Chris Russell
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Desk Editor, @NikkeiAsia | Oxford Climate Journalism Network 2024 @risj_oxford | Mostly at the other place bsky.app/profile/russ-chris.bsky.social
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Articles by Chris Russell
Sky not the only limit for JAL and ANA’s climate goals
In 2020, Japan Airlines set a goal of reducing its net emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide to zero by 2050. Almost five years later, during which time rival ANA Holdings announced the same target, slow progress in many areas shows just how challenging decarbonization is for the aviation sector.
8 Ways to Know God's Will for Your Life
When I was a young man, I seemed to continually wrestle with knowing God’s will for my life. I wanted more than anything to follow His plan. Interestingly, now that I’m “old” (currently 47 years old), I still wrestle with doing His will in my life. I have come to learn that this is not just something that a young person does early in life; it is a lifelong pursuit in order to stay in the exact center of His plan. So, then, how can we know God’s plan for our lives?
Critics question process behind Japan's next climate goal
The debate over the government’s recent draft proposal to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 has spilled over into scrutiny over the decision-making process itself, with businesses, think tanks and civil society groups criticizing not only the proposed target but also the way in which the policy-setting panels are composed and run.
How Japan can exit the fossil fuel subsidies it can’t seem to quit Original
In 2022, as Japan grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout from the Ukraine war, the government rolled out subsidies for petroleum, gas and electricity as short-term measures. As 2024 enters its home stretch, those subsidies are still being renewed or extended — putting a drag on the country’s decarbonization push in the process.
Tokyo's climate goals rely on a fuel that is falling out of favor
The year is 2050. You wake up in your home in Tokyo and take a nice, hot shower thanks to a hydrogen-fueled boiler. Then, you receive a delivery from a drone powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, before hopping in your car running on the same kind of fuel to drive to Haneda Airport for an overseas trip on a hydrogen-powered aircraft — journeys that no longer need to come with guilt or anxiety over their planet-warming impact, since they no longer produce those nasty carbon dioxide emissions.
Japan's three major business lobbies submit policy requests to Ishiba
Japan's three major business lobbies on Friday submitted their economic policy requests to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office on Tuesday, calling for facilitating wage increases and ensuring stable energy supplies.
Top EU court finds against FIFA in key transfer market ruling
The EU's top court said on Friday some international soccer rules regulating player transfers are contrary to the bloc's laws, in a landmark decision that could shake up the system. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) was called on to decide a long-running dispute between former French soccer player Lassana Diarra and FIFA over what happens when players unilaterally terminate their contract.
EU presses ahead with Chinese EV tariffs after split vote
Brussels will stick to plans to impose hefty tariffs on China-made electric vehicles, the EU executive said on Friday, even after the bloc's leading economy Germany rejected them and exposed a rift over its biggest trade row with Beijing in a decade. The proposed duties on Chinese-built EVs of up to 45% would cost carmakers billions of extra dollars to bring cars into the bloc and are set to be imposed from next month for five years.
Japan's used goods market is expanding, but that may hurt its GDP
The Japanese market for secondhand items is expanding amid growing use of flea market apps and other services. The trend is seen as friendly to consumers and the environment, but it can have the undesirable consequence of pushing down the country's gross domestic product, one of the most closely watched economic indicators. According to the Cabinet Office, the value of domestic consumption of used goods rose from ¥3.2 trillion in 2010 to ¥6.2 trillion in 2022.
Seven & I considering supermarket stake sale ahead of IPO, sources say
Seven & I Holdings is considering selling a stake in its supermarket unit ahead of a planned listing of the business, two sources said, as the 7-Eleven owner aims to speed up an overhaul after rejecting a takeover from Alimentation Couche-Tard. Neither the timeline of the potential sale nor the size of the stake were immediately clear.
Ishiba faces challenges from the opposition - and his own party
Shigeru Ishiba was elected prime minister of Japan this week, a foregone conclusion after winning the vote for Liberal Democratic Party president last week. The nation's new leader offers a new face for the LDP, an appealing alternative for a party that has been tarnished by scandal and for which approval ratings have been falling.
Ishiba omits divisive proposals in first policy speech as PM
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gave his first policy speech to parliament on Friday, omitting some of the most divisive proposals he made during last month’s Liberal Democratic Party presidential campaign and instead prioritizing quickly actionable measures.
Pete Rose fans are wrong: He's not worthy of the Hall of Fame
Pete Rose, baseball’s all-time hits leader, spent more than a third of his life banned from Major League Baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame. The fault, as he sometimes acknowledged, was his own. In the 1980s, he gambled on games in which he participated and got caught. Nonetheless, Rose, who died this week at 83, never gave up hope for a second chance.
The Russian war economy’s days are numbered
Since 2014, and especially since 2022, Russia’s economy has been subjected to severe international sanctions. Yet assessments of their impact vary greatly. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his cronies boast that the sanctions make Russia stronger, but they incessantly call for all restrictions to be lifted. At the same time, many claim that the sanctions have had little impact, while others argue that this is because the sanctions are too timid.
Don’t take Japan's new leader literally. But should you take him seriously?
Well, that didn’t last long. We knew it would be hard to pin down the policies of newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. In his remarks on everything from economic plans to his approach to China he’s been evasive, as he smartly navigated the election campaign that unexpectedly won him control of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party just a week ago. We didn’t expect him to be this slippery, however.
Tokyo passes nation's first customer harassment ordinance
In a first for the nation, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed an ordinance to protect workers from customer harassment — aggressive behavior and unreasonable demands from customers toward staff — at a metropolitan assembly session held on Friday. The order is to be implementedfrom April next year, with plans for the metropolitan government to develop more detailed guidelines, but it does not include any criminal punishment.
Japan shouldn’t work with the Taliban, not even to build schools
Since the Taliban seized power again in Kabul in August 2021, Afghans, particularly women and girls, have been subjected to some of the world’s harshest forms of governance. The Taliban have stripped millions of citizens of their fundamental rights, including freedom of speech, education and even life itself. The regime operates with impunity, with no accountability for its atrocities.
Meteorological agency ramps up 'tsunami flag' awareness efforts
The Meteorological Agency is ramping up its efforts to raise awareness about "tsunami flags," which are used to alert beachgoers to tsunami warnings. This comes after a significant earthquake in August, which registereda lower 6 on the shindo Japanese seismic intensity scalein the city of Nichinan in Miyazaki Prefecture, where the flags facilitated a smooth evacuation. However, the agency acknowledges that awareness of the flags remains low, presenting a challenge for public safety.
Japan great Ayami Sato helps shine light on women's baseball in new documentary
Ayami Sato may be the most dominant female pitcher ever to pick up a baseball. Her fastball has been clocked at almost 128 kph (80 mph) and her curveball once drew favorable comparisons to the one Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws. She has helped the Samurai Japan women’s team win six consecutive Women’s Baseball World Cup titles (Japan has won seven straight overall), and she was the MVP of the tournament in 2014, 2016 and 2018. She has also excelled in Japan’s domestic leagues.
High temperatures to continue in Japan throughout October
It’s been an unusually hot start to October, and high temperatures are set to continue. Some regions are also expected to experience above-average precipitation, the Meteorological Agency said in its forecast for the month released Thursday. October’s heat continues a run of high temperatures stretching back at least through the summer, with eastern and western Japan witnessing their hottest Septembers since records began in 1946.
Suspect in violent Kanto burglaries placed on public wanted list
The Saitama Prefectural Police have placed Rikuya Morita, 24, who is suspected of being involved in a string of violent home invasion robberies in the Kanto region, on a public wanted list. Authorities released Morita’s identity on Thursday and are seeking public assistance in locating him. Morita is described as being 170 to 180 centimeters tall, stocky and slightly overweight.
Japanese airport reopens after WWII U.S. bomb blast
Flights resumed at a regional Japanese airport Thursday after an unexploded World War II U.S. bomb blew up less than a minute after a passenger jet taxied past. Miyazaki Airport originated in 1943 as an imperial Japanese navy base, sending dozens of aircraft on suicide missions. Footage obtained by AFP showed a plume of earth blasting at least 10 meters into the air on the edge of a taxiway at the airport on the island of Kyushu.
Scientists explain Mount Everest's anomalous growth
Mount Everest is Earth's tallest mountain — towering 5.5 miles (8.85 kilometers) above sea level — and is actually still growing. While it and the rest of the Himalayas are continuing an inexorable uplift that dates back to their birth roughly 50 million years ago, when the Indian subcontinent collided with Eurasia, Everest is growing more than expected from this event alone. Scientists now think they know why, and it has to do with the monumental merger of two nearby river systems.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start Game 1 of NLDS after Dodgers flip starters
The Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday switched their first two starters for the National League Division Series, deciding to start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 on Saturday against the San Diego Padres and going with fellow right-hander Jack Flaherty in Game 2 on Sunday. On Wednesday, the Dodgers said Flaherty would start Game 1 and Yamamoto would follow in the best-of-five series.
Japan to require passenger ships sailing in cold waters to carry life rafts Original
The transport ministry will require passenger ships operating in cold waters to carry life rafts from next April. The move follows the deadly sinking of the Kazu I tour boat off Hokkaido in April 2022. The Japan Transport Safety Board has found that the water temperature of 4 degrees Celsius at the time was too low for those on the boat to survive wearing life jackets, and proposed that such ships have equipment on board to prevent people from coming into contact with cold water.
FIFA defers decision on call to suspend Israel
World soccer's governing body FIFA on Thursday gave no verdict either way on a Palestinian request to suspend Israel, but instead launched an investigation into allegations of discrimination. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) called for its Israeli counterpart to be suspended and for Israeli teams to be banned from FIFA competitions during FIFA's congress in Bangkok in May. The PFA claimed the Israel Football Association (IFA) has broken FIFA discrimination rules.
ジャパンタイムズエージェンシー、「パートナーシップ制度」を導入
株式会社ジャパンタイムズエージェンシー（本社：東京都千代田区、代表取締役社長：末松弥奈子）は、2024年10⽉１日より、全従業員に向けて事実婚や同性のパートナーに対し、法律上の配偶者と同様に福利厚⽣や規程を適⽤する「パートナーシップ制度」を導入しました。 適用される主な制度 結婚、出産・育児・介護等の特別休暇や慶弔見舞金等 適用開始日：2024年10月1日 今後も多様性を尊重し合い、すべての従業員が安心して成長、活躍することができる職場の環境づくりを推進してまいります。 なお申請は上長を経由せず、直接担当部署に提出することで、個人のプライバシーを尊重するよう努めています。 The Japan Times（ジャパンタイムズ）について The Japan...
ジャパンタイムズ出版、「パートナーシップ制度」を導入
株式会社ジャパンタイムズ出版（本社：東京都千代田区、取締役社長：伊藤秀樹）は、2024年10⽉１日より、全従業員に向けて事実婚や同性のパートナーに対し、法律上の配偶者と同様に福利厚⽣や規程を適⽤する「パートナーシップ制度」を導入しました。 適用される主な制度 結婚、出産・育児・介護等の特別休暇や慶弔見舞金等 適用開始日：2024年10月1日 今後も多様性を尊重し合い、すべての従業員が安心して成長、活躍することができる職場の環境づくりを推進してまいります。 なお申請は上長を経由せず、直接担当部署に提出することで、個人のプライバシーを尊重するよう努めています。 株式会社ジャパンタイムズ出版について 2019年、株式会社ジャパンタイムズの出版事業部門が独立して創業しました。 50年以上にわたる語学教材開発で蓄積された知見をベースに、表面的な技能習得にとどまらない、より高次の視点からの語学学習コンテンツやサービスを提供しています。 ＜本件に関する問い合わせ先＞ 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス 人事総務部 E-mail: info@news2u.co.jp...
U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon stay put, despite Israel asking them to move
United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon remain in place — despite Israel asking them to move — and provide the only communications link between the countries' militaries, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said on Thursday. "Peacekeepers continue to do their best to implement their Security Council mandate in obviously very difficult conditions," U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters, adding that contingency plans were ready for both good and bad outcomes.
Kirk Cousins goes over 500 yards to lift Falcons to win over Buccaneers in overtime
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins capped a huge night with a touchdown pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime to give the Falcons a 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday. Cousins completed 42 of 58 passes for 509 yards and four touchdowns with one interception as the Falcons earned another narrow victory over a division rival after edging the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Cousins, 36, broke Matt Ryan's franchise single-game passing record of 503 yards, set in 2016.
In Bank of Japan chief's birthplace, Ueda's policy puzzle is laid bare
For a sense of the challenges Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda faces in weaning the world's fourth-largest economy off monetary stimulus, look no further than his birthplace. Makinohara, a breezy surf town in Shizuoka Prefecture that once thrived on a now-declining tea industry, exemplifies disparities between Japan's struggling rural areas and its bustling megacities. It featured this year in a widely publicized list of places on track to vanish due to depopulation.
Digitalization advances gradually in Japan's parliament
Digital transformation is taking hold gradually in Japan's tradition-steeped parliament, as calls for digital reform in business and social life continue to grow. During this year's ordinary session of parliament, which concluded in June, lawmakers allowed unsworn witnesses to attend committee meetings of the Lower House online for questioning by committee members. Additionally, certain documents were shared online.
Masamitsu Yoshioka, last Pearl Harbor bombardier, dies at 106
Masamitsu Yoshioka, the last known survivor among about 770 crew members who manned the Japanese airborne armada that attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, has died. He was 106. His death was announced Aug. 28 on social media by Japanese journalist and author Takashi Hayasaki, who spoke with Yoshioka last year. He provided no other details. "When I met him last year, he spoke many valuable words with a dignified presence,” Hayasaki wrote.
Caitlin Clark named WNBA Rookie of the Year
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was named the near-unanimous 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year on Thursday. She received 66 of 67 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, with Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese drawing one vote. The winner also headlined the league's All-Rookie team. Clark was joined by Reese, Kamilla Cardoso of the Sky, Rickea Jackson of the Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty's Leonie Fiebich.
U.K. cedes Chagos Island sovereignty to Mauritius and keeps air base
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Britain said on Thursday it would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it said secured the future of the U.K.-U.S. Diego Garcia military base, and which could also pave the way for people displaced decades ago to return home. U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the deal, saying it would secure the effective operation of Diego Garcia, a strategically important air base in the Indian Ocean, into the next century.
By Zoria Petkoska Verified, Chris Russell Verified, Alistair Smout Verified, Michael Holden Verified
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The Japan Times
Verified
Opposition parties have little time to form united front ahead of polls
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s sudden decision to call a general election on Oct. 27 has left opposition parties scrambling to finalize their candidate lists and little time to coordinate with one another to avoid multi-cornered fights that split the opposition vote. “We have to admit that it's not easy and we don't have much time before Oct. 15 when the campaign kicks off.
Pete Alonso homers in ninth as Mets stun Brewers in Game 3 to advance
Pete Alonso crushed a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning as the New York Mets worked their comeback magic in a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers to advance in the MLB playoffs on Thursday. The victory gave the Mets a 2-1 triumph in the best-of-three National League Wild Card series and sends them into a best-of-five second-round clash with the Philadelphia Phillies starting on Saturday.
The Shigeru Ishiba I personally know
Surpassing many people’s expectations — perhaps even his own — Shigeru Ishibabested eight other candidates in the Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership election last week before he was sworn in as prime minister on Tuesday. And since taking office, he is already being criticized by the left and the right for backtracking on previous statements involving the timing of the Lower House election as well as his weak base within the party.
More than AI misinformation, U.S. voters worry about lying politicians
As the bitterly contested U.S. election campaign enters its final stretch, misinformation researchers have raised the alarm over threats artificial intelligence and foreign influence pose — but voters appear more concerned about falsehoods from a more familiar source: politicians. The United States is battling a firehose of misinformation before the Nov.
Green hydrogen hype fades as high costs force project retreat
Climate-friendly hydrogen was one of the most-hyped sectors in green energy. Now the reality of its high cost is taking its toll. In recent months, some of the biggest would-be developers of the fuel have canceled projects, axed orders and scaled back investment plans. The low-carbon fuel is simply too expensive to stimulate demand in many sectors of the economy. On Thursday, Origin Energy canceled a project to produce the clean-burning fuel in an industrial area of eastern Australia.
AI bubble or 'revolution'? OpenAI's big payday fuels debate
Fear of missing out has rocketed the value of artificial intelligence companies, despite few signs as to when the technology will turn a profit, raising talk of AI overenthusiasm. The mystery deepens when it comes to predicting which generative AI firms will prevail, according to analysts. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI secured $6.6 billion in a funding round that propelled its valuation to an eye-popping $157 billion, sparking new worries there is an AI bubble poised to burst.
IMF says Japan should keep raising rates if inflation data warrants it
The Bank of Japan should stay data-dependent and continue to gradually raise policy rates in line with inflation data, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday, adding that the central bank is on track to bring price increases back to its 2% annual target.
Mexico's first woman president announces reforms to battle gender discrimination
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office this week as her country's first woman leader, announced a package of reforms on Thursday aimed at bolstering women's rights in a country with some of the world's highest levels of gender violence. On her second full day in office, Sheinbaum said her government had proposed reforms that aim to articulate and broaden women's rights, including a constitutional guarantee of equal pay for equal work.
By Zoria Petkoska Verified, Chris Russell Verified, Brendan O'Boyle, Ana Martinez Verified, Ana Martínez Verified
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The Japan Times
Verified
U.S. port workers, operators reach deal to end East Coast strike
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U.S. dock workers and port operators have reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, the two sides said in a statement on Thursday. The tentative agreement is for a wage hike of around 62% over six years, two sources familiar with the matter said, including a worker on the picket line who heard the announcement.
By Zoria Petkoska Verified, Chris Russell Verified, Doyinsola Oladipo Verified, David Shepardson Verified
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The Japan Times
Verified
More stocks trade below book value in Japan despite reforms
An increasing number of Japanese stocks are trading below book value despite corporate reforms that have attracted investor praise, suggesting managers need a bolder approach to drive shareholder wealth. About 38% of Topix 500 companies were trading below book value as of the end of September, up from 32.2% in March, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Two Japanese nationals flee Lebanon on chartered ship
Two Japanese nationals have fled Lebanon and arrived in Cyprus on a ship chartered by the Japanese government, the government said Thursday. The Japanese government aided the evacuation following an escalation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Some 50 Japanese nationals are staying in Lebanon, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya asked his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, by phone on Thursday to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals in Jordan.
Europe’s global green ambitions push too hard once again
Europe forged its plan to curb global deforestation three years ago when more than 100 world leaders pledged at the COP26 climate conference to reverse the destruction of millions of hectares of woodland every year. There was an aggressive timetable, but as with many of the European Union’s green plans, it proved too much for some, and the bloc on Wednesday caved to calls from countries including Brazil and the U.S. to slow down.
Israel's hawkish Yoav Gallant is driving the war in Lebanon
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a former general who has shaped Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, is a prominent force behind the expansion of the nearly year-long military campaign into Lebanon. The hawkish politician, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party who at times clashed with him over policy issues, has repeatedly stressed that Israel must take the fight to Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah militants have launched cross-border attacks after Palestinian ally Hamas' Oct.
Gaza and a cease-fire slip out of focus as Lebanon conflict rages
Palestinians fear the crisis in Lebanon is diverting the world's attention from Gaza, where Israeli strikes killed dozens more people this week, and diminishing already dim prospects for a cease-fire a year into a war that has shattered the enclave. An escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah over the past two weeks has led to clashes between Israeli and Hezbollah forces inside Lebanon and fueled fears of a wider regional war.
Japan’s biggest Louise Bourgeois exhibit yet leans into ambivalence Original
“It is really the anger that makes me work,” Louise Bourgeois said in the 2008 documentary “The Spider, the Mistress, and the Tangerine.” A new large-scale retrospective at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum dedicated to the French American sculptor and artist goes in search of hope all the same. Bourgeois (1911-2010) was known for her raw, bodily sculptures, manifestations of aggression and obsession and long-held fixations on her mother and father carried from childhood. The exhibit opened Sept.
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