Topic: Japan
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Sports in 2012: here are some Monitor highlights
It’s impossible to list all the records set in 2012, but here’s a short rundown of some heralded highlights, plus 20 of our favorites, including some you might have missed.
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9 chats with top true-crime authors
In 2012, writers pondered murder and mayhem across the globe and across centuries.
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Beyond the 'fiscal cliff': 6 reasons to be optimistic about America's future
As Americans take stock of 2012 and gear up for 2013, it's tempting to adopt "decline think" about the country, especially since there is still no deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of steep budget cuts and tax increases. But here are six reasons Americans should still be optimistic about their future.
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3 compelling photo books for gifting this winter
These photo books capture the world in images that are by turns amusing and heartbreaking.
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War with Iran? 5 ways events overseas could shape Obama's second term.
The threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program is the most urgent example of the foreign-policy challenges that face President Obama in his second term. Here are four others.
All Content
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Sports in 2012: here are some Monitor highlights
It’s impossible to list all the records set in 2012, but here’s a short rundown of some heralded highlights, plus 20 of our favorites, including some you might have missed.
-
9 chats with top true-crime authors
In 2012, writers pondered murder and mayhem across the globe and across centuries.
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Despite looming 'fiscal cliff,' world markets calm
Although 'fiscal cliff' talks go down to the wire, many investors confident a deal will be reached. World markets in Asia, Europe mixed. US stock futures point to a higher open.
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Energy Voices
Why is world using more coal? The China trade.International trade – especially the addition of China to the World Trade Organization in 2001 – has sharply boosted coal mining.
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The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm
Despite some noteworthy shortcomings, Paul Reid's examination of the last third of Churchill's life gives us the British statesman in all his robust complexity.
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Focus
In 2013, possibilities for stability from Somalia to South China SeaPolicymakers in many of the world's hot spots have a common New Year's wish: for unity to usher in and consolidate political and economic stability.
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Stefan Karlsson
Japan's new inflationary strategy: wrong targetThe cause of Japan's deflation isn't monetary, it's demographic. Inflationary policy won't work in the long term.
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More than a turnaround, Toyota sees record-breaking sales in 2013
Despite the Japanese earthquake and tsunami which interrupted production in 2011, and massive safety-related recalls this year, Toyota Motor Corp. expects to finish 2012 with 9.7 million vehicle sales, more than ever before.
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Beyond the 'fiscal cliff': 6 reasons to be optimistic about America's future
As Americans take stock of 2012 and gear up for 2013, it's tempting to adopt "decline think" about the country, especially since there is still no deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of steep budget cuts and tax increases. But here are six reasons Americans should still be optimistic about their future.
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The Reformed Broker
Three predictions for 2013Investors' moves to ETFs, emerging market debt, and the next generation of high-tech startups are three themes for the new year.
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Shinzo Abe officially chosen as Japan's next prime minister (+video)
Hawkish Shinzo Abe was voted back into office as prime minister Wednesday and immediately named a new Cabinet, ending three years of liberal party government.
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Japanese firms set spending record in buying up foreign assets
Japanese corporations will have spent more on foreign companies than they did at the height of the '80s. But few heads are turning, showing how much has changed in perceptions of Japan.
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The best films of 2012
Monitor film critic Peter Rainer remembers some of the gems he saw over the past year and those films that weren't worth his time.
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Stocks edge up as investors await fiscal cliff deal
Stocks ended higher Thursday despite fiscal cliff uncertainty weighing on stock traders' minds.
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Chapter & Verse
The rifle: Its history and its place in the futureHistorian Alexander Rose chronicles the history of a ubiquitous and deadly weapon.
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Geography of joy? Where the world's happiest people live.
Seven of the world's 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America, says a new Gallop survey. Panama is No. 1 on the list. People in 148 nations were asked: Were they well-rested, had they been treated with respect, smiled or laughed a lot, learned or did something interesting and felt feelings of enjoyment the previous day.
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Russian trio heads for space station
The spacecraft launched from a Russian-leased manned-space facility in Kazakhstan with an American, a Canadian, and a Russian on board.
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UBS to pay $1.5 billion in fines over LIBOR rate scandal
The Swiss bank agreed to the fine Wednesday, settling with US, British, and Swiss regulators. In the case, UBS employees tried to rig the London Interback Offered Rate, or LIBOR, using different currencies.
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Japan's hawkish Abe claims the win, but not a mandate
Shinzo Abe is set to become Japan's seventh prime minister in 6-1/2 years on Dec. 26. While he is known for a tougher line on China, many say he will focus largely on Japan's economy.
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Clearwire offer from Sprint reaches $2.2 billion
Clearwire minority shareholders will be bought out by Sprint for $2.2 billion, a higher price than it previously said it would pay. The Clearwire deal still needs approval from shareholders and regulators, but Sprint expects to get it done by the middle of 2013.
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Chinese customers buy 2M iPhone 5s in first weekend
The iPhone 5, which launched in China on Friday, will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of December.
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Dictator's daughter leading polls ahead of South Korean election
Conservative candidate Park Geun-hye holds the slight edge ahead of an election Wednesday that could affect relations with North Korea.
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Japan's new PM to pressure central bank on monetary stimulus (+video)
Shinzo Abe, elected over the weekend, also wants to improve relations with China while remaining firm on the islands dispute. Meanwhile, the yen has slipped, post-election, in financial markets Monday.
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'Pilgrims' pour into Sandy Hook Village after massacre (+video)
As church bells pealed in Sandy Hook Village Sunday, people from across the region came to the site of the school shooting to offer teddy bears and roses as they tried to sort out a national tragedy.
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Japan's deadlock over? A supermajority emerges in exit polls.
Japan’s main conservative party pulled off a major victory in Sunday’s election, giving its leader, Shinzo Abe, a mandate to push for big public spending and a hawkish foreign policy.
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