in person, and getting to ask them directly about their experience, both positive and negative.”
Red Square in Moscow. According to U.S. authorities, the Kremlin used an elaborate scheme to use American influencers to spread propaganda.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 6, 2024

Russia used a fake investor to dupe influencers, U.S. says

U.S. authorities have highlighted what they say is an elaborate scheme by the Russian government to spread propaganda.
The world’s largest system of hydroelectric power has been on standby since late 2022, when droughts drained the reservoirs that feed it. China's torrential downpours of the past few months are switching that immense machine back on.
COMMENTARY
Sep 6, 2024

A flood of hydro is washing coal from China's grid

The world’s largest hydroelectric system, located in China, has been dormant since late 2022 due to droughts, but recent heavy rains are now reviving its operations.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, ahead of the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 7, 2024

U.S. opposition to Nippon Steel deal 'very unsettling,' PM hopeful Ishiba says

Some experts say blocking the deal could undermine U.S.-Japan cooperation on national security, and put the lie to the notion of "ally shoring."
Attorney General Merrick Garland sits between Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and FBI Director Christopher Wray during a meeting of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, in Washington on Sept. 4. Federal prosecutors say Russia secretly paid the American company Tenet Media to push pro-Kremlin messages from social media influencers including Benny Johnson, Tim Pool and Dave Rubin.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 9, 2024

Russia secretly worms its way into America’s conservative media

The latest indictment reflects the growing sophistication of the Kremlin’s long-standing efforts to shape American public opinion and advance its geopolitical goals.
California has ambitious climate policies. But the state should shift more green energy-related costs from electricity bills to taxes to promote fairness and sustainability.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2024

California's crushing power bills challenge its climate goals

California is incredible, but making it livable, what with its droughts, floods, fault-lines and wildfires, has never been cheap.
While nuclear weapons are difficult to use without catastrophic consequences, Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric aims to frighten Ukraine's allies into halting arms support.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 9, 2024

How to read Putin’s next nuclear threat

Historical analogies show that nuclear threats rarely succeed, but Russia’s signals of desperation should not be ignored.
Firefighters extinguish a car after recent shelling by Ukrainian forces in Belgorod, Russia. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that talks are impossible, Ukraine’s ability to impose costs on Russia could eventually push him toward negotiations. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 9, 2024

How to make the most of the Kursk gambit

Both nations are unlikely to achieve total military victory, and the conflict will likely be resolved through negotiations.
Signage in the spin room ahead of the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Monday
WORLD / Politics
Sep 10, 2024

What to watch for during the Harris-Trump presidential debate

Most opinion polls show Kamala Harris to be slightly ahead nationally and in the majority of battleground states, but Donald Trump is close behind.
With the world's democracies and authoritarian regimes watching, the U.S. election on Nov. 5 will have global implications.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 10, 2024

The choice confronting American voters

Republicans and Democrats differ significantly on the role of government in society, a divide that the U.S. Supreme Court used to mediate.
From Malaysia to Brazil, free speech is being pitted against social media regulation.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 11, 2024

To hold Big Tech accountable, focus on the harms

The Malaysian case underscores the urgent need for effective safeguards against online abuse, while raising concerns about the potential misuse of regulatory power.
Wealthy Chinese shoppers are buying luxury goods in Japan to take advantage of favorable exchange rates, which is hurting European luxury brands' profitability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 8, 2024

Big Luxury frets that China is turning Japanese

Wealthy Chinese shoppers are buying luxury goods in Japan to take advantage of favorable exchange rates, which is hurting European luxury brands' profitability.
Pope Francis blesses a child during his visit to Dili, East Timor, on Tuesday. The pontiff's Asia-Pacific tour is a strategic step toward a larger goal: a visit to China, a country that could soon have the largest Christian population in the world.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 10, 2024

Pope Francis’ Asia trip is all about China

The Vatican is among 12 diplomatic allies Taiwan still has left. There are concerns these loyalties could shift as the Holy See attempts to improve ties with Beijing.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for November's presidential election, speaks during a debate with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday in Philadelphia.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 12, 2024

Trump faces blowback for repeating lie about migrants and pets

The episode highlighted the risk for political candidates of embracing conspiracy theories that don’t survive the light of day off social media.
Hong Kong’s property tycoons are eagerly awaiting interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve due to their struggles with slow home sales, vacant office buildings and tenants pushing for lease renegotiations.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 12, 2024

The Fed is making Hong Kong's billionaire landlords anxious

Many Hong Kong property companies have significant amounts of debt at floating interest rates tied to Hibor, which tracks the Fed's rate changes.
Cristiano Ronaldo scores for Portugal during a Nations League match against Scotland in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday.
SOCCER
Sep 12, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo labels Erik ten Hag's attitude as too negative for United

The Portugal star, who now plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, fell out with Ten Hag before his second spell at Old Trafford ended late in 2022.
United manager Erik ten Hag directs his team during a match against Liverpool on Sept. 1.
SOCCER
Sep 13, 2024

United manager Erik Ten Hag responds to criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo

Ten Hag has said he is "quite confident" of claiming more silverware this campaign after lifting the League Cup and FA Cup over the past two seasons.
A CH-148 Cyclone helicopter and a CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft fly over the Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Winnipeg in the Asia-Pacific region in November 2020. Canada has been gradually boosting its military engagement with Asian partners.
JAPAN
Sep 13, 2024

Canada and Japan aiming to rapidly expand defense ties

Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair has said he thinks there are "unlimited areas of cooperation" between the two countries.
The deepening rift and growing geopolitical divide between the United States and Europe threatens the trans-Atlantic alliance.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2024

The U.S. will abandon Europe. But when and how?

The deepening rift and growing geopolitical divide between the United States and Europe threatens the trans-Atlantic alliance.
Looming interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and a new hawkishness on the part of the Bank of Japan can make a claim for the yens recent movements.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 13, 2024

Epic yen rally is a lesson in the lost art of FX intervention

Japan's own proactive currency interventions have played a crucial role in the yen's recent recovery.
Activists hold up symbolic eye masks during a protest against deepfake porn in Seoul on Aug. 30.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 13, 2024

South Korea is facing deepfake porn crisis

The industry creating AI technology must develop safeguards to address this epidemic.
Family members mourn and react next to the coffin of the slain Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei at the Moi Teaching & Referral Hospital (MTRH) funeral home, in Eldoret, Kenya, on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Sep 14, 2024

Uganda buries slain Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei with full military honors

Rebecca Cheptegei suffered burns to 80% of her body after her former boyfriend allegedly doused her in petrol and set her alight.
Candidates for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election stand together onstage at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 15, 2024

LDP presidential hopefuls outline approach to U.S. and China concerns

The nine candidates jostled over the best way to resolve Nippon Steel's contentious bid for U.S. Steel, while also grappling with the Chinese military challenge.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa passes against the Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Sep 15, 2024

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa urged to retire after latest concussion

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has faced calls on to retire from the NFL for his own health after suffering his third documented concussion.
Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a candidate in the LDP presidential election, speaks during a televised debate in Tokyo on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 15, 2024

LDP presidential front-runners Koizumi and Ishiba split on snap election

While the two front-runners vie to be Japan’s next prime minister, conservative firebrand Sanae Takaichi gains momentum in the polls.
Managers, in their effort to avoid appearing sexist, often provide women with insincere or inconsistent feedback during performance reviews.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 15, 2024

Women don’t always get the candid feedback they deserve

Managers, in their effort to avoid appearing sexist, often provide women with insincere or inconsistent feedback during performance reviews.
LDP presidential race candidates give campaign speeches in Nagoya on Saturday.
JAPAN
Sep 16, 2024

Ishiba and Takaichi struggle to widen support among LDP lawmakers

The situation is still uncertain, as about 100 LDP lawmakers have not decided whom to support in the Sept. 27 party leadership election.
Campaign spending in the U.S. has surged, with dark money and Super PACs dominating elections.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 13, 2024

Dark money is a cancer on U.S. lawmakers — but it’s curable

Nearly three-fourths of Americans voters say lobbyists and special interests wield too much influence compared to constituents.

Longform

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