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April 11th, 2024

Ready to go global

Kishida touts Japan's bolstered defense credentials on historic U.S. trip

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The Big Story

Kishida: Japan ready to step up as U.S. 'global partner' at Biden summit

Deeper defense integration and economic ties top Japan's agenda, but Trump looms large

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on April 11, poses for a portrait after an interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo on April 4. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
The Japanese government compiles official job statistics by relying on a public placement service that young people increasingly shun, making it difficult to paint an accurate picture of the country's economy.
Datawatch

Japan's official statistics miss the depth of the labor shortage

Younger workers shun public job placement service, making its data less reliable

Fans pose outside Taylor Swift's concert venue in Singapore on Mar. 2: Event tourism has taken on more significance after the enforced isolation of the COVID era.
Opinion

Singapore's Taylor Swift jackpot about more than exclusivity

With planning, city-state has assembled compelling package for event organizers

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in New York in 2023: New Delhi is too focused on big-name companies. (Narendra Modi YouTube channel via AP)
Opinion

Small business can create more jobs in India than Tesla will

Policies favoring big companies aren't making impact on youth unemployment

U.S. President Joe Biden, left, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Oct. 18, 2023. Pressure from the U.S. is indispensable to ending the Gaza conflict.
The Nikkei View

International community must make every effort to end Gaza fighting

Israel will face greater isolation if it ignores global consensus on cease-fire

Lahiru Madhushan, second from right, a second-year student at Nissan Automobile Technical College in Yokohama, says he has "always loved cars" and intends to work as a mechanic in Japan after graduation. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Business Spotlight

Japan's auto industry opens door to foreign car mechanics

Labor shortage leads trade schools to welcome Asian students from Vietnam to Nepal

Boeing received an order of 220 aircraft from Air India last year, which U.S. President Joe Biden hailed as a "historic agreement." (Photo by Konosuke Urata)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Boeing bets on India R&D and supply chain, seeking turnaround

Investment builds up U.S. aircraft manufacturer's largest overseas research base

Giordano, known for affordable casualwear, once inspired Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
Retail

Giordano CEO voted out after fight with Hong Kong tycoon Cheng

New World chief picks new management for struggling Jimmy Lai-founded apparel chain

With Expo 2025 in Osaka just over a year away, organizers face a host of issues, including a construction logjam. As of March 28, work on only 12 of about 50 country pavilions had begun. (Source photos by Yo Inoue)
Asia Insight

Japan's Expo 2025: Osaka triumph or billion-dollar folly?

World fair site on 'Dream Island' mired in construction delays and doubling of costs

Demand for nickel has been rising due to its use as a key ingredient in hybrid and electric vehicle batteries. But the nickel sector in Indonesia, the world's largest producer of the metal, has been overshadowed by corruption.
Commodities

Indonesia nickel concerns stoked by corruption and land disputes

Bribery charges highlight challenge of regulating lucrative sector

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu retained power in a landslide win for the main opposition Republican People's Party in Turkey's local elections on March 31.
Politics

Erdogan's local election drubbing points to tough time at 2028 vote

Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu's win puts him as top challenger for Turkey's presidency

China is increasing its economic clout in Southeast Asia as its rivalry with the U.S. intensifies.
International relations

Majority of ASEAN people favor China over U.S., survey finds

In a first, Beijing becomes Southeast Asia's preferred choice over Washington

Chuwit Kamolvisit, whose colorful career has ranged from massage parlor tycoon to parliamentarian, poses for a photo in his Bangkok office in August 2023. (All photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Life

The fast life and slow exit of Thai showman Chuwit

Flamboyant public figure leaves sex, scandals and politics behind. Or does he?

Indian, Chinese and Malay dishes share equal billing on the menu at mamak restaurants -- eateries run by Tamil Muslims in Malaysia. (All photos by Joseph Rachman)
Tea Leaves

How food crosses Malaysia's ethno-religious boundaries

Loved by all, 'mamak' restaurants provide comfort food and respite from politics and identity issues