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Nikkei index hits new intraday high

Nikkei index hits new intraday high

A financial data monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average topping the 60,000 line for the first time during the morning session on April 23, 2026, following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks on an indefinite ceasefire in the Middle East.

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Nikkei index hits new intraday high

Nikkei index hits new intraday high

A financial data monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average topping the 60,000 line for the first time during the morning session on April 23, 2026, following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks on an indefinite ceasefire in the Middle East.

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Nikkei index hits new intraday high

Nikkei index hits new intraday high

A financial data monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average topping the 60,000 line for the first time during the morning session on April 23, 2026, following U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks on an indefinite ceasefire in the Middle East.

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Japan: Sakurajima Volcano Erupts Twice in Two Days for First Time This Year 2

Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima, southern Japan, erupted explosively on consecutive days for the first time this year. The blasts from the Minamidake summit crater on April 11 and 12 sent ash plumes up to 3,400 meters high and scattered volcanic rocks up to 1,000 meters from the crater. No pyroclastic flows were observed. The eruptions are the first and second of the year, following the previous event on December 13 last year. Volcanic alert level 3 — prohibiting entry into the mountain — remains in effect, with authorities warning of large projectiles and pyroclastic flows within 2 kilometers of the crater.

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Japan: Sakurajima Volcano Erupts Twice in Two Days for First Time This Year

Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima, southern Japan, erupted explosively on consecutive days for the first time this year. The blasts from the Minamidake summit crater on April 11 and 12 sent ash plumes up to 3,400 meters high and scattered volcanic rocks up to 1,000 meters from the crater. No pyroclastic flows were observed. The eruptions are the first and second of the year, following the previous event on December 13 last year. Volcanic alert level 3 — prohibiting entry into the mountain — remains in effect, with authorities warning of large projectiles and pyroclastic flows within 2 kilometers of the crater.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun (back, C), leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, holds a press conference in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun (back, C), leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, holds a press conference in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, is surrounded by photographers after a press conference she held in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, holds a press conference in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, holds a press conference in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Taiwan opposition leader Cheng meets with Xi

Cheng Li-wun, leader of Taiwan's main opposition party, the Nationalist Party, holds a press conference in Beijing on April 10, 2026, following talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the first time in nearly a decade Xi has held talks with the incumbent head of the Taiwanese party, also known as Kuomintang.

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Retired figure skater Mao Asada

TOKYO, Japan, March 23 Kyodo - Retired Japanese figure skater Mao Asada speaks to the press in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on March 21, 2026, as her figure skating academy Kinoshita Mao Academy holds its first presentation event. She started a full-time coaching career last August at the school. (Kyodo)

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Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired Japanese figure skater Mao Asada speaks to the press in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on March 21, 2026, as her figure skating academy Kinoshita Mao Academy holds its first presentation event. She started a full-time coaching career last August at the school.

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Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired Japanese figure skater Mao Asada speaks to the press in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on March 21, 2026, as her figure skating academy Kinoshita Mao Academy holds its first presentation event. She started a full-time coaching career last August at the school.

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Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired figure skater Mao Asada

Retired Japanese figure skater Mao Asada speaks to the press in Tachikawa, western Tokyo, on March 21, 2026, as her figure skating academy Kinoshita Mao Academy holds its first presentation event. She started a full-time coaching career last August at the school.

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Dollar tops 159 yen

Dollar tops 159 yen

A financial monitor in Tokyo shows the U.S. dollar topping 159 yen for the first time since mid-January, on March 12, 2026, in a flight to safety amid continued conflict in the Middle East.

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Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Feb. 19 Kyodo - A notice board is set up in Pyongyang on Feb. 19, 2026, ahead of the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, being held for the first time in five years. (Kyodo)

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Japan: Baby Macaque “Punch” Wins Hearts After Finding Comfort in Plush Surrogacy 2

A six-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo has gained attention in Japan and abroad. After being rejected by his first-time mother, he was hand-raised by staff and often clung to an orangutan plush toy as a surrogate comfort, touching many hearts. Even after rejoining the troop, he kept the toy for a while, but he is gradually bonding with other monkeys and growing stronger. On social media, the hashtag “#GoPunch” has spread, with visitors continuing to cheer him on.

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Japan: Baby Macaque “Punch” Wins Hearts After Finding Comfort in Plush Surrogacy

A six-month-old Japanese macaque named Punch at Ichikawa City Zoo has gained attention in Japan and abroad. After being rejected by his first-time mother, he was hand-raised by staff and often clung to an orangutan plush toy as a surrogate comfort, touching many hearts. Even after rejoining the troop, he kept the toy for a while, but he is gradually bonding with other monkeys and growing stronger. On social media, the hashtag “#GoPunch” has spread, with visitors continuing to cheer him on.

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US: Powerful Bomb Cyclone Continues to Batter Northeast With Record Snow

A powerful “bomb cyclone” continued to batter the northeastern United States on Monday, February 23, leaving hundreds of thousands without power and dumping up to 3 feet of snow in some states. It triggered states of emergency across several states and brought up to 19 inches of snow to parts of New York City, forcing the Boston Globe to suspend its print edition for the first time in its 153-year history.

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Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

A notice board is hung on the wall of a building in Pyongyang on Feb. 19, 2026, ahead of the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, being held for the first time in five years.

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Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

A notice board is hung on the wall of a building in Pyongyang on Feb. 19, 2026, ahead of the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, being held for the first time in five years.

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Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

A notice board is set up in Pyongyang on Feb. 19, 2026, ahead of the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, being held for the first time in five years.

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Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

Congress of Workers' Party of Korea

A notice board is set up in Pyongyang on Feb. 19, 2026, ahead of the upcoming congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, being held for the first time in five years.

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

A monitor at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s headquarters in Tokyo displays a live stream of the control room for the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex on Feb. 16, 2026, as the company restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, gearing up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years.

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

A monitor at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s headquarters in Tokyo displays a live stream of the control room for the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex on Feb. 16, 2026, as the company restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, gearing up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years.

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

A monitor at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s headquarters in Tokyo displays a live stream of the control room for the No. 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex on Feb. 16, 2026, as the company restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, gearing up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years.

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2026, shows the control room for the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. The plant restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, as the company gears up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years. (Pool photo)

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

Takeyuki Inagaki, head of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, stands in the central control room for the No. 6 reactor on Feb. 16, 2026, as TEPCO restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, gearing up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years. (Pool photo)

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TEPCO nuclear power plant

TEPCO nuclear power plant

Photo taken on Feb. 16, 2026, shows the No. 6 reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power complex operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo. The plant restarted power generation and transmission on a trial basis the same day, as the company gears up to resume nuclear power supply for the first time in 14 years. (Pool photo)

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Pakistan: Traditional Basant Kite Festival Returns to Lahore After Past Safety Bans

The ancient Basant festival returned to the streets of Lahore for the first time in nearly two decades, marking the arrival of spring with traditional kite flying. The event was banned in 2007 following years of fatalities and injuries caused by sharp kite strings, falls from rooftops, and aerial firing.

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Pakistan: Traditional Basant Kite Festival Returns to Lahore After Past Safety Bans 2

The ancient Basant festival returned to the streets of Lahore for the first time in nearly two decades, marking the arrival of spring with traditional kite flying. The event was banned in 2007 following years of fatalities and injuries caused by sharp kite strings, falls from rooftops, and aerial firing.

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Nikkei jumps over 5% to record high

Nikkei jumps over 5% to record high

A financial data monitor in Tokyo shows the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average trading above the 57,000 line for the first time following a gain of more than 3,000 points during the morning session on Feb. 9, 2026, after Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party scored a landslide victory in the House of Representatives election.

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Japan: Record January Snowfall Hits Aomori, Disrupting Traffic and Trains

On January 28, Aomori City recorded 150 centimeters of snowfall for the first time in 40 years, causing traffic congestion across the city and a series of train service suspensions. Snow depth reached 154 centimeters by 9 p.m., tying for the second-highest January total on record, last seen on January 30, 1986. According to Aomori Prefecture, as of 2 p.m. on January 29, two people had died and 85 others were injured, while damage was confirmed at four residential properties. The video captures conditions in Aomori City on the morning of January 29, showing the extent of the heavy snowfall.

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Gold price tops 30,000 yen

Gold price tops 30,000 yen

An electronic board at the flagship shop of Tanaka Precious Metal Technologies Co. in Tokyo's Ginza district shows the benchmark retail gold price set by the Tokyo company (lower L) topping 30,000 yen ($196) per gram for the first time on Jan. 29, 2026.

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China return for Ueno zoo pandas

China return for Ueno zoo pandas

People watch a truck carrying male giant panda Xiao Xiao and his twin sister Lei Lei leave Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before the animals are sent to China, marking the first time that Japan will be without pandas since the first ones arrived in the country in 1972.

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China return for Ueno zoo pandas

China return for Ueno zoo pandas

A truck carrying male giant panda Xiao Xiao and his twin sister Lei Lei leaves Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before the animals are sent to China, marking the first time that Japan will be without pandas since the first ones arrived in the country in 1972.

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China return for Ueno zoo pandas

China return for Ueno zoo pandas

People watch a truck carrying male giant panda Xiao Xiao and his twin sister Lei Lei leave Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before the animals are sent to China, marking the first time that Japan will be without pandas since the first ones arrived in the country in 1972.

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China return for Ueno zoo pandas

China return for Ueno zoo pandas

A truck carrying male giant panda Xiao Xiao and his twin sister Lei Lei leaves Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Jan. 27, 2026, before the animals are sent to China, marking the first time that Japan will be without pandas since the first ones arrived in the country in 1972.

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Volvo launches new EV

Volvo launches new EV

Volvo Car Corp. unveils its new EX60 electric vehicle model, featuring Google's Gemini AI technology for the first time, during a global premiere in the suburbs of Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Volvo launches new EV

Volvo launches new EV

Volvo Car Corp. unveils its new EX60 electric vehicle model, featuring Google's Gemini AI technology for the first time, during a global premiere in the suburbs of Stockholm on Jan. 21, 2026.

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Baseball: Padres vs. Dodgers

Baseball: Padres vs. Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches in a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on June 16, 2025. Ohtani pitched in an MLB game for the first time since August 2023 and made his first mound appearance in Dodger blue, following right elbow surgery in September 2023.

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No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

Tourists pack a street near Kiyomizu-dera temple in Kyoto, western Japan, on Jan. 20, 2026. The number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 16 percent to an estimated 42.7 million in 2025, exceeding 40 million for the first time.

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No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

Foreign tourists take a picture at the famous scramble intersection in Tokyo's Shibuya area on Jan. 20, 2026. The number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 16 percent to an estimated 42.7 million in 2025, exceeding 40 million for the first time.

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No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

No. of foreign visitors to Japan tops 40 mil.

Foreign tourists take a picture at the famous scramble intersection in Tokyo's Shibuya area on Jan. 20, 2026. The number of foreign visitors to Japan surged 16 percent to an estimated 42.7 million in 2025, exceeding 40 million for the first time.

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Baseball: MLB Tokyo Series

Baseball: MLB Tokyo Series

Composite time-lapse photo shows Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hitting a solo home run, his first of the season, during the second game of MLB's two-game, season-opening Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on March 19, 2025.

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Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

A visitor chooses souvenirs of giant panda Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 25, 2025. Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, currently residing at a zoo in Tokyo, will depart for China on Jan. 27, marking the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas, local media reported. Photo by Jia Haocheng/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Visitors take photos of giant panda Xiao Xiao at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 25, 2025. Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, currently residing at a zoo in Tokyo, will depart for China on Jan. 27, marking the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas, local media reported. Photo by Jia Haocheng/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant panda Xiao Xiao is seen at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 25, 2025. Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, currently residing at a zoo in Tokyo, will depart for China on Jan. 27, marking the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas, local media reported. Photo by Jia Haocheng/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant Panda Returns to China - Tokyo

Giant panda Xiao Xiao is seen at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 25, 2025. Giant pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, currently residing at a zoo in Tokyo, will depart for China on Jan. 27, marking the first time in about half a century that Japan will be without any pandas, local media reported. Photo by Jia Haocheng/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

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