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July 16, 2024
 

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FOCUS

Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh (left) and the former emir of Qatar arrive at a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new Hamad residential neighborhood in Gaza in 2012.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 30, 2023
Israel-Hamas war escalation puts Qatar’s clout to the test
The nation has positioned itself as an key go-between, but has been criticized for housing Hamas leaders while maintaining channels to Israel.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Nusa Dua, on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, on Nov. 14, 2022.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 29, 2023
U.S. and China agree to work toward Biden-Xi meeting next month
U.S. President Joe Biden emphasized the need to manage the U.S.-China rivalry "responsibly” during a rare meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A participant tries an electric kick scooter at a safety workshop in Tokyo in June ahead of a relaxation of rules for riding the device in July.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 26, 2023
Violations of electric kick scooter rules on rise in Japan
Cases of violation in Tokyo for which the police took action came to 1,811 in the July-September period.
Two Air Self-Defense Force F-2 fighter jets (bottom) fly in formation with a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber as part of a joint exercise with the United States and South Korea in airspace near Kyushu on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023
U.S., Japan and South Korea cooperation reaches new heights with aerial drill
While some view the move as signaling a "new era" in security ties, questions remain as to how long the current political momentum will hold
United Nations workers arrive to distribute aid to Palestinians in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023
Scaling up Gaza aid effort faces tangle of challenges
Humanitarian staff and diplomats face a web of political, security and logistical obstacles as they try to build up and sustain deliveries of relief.
A photo of Henry Li and his husband, Edgar Ng, hangs on a wall in their apartment at Ma On Shan in Hong Kong.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
Oct 25, 2023
Hope and heartbreak after Hong Kong court decision on LGBTQ partnerships
The LGBTQ community has seen incremental legal victories, but same-sex marriage remains out of reach.
Speech-generating AI works by sifting through reams of data, categorizing how people speak then using an algorithm, to replicate human vocal patterns and speech characteristics.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 23, 2023
Whose voice is it anyway? Actors take on AI copycats
Artists around the world are joining forces to protect their jobs, and their souls, from the ramifications of AI that sounds just like them.
People inspect the area of a hospital where hundreds of Palestinians were killed in a blast that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other, and where Palestinians who fled their homes were sheltering amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, in Gaza City, the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 21, 2023
Uncertainty still surrounds Gaza hospital strike
Was a hospital in Gaza hit by Israeli fire? Or a misfired Palestinian rocket? How many civilians were killed? Experts are not ruling out any scenario.
For Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, tackling the impact of rising prices has become a key priority.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2023
Upcoming parliament session puts Kishida's stimulus package in spotlight
Tackling inflation has become a key priority for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, as economic trends have played a part in his low approval ratings.
A sign at a Johnny & Associates store in the city of Osaka is peeled off late Monday after the shop closed.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023
With new name for Johnny's, focus shifts to victim compensation
The talent agency will face challenges in identifying those eligible for compensation due to the sheer number of victims of abuse by Johnny Kitagawa.
Oil storage tanks in the Keihin industrial area in Kanagawa Prefecture. Japan relies on the Middle East for over 95% of its oil.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023
Japan still relies on Middle East oil 50 years on from crisis
Japan's alternative oil suppliers, such as Indonesia, have seen their ability to export reduced by their own economic growth.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returns to Amman, Jordan, early Tuesday after overnight negotiations in Tel Aviv with Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2023
U.S. whirlwind Israel diplomacy hits hard Middle East realities
The top U.S. diplomat's flurry of travel to Arab capitals appears to have resulted in little beyond President Joe Biden's planned visit to Israel.
Xi Jinping's third Belt and Road Forum begins today in Beijing.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 16, 2023
Xi’s $1 trillion ‘project of the century’ faces uncertain future
China’s overall activity in BRI countries is down about 40% from its 2018 peak as the world’s second-biggest economy slows.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on Tuesday in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Oct 12, 2023
Why are ruling party lawmakers calling for tax cuts?
As the prime minister prepares for a new economic stimulus package, it's members of his own party who are raising a fuss.
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 11, 2023
Gaza's 75 years of woe: A brief history
The narrow strip of land has been under military rule for most of the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave of more than 2 million Palestinians.
Israeli flags flutter at Ofer Park in Petah Tikva, Israel.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Oct 11, 2023
War threatens funding recovery in Israel's vital tech industry
A global slowdown and the Israeli government's divisive judicial reforms had prompted a sharp drop in funding earlier this year.
A Matsumotokiyoshi drugstore in Tokyo. Matsumotokiyoshi Holdings and Cocokara Fine integrated their operations in 2021.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Oct 10, 2023
Japanese drugstores under pressure for realignment
One analyst has described realignment in the drugstore sector as "a natural course of development."
Taylor Swift attends the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 12.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2023
Taylor Swift and the political needle
With hundreds of millions of social media followers and a staunchly loyal fan base, she can move any dial with the tiniest of efforts.
Fire and smoke rises above buildings during an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2023
Israel security forces face questions over intel after Hamas attack
Israel's security apparatus appeared to break down as a force of Hamas gunmen estimated in the hundreds broke through security fences.
Yotsuya Otsuka cram school head office in Nakano Ward, Tokyo
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Oct 6, 2023
Cram school teacher arrests ignite child safety debate
Two cram school teachers in Tokyo were arrested for allegedly taking photos of a female student's underwear and sharing them on a group chat.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
Amid same-sex marriage ban, LGBTQ couples opt for 'photo weddings'
A lesbian couple, consisting of a 35-year-old woman (left) and 40-year-old woman, cover their faces with bouquets as they pose for wedding photos in Yokohama on Nov. 1.
China and Russia conduct joint Pacific military patrol
The Russian corvette Gromkiy enters the Chinese port of Zhanjiang as part of a joint China-Russia naval exercise on Saturday.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.
How to tweak your diet when temperatures spike
Most people think of hydration as a strictly liquid-based concept, but eating foods with high water content is an essential part of making it through a Japanese summer unscathed.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

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