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Feleti Teo was formally selected by lawmakers as Tuvalu's premier on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 26, 2024

Taiwan envoy says Tuvalu ties 'rock solid' post-election

With a population of just 11,000, Tuvalu is one of just 12 states that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taipei rather than Beijing.
A man claimed Amazon promised "unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming” of entertainment through Prime Video. He alleges the company reneged on the deal and is suing.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 23, 2024

Amazon shouldn't be swindling users

The tech giant is being sued for charging subscribers more than advertised: Not what you'd expect from a self-professed customer-obsessed company.
Koichi Kondo plays the harmonica. Playing harmonica was like life itself for members of the Bluebird Band, according to his words.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Mar 4, 2024

Harmonica melodies of Hansen's disease patients live on

A band featuring the instrument was founded in 1953, at a time when prejudice against the disease was still strong
Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen drives during the third day of the Formula One pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Feb 27, 2024

F1 starts longest season with Red Bull still the team to beat

Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin are all confident that gremlins in their new cars have been removed.
French President Emmanuel Macron  invited his European counterparts to the Elysee palace for a hastily arranged meeting to discuss how to ramp up ammunition supplies to Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024

France's Macron doesn't rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine

The French President also cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed to ramp up efforts to deliver more munitions to Kyiv.
In early February, the Finance Ministry announced that government debt at the end of last year had reached a record high of ¥1.2 quadrillion.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 27, 2024

With downfall of Abe faction, some see a shift in Japan’s debt debate

The faction has long promoted fiscal stimulus, but its demise combined with wider economic conditions could open up space for a different approach.
Japan's players pose for a group picture ahead of their soccer match against North Korea in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
SOCCER
Feb 27, 2024

Coach urges Japan to be 'aggressive' against North Korea

The teams drew 0-0 in Saturday's first leg in Saudi Arabia and the winners will claim one of two Asian berths at the Games.
French President Emmanuel Macron's comments fitted with his reputation as a diplomatic disruptor who likes to break taboos and challenge conventional thinking.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2024

Macron's Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies

The French president's idea of possibly sending troops to Ukraine was so ambiguous that he sparked confusion and irritation among some allies.
While Tokyo and Washington have maintained strong ties under U.S. President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida amid intensifying concern over China’s regional ambitions, Japanese officials are still hedging their bets by sending out feelers in the event of another term under Donald Trump.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 28, 2024

Ex-senior Trump official reassures Tokyo over possible comeback

A former deputy assistant to the ex-president swatted away concerns, saying Trump's 2024 White House bid "is a very different effort than 2016."
Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada attends the red carpet event for FX's "Shogun" at the Academy theater in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 27, 2024

Disney’s ‘Shogun’ has a lot to teach the West

Walt Disney returns "Shogun" to the screen and reinvents an epic tale for a new generation.
There is a global trend toward economic bifurcation with the U.S. and China leading the charge — and multinational solutions are needed to address the new challenges.
COMMENTARY
Feb 28, 2024

The inexorable movement toward a divided global economy

Efforts to protect national economies from threats require multinational solutions. Chains are only as strong as their weakest link.
Takuya Usami, the curator at Mantenboshi, a stargazing observatory in Noto, Ishikawa Prefecture, said that a survey by the Environment Ministry had ranked the Noto region as among the best places in Japan for stargazing.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 29, 2024

Stargazing observatory in quake-hit Noto looks forward to reopening

“I want to show everyone little by little the beauty of the starry sky, one of Noto’s attractions," a curator at the observatory said.
Starbucks workers hold a rally in New York City in 2022.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 29, 2024

Starbucks' pivot on union may shape labor relations beyond its stores

The iconic coffee chain has been locked in a bitter, high-profile and multifront battle with the union across the U.S. since its first win in 2021.
Red Bull's Christian Horner was cleared following an investigation into complaints of inappropriate behavior made against him by a female team member.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Feb 29, 2024

Red Bull boss Christian Horner cleared of inappropriate behavior

A statement from Austrian energy drink brand Red Bull, the parent company of the world champion Formula One team, said the "grievance has been dismissed."
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after missing a chance to score against Nottingham Forest during their FA Cup match in Nottingham, England, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Feb 29, 2024

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag slams Forest for 'targeting' Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes featured in United's 1-0 victory at the City Ground despite a "serious injury" suffered in last weekend's loss against Fulham.
Donald Trump supporters wait for the former U.S. president to speak at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 29, 2024

Wake up America! What happened to your exceptionalism?

What is tragic is that both the Democratic and Republican parties effectively decided on their final presidential nominees long before the primaries began.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at a Lower House ethics committee hearing in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 29, 2024

Kishida apologizes over slush funds scandal at ethics committee meeting

In a rare appearance in front of the committee, the prime minister also vowed to implement political reforms in the wake of the scandal.
U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention, at the Moscow City Court in Moscow on Feb. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

'How much time he's lost': Jailed U.S. reporter's family waits for his return

The parents of Evan Gershkovich are counting on a promise from U.S. President Joe Biden to bring their son home.
The Iconic Suite's bedroom features recessed lighting and corner windows with sweeping views of the Nagoya metropolis.
LIFE / Travel
Mar 2, 2024

Nagoya’s newest luxury hotel is full of hits and one big miss

The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Nagoya feels ready to deliver top-quality stays — but only if your budget can handle it.
Former economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who served as the Abe faction’s secretary-general for 10 months until August 2022, said the practice of returning portions of the income collected through fundraising parties to individual lawmakers was solely handled by the faction chairman and an administrative secretary.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 1, 2024

As ethics hearing unfolds, Diet falls into chaos over budget approval

The CDP sought to censure budget committee leader Itsunori Onodera over his decision to push through a final vote, and argued for more extensive debate.
Rina Gonoi, a former Self-Defense Forces member who accused colleagues of sexually assaulting her during her time in the military, speaks during an interview in Yokohama last December.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 2, 2024

Japanese ex-soldier wins U.S. award for fight against sexual harassment

The U.S. will honor former Self-Defense Forces soldier Rina Gonoi with the International Women of Courage Award.
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge speaks during a news conference ahead of the Tokyo Marathon on Friday.
MORE SPORTS / Athletics
Mar 2, 2024

Kipchoge pays tribute to Kiptum ahead of Tokyo Marathon

Kipchoge is preparing to compete in Sunday's Tokyo Marathon in his first race since his Kenyan compatriot was killed on Feb. 11.
A housing development next to the Sasol’s petrochemicals plant in Sasolburg, South Africa.
ENVIRONMENT
Mar 2, 2024

What it's like to live in the most polluted place on Earth

Coal and steel plants offer steady work for residents in South Africa's Vaal Triangle, yet they’re also pumping out harmful emissions.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang attends a session of the World Governments Summit, in Dubai on Feb. 12.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 2, 2024

Nvidia CEO says AI could pass human tests in five years

As of now, AI can pass tests such as legal bar exams, but still struggles on specialized medial tests such as gastroenterology.
Elon Musk arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington to participate in the A.I. Forum in September of last year.
BUSINESS
Mar 2, 2024

Elon Musk sues OpenAI and Sam Altman for violating the company’s principles

Musk sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, accusing them of breaching a contract by putting profits ahead of the public good.
Migrant workers harvest and package vegetables in a greenhouse in Gasan-myeon, South Korea, in December.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 3, 2024

South Korea needs foreign workers, but often fails to protect them

Though a shrinking population makes imported labor vital, migrant workers routinely face predatory employers, inhumane conditions and other abuse.
Lakers forward LeBron James acknowledges the crowd after scoring his 40,000th career point, during a game against the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles on Saturday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Mar 3, 2024

LeBron James becomes first player to score 40,000 points

The four-time NBA champion, known as "King James," became the league's scoring king just over a year ago when he passed Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in Watford, England, in December 2019.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2024

The Trump effect takes Europe

There is a chance that the Trump effect could leave the trans-Atlantic order stronger than it has been for a long time.
RB's Yuki Tsunoda drives during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir on Saturday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Mar 3, 2024

Yuki Tsunoda's temper flares over team orders in closing laps of Bahrain GP

Tsunoda did not take kindly to being asked to let his teammate by and showed his frustration over the team radio and on the track.
Chris Gayle of the West Indies poses at an event to mark 100 days until the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Feb. 22. The 2024 tournament will be hosted by the West Indies and the U.S. from June 1 to 29.
MORE SPORTS / Cricket
Mar 4, 2024

Gayle hopes T20 World Cup can help cricket crack U.S. market

The Twenty20 showpiece, which starts on June 1, is being jointly hosted by the United States and the West Indies.

Longform

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