The Pritzker Architecture Prize has been awarded to Japan’s Riken Yamamoto, who earns the field’s highest honor for what organizers called a long career focused on “multiplying opportunities for people to meet spontaneously, through precise, rational design strategies.”
South Korean and US troops will begin major exercises next week in response to North Korean threats
South Korean and U.S. troops will begin their expanded annual military drills next week in response to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats, the two countries said Wednesday, a move that will likely enrage North Korea because it views its rivals’ joint training as an invasion rehearsal.
On Valentine’s Day, LGBTQ+ activists in Japan call for the right for same-sex couples to marry
Activists and LGBTQ+ community members handed out colorful chocolate candy for Valentine’s Day in Tokyo this week, marking the fifth anniversary of the launch of a legal battle to achieve marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Thailand made pot legal two years ago. That could change soon
Two years after Thailand made pot legal, the country appears set to crack down on its freewheeling drug market with a ban on “recreational” use.
Lunar New Year in the Philippines draws crowds to one of the world’s oldest Chinatowns
Crowds are flocking to Chinatown in the Philippine capital to usher in the Year of the Wood Dragon and experience lively traditional dances on lantern-lit streets with food, lucky charms and prayers for good fortune.
Ukrainian-born Miss Japan gives up her title after an article reveals her affair with a married man
The Ukrainian-born winner of this year’s Miss Japan beauty pageant and the contest’s organizers say she has renounced her title after a magazine published an article about her affair with a married man.
Malaysia’s new king is an outspoken billionaire in a role with growing political influence
The billionaire sultan who rules Malaysia’s Johor state was sworn in as the nation’s new king Wednesday under a unique rotating monarchy system.
Ukrainian-born Miss Japan rekindles an old question: What does it mean to be Japanese?
Crowned Miss Japan on Jan. 22, Ukrainian-born Carolina Shiino cried with joy, thankful for the recognition of her identity as Japanese.
Japan joins an elite club by landing on the moon. What are others doing?
Japan landed a spacecraft on the moon Saturday, an attempt at the world’s first “pinpoint lunar landing.”
China’s population falls for a 2nd straight year as births drop even after end of one-child policy
China’s population fell by 2 million people in 2023 in its second straight annual decrease, as births dropped for the seventh straight year and deaths jumped following the end of COVID-19 restrictions, the government said Wednesday.