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	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/16/commentary/japan-commentary/france-is-a-security-partner-for-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-16T20:10:36+09:00</lastmod>
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			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87308.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Officers from France, Japan, Australia and the U.S. attend a joint military drill starting ceremony at the GSDF's Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, on May 11.

]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/17/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-vaccine-patent-waiver/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-17T17:00:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87352.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87352.jpeg]]></image:title>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/16/commentary/world-commentary/be-smart-about-taxes-on-bitcoin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-16T21:28:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87390.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87390.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Lots of crypto investors might be tempted to hide their heads in the tax-planning sand, and it’s easy to see why. The tax issues are complex. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/17/commentary/world-commentary/lessons-from-the-u-k-elections/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-17T19:03:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_86623-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_86623.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[British Prime Minister Boris Johnson pets a dog in a beer garden during a visit to a pub on the local election campaign trail in Wolverhampton, England, on April 19.]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/18/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-international-order-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-18T18:17:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87473.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87473.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a joint news conference with U.S. President Joe Biden in April, during which the two reaffirmed cooperation on a number of issues.]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/18/commentary/japan-commentary/moonshot-research-tech-robots-and-ai/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-18T18:36:43+09:00</lastmod>
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			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87752.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87752.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Stanford Racing Team celebrates after winning a 2005 robotic-vehicle challenge sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which is famous for having seeded many Silicon Valley successes.


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/18/commentary/world-commentary/high-growth-sectors-covid-19-recovery/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-18T18:39:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_85346.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_85346.jpeg]]></image:title>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/joe-biden-foreign-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-19T18:51:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87976.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87976.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[It will be very difficult for the Biden administration to collaborate with China and Russia on virtually any issue if U.S. grand strategy focuses on taking down illiberal powers. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/the-next-5-million-hacker-payday/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-19T18:54:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87343.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87343.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A gas pump is roped off with a tape due to the lack of fuel that resulted from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack, at a gas station in Washington, on May 14.  ]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/israel-dangers-hamas/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-19T18:55:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87859.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87859.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Medics carry a person killed in an Israeli bombing near Gaza City on Monday.]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/eu-united-nations-un75-declaration-g7-global-peace/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-19T18:57:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_85537.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_85537.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Though the EU is often decried as slow and risk-averse, it stands out for its success in forging an effective supranational polity and pooling resources to meet shared challenges.]]></image:caption>
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	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/1-million-covid-19-vaccinations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-19T18:59:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88044.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88044.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Ohio now offers $1 million prizes in lotteries for people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine and, for teenagers, a full scholarship to a state university.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/19/commentary/world-commentary/tokyo-olympics-amid-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-20T13:12:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88016.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88016.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/20/commentary/world-commentary/tragedy-climate-change/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-20T21:21:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88299.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88299.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[ ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/20/commentary/japan-commentary/arab-state-palestinian-israeli-conflict/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-20T21:23:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88291.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88291.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Pro-Palestinian supporters stage a protest in front of the European Commission in Brussels on Wednesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/20/commentary/world-commentary/pay-seventh-grader-bitcoin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-20T21:24:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87834.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87834.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[We are intentional about teaching our kids about money because collectively as Americans we focus a lot on earning money, but collectively we stink at managing money.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/17/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-a-leader-in-shaping-asias-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-21T04:02:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87059.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87059.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's then-state minister of defense, Kenji Wakamiya (center), reviews an honor guard during a transfer ceremony of Japanese training aircraft to the Philippine Navy at a naval facility south of Manila in March 2017. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/22/cartoons/vaccination-rollout/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-22T10:00:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87426-e1621584041279.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87426.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's vaccine rollout]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/22/cartoons/european-clothes-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-22T09:58:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87428-e1621584224298.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87428.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Finding European clothes sizes in Japan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/22/commentary/world-commentary/psychedelic-drugs-legalization/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-22T10:00:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88403.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88403.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What distinguishes the movement to legalize psychedelics such as Ecstasy, which contain MDMA, is that it is substantially more elite than the movement surrounding pot, a drug that crosses economic and cultural lines.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/23/commentary/world-commentary/america-antagonism-china/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-23T20:10:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88649.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88649.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In the last few years, the view of China as a strategic rival has taken over the American political mainstream, with leaders largely choosing confrontation over cooperation.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/23/commentary/world-commentary/biodiversity-environment-governments/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-23T20:13:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_87993.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_87993.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A member of a biodiversity conservation team inspects a deforested area in a national forest in Rio Pardo, Rondonia state, Brazil, in September 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/23/commentary/world-commentary/economic-case-scottish-independence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-23T20:14:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88718.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88718.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/24/commentary/world-commentary/asias-covid-19-surges/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-24T17:00:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88771-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88771.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People stand behind a lockdown barrier to ask for food donations after their village had been closed for more than two weeks as part of anti-COVID-19 measures near Phnom Penh on April 30.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/24/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-myanmar-value-oriented-foreign-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-24T17:00:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/np_file_82695.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_82695.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/24/commentary/world-commentary/donald-trump-the-big-lie/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-24T17:00:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88536.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88536.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, in February.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2011/01/10/editorials/relief-for-drug-side-effects/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-24T13:23:32+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2011/01/26/editorials/mr-kan-sets-his-agenda/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-24T13:24:02+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/25/commentary/world-commentary/bitcoin-chaos-cyberpunk-utopia/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-25T19:10:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89216.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89216.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The mania and panic that have gripped decentralized cryptocurrencies are heightening the attraction of their coming rivals: digital cash, issued by central banks. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/25/commentary/world-commentary/biden-moon-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-25T23:14:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89157-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89157.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, depart after a news conference at the White House on May 21.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/25/commentary/world-commentary/america-immigration-calculus/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-25T23:18:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89196.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89196.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, many of whom help to counter the labor shortage resulting from America’s relatively low birth rate.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/25/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-international-order-3/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T07:00:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88828.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88828.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga must consider the possibility of conflict over both Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands, and maintain relations with China and the U.S. accordingly.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/south-asia-aid-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:17:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88763.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88763.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Family members stand in the rain outside a crematorium where the bodies of their relatives, who died from COVID-19, will be taken, in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 11.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/hollywood-asian-stereotypes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:18:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88349.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88349.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[South Korean actor Song Kang-ho and the cast of "Parasite" pose on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 92nd Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, in February 2020.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/london-pubs-restaurants-reopen/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:19:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88312-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88312.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People walk past a reopened pub as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease in London, on May 18.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/immigration-wealthy-world-challenge/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:21:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89055.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89055.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Conflict is a fearsome driver of migration, with an estimated 71 million people being uprooted worldwide.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-covid-19-cases-spike/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:22:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89391.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89391.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Taiwanese medical worker administers a COVID-19 test in Taipei on Tuesday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/26/commentary/world-commentary/china-share-mars-data/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-26T21:23:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89407.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89407.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/27/commentary/japan-commentary/america-japan-defending-taiwan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-27T20:47:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89728.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89728.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taiwanese sailors take part in a ceremony to commission two guided missile frigates from the U.S. into the Taiwan Navy at the port of Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, in November 2018.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/27/commentary/world-commentary/fourth-industrial-revolution-sustainability/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-27T20:49:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89682.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89682.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/cartoons/hard-landing-immigration/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88792-e1622176338970.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88792.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Suga's hard landing over immigration]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/cartoons/plastic-surgery-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T09:58:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88789-1-e1622176441129.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88789.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Plastic surgery in Japan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-security-laws/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89091.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89091.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japanese soldiers with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan prepare to withdraw from the nation's capital, Juba, in April 2017.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/editorials/lack-urgency-stalls-japan-vaccination-campaign/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89824-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89824.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Nurses wait to process people arriving to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the newly-opened mass vaccination center in Tokyo on Monday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
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	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/commentary/world-commentary/biden-cryptocurrency-tax-plan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89768.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89768.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/commentary/world-commentary/productivity-revolution/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89436.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89436.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/commentary/world-commentary/florida-social-media-law-first-amendment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89699.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89699.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The key provision of a new Florida law states that "a social media platform may not willfully deplatform a candidate for office” — and imposes a $250,000 per day fine for violations. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-olympics-bureaucracy-democracy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-29T10:00:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89766.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89766.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Security personnel stand guard during a protest by an anti-Olympics group outside the Japanese Olympic Committee headquarters in Tokyo on May 18.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/30/commentary/world-commentary/belarus-hijacking-western-complacency/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-30T22:34:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_90111.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90111.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/30/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-vaccinations-save-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-30T22:36:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_90125-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90125.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Asahi Shimbun daily, a major sponsor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, called in an editorial last week for the event, as well as the Paralympics, to be canceled.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
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	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/30/commentary/world-commentary/side-job-transform-career/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-30T22:38:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89373.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89373.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One key to a successful 'side hustle' is to work on a problem close to your heart and what you care about.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/31/commentary/world-commentary/democracy-digital-age/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-31T17:00:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89455.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89455.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An art installation protest by the advocacy group SumOfUs portrays the CEOs of Google, Twitter and Facebook as Jan. 6th rioters, on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol on March 25.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/31/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kong-female-business-managers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-31T17:00:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88662.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88662.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Close to a third of Hong Kong’s 2,500-odd listed companies had no women on the board as of the end of 2020.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/31/commentary/world-commentary/southeast-asia-covid-19-waves/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-05-31T19:59:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89860.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89860.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Health workers wait for people to show up at a drive-thru coronavirus vaccination site for bedridden and persons with disabilities, in Makati city, Metro Manila, on May 7.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2011/06/23/commentary/is-there-an-afghan-solution/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-01T11:59:12+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2008/12/16/commentary/world-commentary/japan-aches-for-a-political-rescue/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-01T11:59:53+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/01/commentary/world-commentary/peak-behind-curtain-beijing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-01T22:10:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90498.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90498.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the closing session of the National People's Congress in Beijing in March. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/01/commentary/world-commentary/risking-debt-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-01T22:12:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90431-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90431.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In Europe and other countries, debt has now outstripped annual GDP, which has considerably reduced the chances of the governments outgrowing their debts.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/china-avoid-blame-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T19:43:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90667.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90667.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/prosecute-populists/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T19:45:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90503-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90503.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Donald Trump is in the crosshairs of New York prosecutors for potential tax and other business-related allegations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/ceo-worth-1000-times-median-worker/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T19:46:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90699.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90699.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chipotle, a Mexican grill chain, recently disclosed that its CEO made nearly 3,000 times the median employee salary in 2020, up from 1,136 times in 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/chinese-communist-party-perseverance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T19:47:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_89769.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89769.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Chinese Communist Party perseveres by perpetuating its own truths while maintaining a laser focus on lengthening its life and influence. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/indonesia-australia-carbon-habit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T19:50:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90717.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90717.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A coal barge is towed on the Musi River, in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia in March 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/02/commentary/world-commentary/post-pandemic-whiplash-world-poor/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-02T22:45:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_89854.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89854.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/03/commentary/world-commentary/america-rediscover-human-rights/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-03T21:27:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91082.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91082.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/03/commentary/japan-commentary/china-xi-jinping-policies-narratives/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-03T21:28:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91032-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91032.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping should avoid confrontation with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and seek common ground to elevate China's standing in the international community. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/03/commentary/world-commentary/autocrats-internet-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-03T21:30:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90744.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90744.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, attend a ceremony unveiling a World War Two memorial near Rzhev, Russia in June 2020. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/05/cartoons/suga-olympic-trials/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-05T10:00:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_90386-e1622792322200.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90386.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Suga's Olympic trials]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/05/cartoons/modern-views-mount-fuji/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-05T09:59:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_90387-e1622792389412.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90387.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Eight modern views of Mount Fuji]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/05/editorials/naomi-osaka-real-champion/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-05T10:00:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91202.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91202.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A committed social activist, Naomi Osaka has inadvertently launched a long overdue public conversation about mental health with her withdrawal from the French Open.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/05/commentary/world-commentary/india-suspect-quad-credentials/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-05T10:00:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91218.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91218.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s carefully cultivated competence bubble has been punctured by his government's ineffectiveness amid the second wave of the COVID-19 virus that has ravaged his country.  
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/05/commentary/world-commentary/china-inflation-janet-yellen-mystery/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-05T10:00:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90675.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90675.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[When Janet Yellen led the Federal Reserve, she puzzled over inflation’s failure to fire despite low unemployment, years of low interest rates and several rounds of quantitative easing. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/06/commentary/world-commentary/european-african-leaders-new-deal-africa/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-06T18:21:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91308.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91308.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/06/commentary/world-commentary/lessons-covid-19-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-06T18:25:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91517-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91517.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Health workers take care of patients at a COVID-19 intensive care unit in Montevideo on Friday.  AFP-JIJI]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/07/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-three-child-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-07T17:00:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91290.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91290.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/07/commentary/world-commentary/clean-energy-oil-carbon-loggerheads/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-07T17:00:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91551.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91551.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A report by the International Energy Agency said that if the world is to meet the carbon goals set out in the Paris Agreement of 2015, then all future investment in oil and gas development must cease.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/07/commentary/world-commentary/world-learn-india-covid-19-cataclysm/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-07T17:00:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90671.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90671.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Health workers process people's paperwork after receiving a the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in New Delhi on May 21.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/06/commentary/world-commentary/vaccines-national-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-07T08:07:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90848-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90848.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Older people wait for a COVID-19 shot at a mass-vaccination center in Osaka on May 24. Japan has come under fire for the slow pace of its vaccination rollout in comparison to other developed nations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/08/commentary/world-commentary/wuhan-lab-dispute-obscures-pressing-problem/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-08T19:37:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91901.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91901.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/08/commentary/world-commentary/legacy-weapons-eroding-military-edge/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-08T19:44:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91963.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91963.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mark Milley]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/08/commentary/world-commentary/biden-great-game/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-08T19:46:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91464.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91464.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With Nord Stream 2 delivering Russian gas directly to Germany via the Baltic Sea, the Kremlin will be able to cut off supplies to transit countries like Ukraine.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-chip-future-taiwan-science-park/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:06:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92037.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92037.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In 1988, Japan commanded 50% of the global semiconductor industry. By 2019, Japan accounted for 10%.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/world-commentary/china-ages-before-rich/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:09:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92104.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92104.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/world-commentary/nba-making-risky-bet-gambling/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:11:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92082.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92082.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Basketball is a team game, so it's harder to throw or fix than in a sport such as tennis.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/world-commentary/pakistan-taliban-monster/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:12:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92126.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92126.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Pakistani militant groups, emboldened by the success of their Taliban brethren in Afghanistan, could turn on their benefactors in Islamabad. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/world-commentary/keeping-free-speech-safe/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:13:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90076.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90076.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A police officer breaks up a fight between a far-right activist and a counter-protester after a rally for free speech in Washington in July 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/09/commentary/world-commentary/art-accountants/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-09T20:14:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_90726-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_90726.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. artist Jeff Koons poses with his work titled "Monkeys (Chair)" at the Serpentine Gallery in London in June 2009.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/05/22/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-u-s-japan-defense/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-10T15:04:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_88465-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_88465.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Experts are divided on the question of China’s ability to launch an invasion of Taiwan and the merits of such a strategy. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/10/commentary/world-commentary/fixing-broken-pandemic-financing-system/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-10T21:11:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92387.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92387.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Oxfam activist wearing a giant head depicting French President Emmanuel Macron protests ahead of the G7 leaders' summit against patents on COVID-19 vaccines, in Paris on Tuesday.


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/10/commentary/world-commentary/facebook-youtube-erred-censoring-covid-19-misinformation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-10T21:12:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92384.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92384.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/11/commentary/world-commentary/vaccine-supply-chain/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-11T11:41:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_89618.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89618.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Margaret Keenan, then 90, was the first person in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine when she was vaccinated on Dec. 8. The U.K. was the first country to start using the shots.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/10/commentary/world-commentary/china-taiwan-invasion/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-11T11:44:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91737.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91737.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With tensions rising in the Taiwan Strait, some nations are considering their position in the event that war breaks out or an invasion takes place.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/12/cartoons/suga-greatest-political-weakness/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-12T10:00:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91719-e1623395047833.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91719.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Yoshihide Suga's greatest political weakness]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/12/editorials/tax-agreement-g7/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-12T10:00:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92494.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92494.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his entourage arrive in Cornwall, England, on Friday for the three-day G7 summit.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/12/commentary/world-commentary/china-u-s-inflation-fears/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-12T10:00:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92561.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92561.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/14/commentary/world-commentary/free-markets-central-planning/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-14T17:00:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_89655.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_89655.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-U.S. President Bill Clinton tours the floor of the Shanghai Stock Exchange with the city's mayor in June 1998.


 ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/14/commentary/world-commentary/alzheimers-drug-u-s-health-system-failures/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-14T17:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92581.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92581.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Because Biogen plans to price Aduhelm at $56,000 a year for the average patient, it also stands to cost Medicare and other insurers a bundle. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/12/cartoons/extracurricular-studies-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-13T21:24:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91724-e1623395123906.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91724.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Extracurricular studies in Japan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/14/commentary/world-commentary/budapest-citizens-against-chinese-university/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-14T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92345.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92345.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators protest against the planned Chinese Fudan University campus in Budapest, Hungary, on June 5. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/14/commentary/world-commentary/key-takeaways-g7-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-15T15:56:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92932.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92932.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in person for the first time at the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall, England. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/16/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-no-confidence-motion/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-16T19:23:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93363.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93363.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Lawmakers vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at a Lower House plenary session of the Diet on Tuesday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/16/commentary/world-commentary/wall-street-dealing-like-2007/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-16T19:28:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93385.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93385.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Wall Street's leveraged buyouts are happening at a speed and extravagance that were unique to 2006 and 2007, the run-up to the financial crisis.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/16/commentary/world-commentary/herd-immunity-closer-than-you-think/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-16T19:31:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93141.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93141.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/15/commentary/japan-commentary/actions-words-make-break-g7/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-17T00:33:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93128.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93128.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/16/commentary/world-commentary/china-wrong-population-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-17T01:30:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93356.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93356.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Whether a woman chooses to have one child, 10, or none, it is her own decision and not the business of the Chinese or any state.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/17/commentary/japan-commentary/taiwan-chip-dependence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-17T17:31:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92675-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92675.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. office building, in Hsinchu, Taiwan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/18/commentary/japan-commentary/okinawa-reversion-agreement/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-18T12:00:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93610.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93610.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Anti-base demonstrators gather near the U.S. Futenma Air Base in Okinawa on May 15, 1997, to protest against the U.S. military presence on the 25th anniversary of Okinawa's 1972 reversion to Japanese rule. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/18/commentary/world-commentary/europe-debt-avalanche/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-18T11:55:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93717.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93717.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The EU’s sales of €200 billion or more per year in bonds will rival the national issuance of Europe’s big four sovereign issuers: Germany, France, Italy and Spain. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/18/commentary/japan-commentary/olympic-size-covid-19-risk/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-18T12:01:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93660.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93660.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/19/cartoons/roger-dahl-suga-approval-ratings/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-19T10:00:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92955-e1623994124314.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92955.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Yoshihide Suga's gloomy approval ratings]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/19/cartoons/extreme-weather-forecasts/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-19T09:59:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92956-e1623994183408.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92956.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's extreme weather forecasts]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/19/commentary/world-commentary/vaccine-world-badly-needs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-19T10:00:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93143-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93143.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective, including against coronavirus variants, the vaccine maker said on Monday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/12/23/editorials/protecting-sexual-minorities-rights/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-19T20:40:26+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/20/commentary/world-commentary/chinese-communist-party-not-forever/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-20T19:19:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94170-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94170.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The fact that no other such party in modern times has survived for a century should give the Chinese Communist Party's leaders cause for worry, not celebration.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/20/commentary/world-commentary/putins-right-no-escaping-dollar/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-20T19:23:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94184-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94184.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A security guard stands outside a currency exchange in Kenya's capital Nairobi.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/19/editorials/biden-starts-strong-europe/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-20T21:06:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93927.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93927.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/21/commentary/japan-commentary/olympics-about-doctors-not-athletes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-21T17:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94226-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94226.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In Tokyo next month, it will be doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other medical personnel who determine the success of the Olympic Games. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/21/commentary/world-commentary/world-through-lens-geoenergy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-21T17:00:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93704.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93704.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Unlike fossil fuels, which can be transported over long distances in chemical form, renewable energy is static — meaning it will have to be transported in electric form such as through power lines.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/20/commentary/world-commentary/biden-putin-summit-tokyo-eyes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-21T12:55:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94147.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94147.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/22/commentary/japan-commentary/lessons-half-century-ago-shape-thinking-alliances-today/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-22T18:48:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94474.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94474.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/22/commentary/world-commentary/cpc-one-hundred-years-environmental-devastation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-22T18:49:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94499-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94499.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China’s giant dams, such as the Three Gorges Dam, have hurt ecosystems, caused deltas to retreat and often emit more greenhouse gases than fossil-fuel power plants. REUTERS]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/21/commentary/world-commentary/scary-plan-revise-definition-death/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T18:53:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_93178.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_93178.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The current law’s silence about how brain death is diagnosed means that someone could be found legally dead in Nevada even if ruled alive in Kansas.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/23/commentary/japan-commentary/chinas-guochao-business-nationalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T20:51:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94805.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94805.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A photographer is prevented from taking pictures outside an H&amp;M outlet in Beijing in April amid a Chinese boycott against the company for expressing concern over the alleged use of forced labor of Muslims in Xinjiang province.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/23/commentary/world-commentary/end-iran-islamic-republic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T20:52:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94730.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94730.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/23/commentary/world-commentary/16th-century-venice-teaches-crypto/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T20:54:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91811.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91811.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Like gambling in 16th-century Venice, if Bitcoin and its ilk are to survive, they will need to find a way to betray their libertarian roots and cut their own deals with central governments.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/23/commentary/world-commentary/europe-hitting-google/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T20:55:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94765.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94765.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The European Commission's antitrust probe is by far the most important because it focuses on how Google actually makes most of its money.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/23/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-fix-gender-gap-politics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-23T22:20:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94823.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94823.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada has been critical of Japanese politics, describing the situation as a “democracy without women.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/24/commentary/world-commentary/accommodating-china-unavoidable/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-24T21:27:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95070.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95070.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/24/commentary/world-commentary/musk-bezos-spat-bad-space-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-24T22:49:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94198.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94198.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Elon Musk attends the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon capsule at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on April 23.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/24/commentary/world-commentary/iranian-israel-american-hard-liners-nuclear-deal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-24T22:50:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95060-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95060.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In Tehran on Monday, Iran's president-elect, Ebrahim Raisi, holds his first news conference after winning the election. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/26/cartoons/heard-immunity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-26T10:00:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94326-e1624593235898.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94326.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Heard immunity]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/26/cartoons/walking-mile-someone-elses-shoes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-26T09:59:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94327-e1624593316431.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94327.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Walking a mile in someone else's shoes]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/26/editorials/hong-kong-voice-democracy-silenced/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-26T10:00:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95319.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95319.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/26/commentary/japan-commentary/ldp-komeito-coalition-competition-summer/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-26T10:00:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95332.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95332.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Most Japan observers will be focused on the Olympic Games, but the summer will be full of political competition both ahead of and during three notable elections set for the coming months.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/27/commentary/world-commentary/southeast-asia-democracy-woes-accelerate/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-27T17:56:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95468.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95468.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Unfortunately, South East Asia's prospects for democracy look likely to backslide in the coming years, including in the Philippines where the next election could bring to power Sara Duterte, the daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/27/commentary/world-commentary/china-higher-inflation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-27T17:58:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95485-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95485.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite recent price increases, Chinese markets remain mostly calm with economists there far more worried about waning growth momentum in the second quarter than a surge in inflation.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/27/commentary/world-commentary/life-death-u-s-military-afghan-interpreters/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-27T17:59:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95486.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95486.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan man talks to a Canadian soldier and an interpreter during a patrol in Kandahar city in June 2009. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/28/commentary/world-commentary/philippines-get-more-duterte/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-28T17:00:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94503-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94503.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters in Manila hold a rally against the anti-terror bill that was approved by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2020.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/28/commentary/world-commentary/beware-americas-soaring-public-debt/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-28T17:00:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95505-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95505.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Though America’s gross federal debt now stands at 107% of GDP — a post-WWII record — the Biden administration’s 2022 budget has the country running by far the largest-ever peacetime deficits.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/04/11/commentary/japan-commentary/can-esports-save-post-olympics-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-28T13:06:46+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/29/commentary/world-commentary/geopolitics-pick-green-tech-winners/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-29T19:42:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96007-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96007.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Anxiety among countries is rising as they contemplate a transition to a “green economy,” one in which demand for rare earth minerals will explode.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/29/commentary/world-commentary/global-model-tackle-violence-women/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-29T19:47:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95980.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95980.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators protest violence against women in Dublin in March.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/irish-question-affects-us-all/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-30T19:12:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96275.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96275.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Partition of Ireland was the solution in the last century, but now it persists as an impossible problem with Brexit.

 ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/half-century-endless-drug-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-30T19:13:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94643.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94643.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A discarded heroin syringe is stuck into a banana tree after being used by an addict in Hanoi in December 2015.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/paid-maternity-leave-saves-lives/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-30T19:14:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96272.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96272.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Without paid leave, mothers often return to work before they are healthy enough to do so, resulting in a ripple effect of postpartum health complications.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/great-powers-compete/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-30T19:18:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96254.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96254.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Many in the West disapprove of China’s single-party governance structure, just as vocal elements in China disparage Western liberal democracy, which they argue is in terminal decline. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/30/commentary/world-commentary/coronavirus-chinas-geopolitical-rollercoaster/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-06-30T23:13:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96246.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96246.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/01/commentary/world-commentary/rising-stars-when-debt-cheap/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-02T11:02:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96498-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96498.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Cheap financing is a reason given by the credit-rating firms such as Moody’s Investors Service when they justify the potential creditworthiness of borrowers.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/01/commentary/world-commentary/canadas-future-lies-free-open-indo-pacific/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-02T11:04:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96538.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96538.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[While Canada’s economy is largely wedded to the North American continent, it is the Indo-Pacific region that has become the economic engine of global growth. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/01/commentary/world-commentary/observing-green-swan-conference/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-02T11:06:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_94761.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94761.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As economic activity is reallocated from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, it must be managed in a way that does not create instability in the financial system.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/03/cartoons/dog-haiku-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-03T09:55:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95676-e1625206477395.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95676.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A dog haiku]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/03/cartoons/supreme-court-ruling-separate-surnames/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-03T10:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_95677-e1625206642866.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_95677.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/03/editorials/china-celebrates-100-years-communist-rule/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-03T10:00:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96610.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96610.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A woman in Beijing takes a selfie as Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, on Thursday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/03/commentary/world-commentary/big-tech-crackdown-unintended-victims/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-03T00:00:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96280.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96280.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A backlash against social media giants is a gift to authoritarian governments around the world, who have been looking for a stick with which to beat Twitter and Facebook among others.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/04/commentary/world-commentary/right-advice-pandemic-recovery/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-04T20:55:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96907.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96907.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, who implemented aggressive quantitative easing in 2013, speaks during a news conference at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on June 18. |]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/04/commentary/world-commentary/heat-domes-red-hot-warning-climate-costs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-04T20:56:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96882-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96882.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A woman rests at the Oregon Convention Center cooling station in Portland on June 28 amid a heat wave that moved over much of the United States and Canada.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/04/commentary/world-commentary/same-job-woman-makes-200000-less/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-04T20:57:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96919.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96919.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If a lack of experience is what’s holding women back from higher salaries, it raises another question: Where were they supposed to get the experience and responsibilities they need to be compensated as much as men?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/05/commentary/world-commentary/dire-straits-taiwans-fragile-status-quo/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-05T17:00:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96859.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96859.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/04/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-carbon-tax/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-05T15:34:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96251.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96251.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Stacks on the main carbon dioxide removal equipment are seen at the Tomakomai carbon, capture and storage test site in Tomakomai, Hokkaido.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/06/commentary/world-commentary/liberty-conspiracy-vaccination/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-06T17:00:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97168.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97168.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Conspiracy theories such as that of QAnon and those among some anti-vaxxers have a self-sealing property, whereby new information that challenges the belief comes to be seen as further proof of it.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/06/commentary/world-commentary/curious-case-balkan-war-criminals/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-06T17:00:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97189.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97189.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Jovica Stanisic, the former head of Serbia's state security service, appears in court at The Hague on Wednesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/05/commentary/world-commentary/india-looks-west/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-05T17:49:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96853.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96853.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Indian government outraged Pakistan with its August 2019 decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its constitutionally guaranteed autonomy and reduce its status to a union territory that was directly administered by the national government.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/06/commentary/world-commentary/asean-minilateralism-myanmar-territorial-disputes-south-china-sea/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-06T18:04:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97393.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97393.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appear before members of the press at a regional summit in Bangkok in November 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/06/commentary/world-commentary/intelligence-report-examines-unidentified-aerial-phenomena/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-07T18:02:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97397-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97397.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A U.S. intelligence task force examined 144 reports on unidentified aerial phenomena between 2004 and 2021, concluding that “the limited amount of high quality reporting … hampers our ability to draw firm conclusions about the nature or intent of UAP.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/07/commentary/world-commentary/logic-effective-climate-action/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-07T19:11:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97200.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97200.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People wearing yellow vests, a symbol of a French drivers' protest against higher diesel fuel prices, demonstrate in Marseille, France, in December 2018.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/07/commentary/world-commentary/ransomware-attacks-will-end/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-07T19:11:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97681.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97681.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Hackers will eventually "overfish” the pool of ransomware victims. At some point there will be so many attacks that most institutions will have no choice but to respond. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/07/commentary/world-commentary/real-reason-leave-banking-industry/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-07T19:14:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97184.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97184.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Smaller financial-services businesses have become better options for young workers because they are less regulated and more nimble, meaning they can give them a venue to learn how to take risk. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/07/commentary/world-commentary/after-afghanistan-falls/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-07T19:15:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97659.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97659.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan National Army soldier stands guard at the gate of Bagram Air Base in Parwan province on July 2, the day the last of American troops vacated their former base. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/08/commentary/japan-commentary/chinese-communist-party-100th-birthday/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-08T20:24:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97972-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97972.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[President Xi Jinping's speech marking the 100-year anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party was never going to win the hearts and minds of China's neighbors — including Japan's media.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/08/commentary/world-commentary/building-inclusive-networked-u-n/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-08T20:25:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97961.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97961.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The United Nations — the world’s only truly universal organization — has never been more vital. But it needs renewed imagination, vigorous adaptation to changing global circumstances and emboldened advocates.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/08/commentary/world-commentary/china-breaks-global-model-venture-capital-investing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-08T20:25:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97975.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97975.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Didi Global Inc. debuts on New York Stock Exchange on June 30.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/10/cartoons/managing-covid-19-outbreak/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-10T10:00:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97277-e1625822877880.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97277.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Managing the COVID-19 outbreak]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/10/cartoons/wet-shoes-rainy-season-blues/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-10T09:50:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97278-e1625823036225.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97278.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Wet shoes and rainy season blues]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/09/editorials/afghanistan-brink-collapse/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-09T19:05:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98058.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98058.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Members of an internally displaced Afghan family who have fled the fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces arrive in the Enjil district of Herat on Thursday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/09/commentary/world-commentary/books-you-remember-kindle-you-forget/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-09T19:09:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/np_file_85258.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_85258.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[When reading on a digital device, the fear is that the loss of mental effort will lead to a loss in overall thoughtfulness.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/12/commentary/world-commentary/crypto-crashing-financial-system/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-12T17:00:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98398.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98398.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Whether crypto will prove to be, on balance, a good thing is still unclear. As money, it has so far failed.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/12/commentary/world-commentary/guns-u-s-violent-culture/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-12T17:00:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97620.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97620.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[This sign was put up by residents in the Englewood area of Chicago in the hopes of reducing the high incidence of gun violence in the neighborhood.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/29/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-challenges-communist-party-turns-100/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-12T01:58:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_96004.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96004.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping appears on a giant screen during a show commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of China's Communist Party in Beijing on Monday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/09/commentary/japan-commentary/world-watch-tokyo-olympics-amid-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-12T12:17:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98193.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98193.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Torches are displayed during a lighting ceremony in Tokyo on Friday after the torch relay on a public road was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/12/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-games-despite-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-13T00:49:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98103.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98103.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[ ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/13/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-military-needs-more-recruits/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-13T19:17:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98738.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98738.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[At least 70% of Americans between 17 and 24 are ineligible for military service due to obesity, mental-health issues, past drug use, criminal records or lack of a high school degree.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/13/commentary/world-commentary/pandemic-economic-behavior/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-13T19:17:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98121.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98121.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The often-unsatisfactory experience of students, teachers and parents with distance learning suggests that remote education will continue only selectively. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/13/commentary/world-commentary/didis-data-wars-will-become-new-normal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-13T19:18:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98688.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98688.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Traders work during the IPO for Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Global Inc. at the New York Stock Exchange on June 30.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/14/commentary/world-commentary/biden-afghan-blunder/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-14T19:53:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99008-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99008.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The U.S. is leaving Afghans at the mercy of marauding Taliban forces — a group with a long history of savage behavior and whose offensive has recently displaced tens of thousands of civilians.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/14/commentary/world-commentary/building-inclusive-digital-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-14T19:53:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98664.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98664.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The World Economic Forum’s 2020 “Future of Jobs Report” predicts that many private companies will employ machines and algorithms more broadly than ever, hindering employment prospects across sectors and regions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/14/commentary/world-commentary/nord-stream-2-overshadow-u-s-german-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-14T19:54:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99013.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99013.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A specialist works onboard a ship laying pipe for Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will double the amount of gas Russia can export directly under the Baltic Sea to northwestern Europe.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/14/commentary/world-commentary/wall-street-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-14T19:54:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99020.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99020.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The fact that Goldman’s shares are beating JPMorgan’s both today and so far this year highlights how it’s easier for traders to bet on Wall Street than Main Street in these earlier, more foggy stages of a recovery.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/14/commentary/world-commentary/beefatarians-not-wanted/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-14T20:13:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99054.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99054.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Meat and dairy consumption are rising at a rate that, if projected to 2050, would use 87% of the total quantity of emissions that is compatible with the Paris climate agreement’s objective of staying below a 2 degree Celsius increase in temperature.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/15/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-asia-coronavirus/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-15T15:57:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98813.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98813.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Workers unload AstraZeneca vaccines, shipped from Japan, from an airplane at Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan on July 8.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/15/commentary/world-commentary/making-trade-work/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-15T20:23:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99320.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99320.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Governments must remember that the potential benefits of trade for workers are far greater than protectionism, provided they can put in place policies that deliver them more equitably.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/15/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-green-financial-hub/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-16T14:23:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99308.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99308.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The growing alarm about climate change and widespread global initiatives toward a net-zero economy has awakened the world that the greening of existing loan and securities portfolios is in urgent need. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/17/cartoons/empty-olympic-stadiums/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-17T10:00:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98823-e1626424288995.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98823.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Suga's empty Olympic stadiums]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/17/cartoons/roses-radishes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-17T09:50:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_98824-e1626424400352.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_98824.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Roses and radishes ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/16/editorials/south-china-sea-ruling-empty-words/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-16T21:23:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99489-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99489.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Activists stage a protest outside the Chinese Consulate on the fifth anniversary of an international court of arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's historical claims over the waters of the South China Sea, in Makati City, Philippines, on Monday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/16/commentary/japan-commentary/ldp-loses-heavyweight-takeshita/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-16T21:24:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99438.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99438.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The announced retirement of Wataru Takeshita has caused quite a stir within the Liberal Democratic Party, especially as it pertains to the machinations of the party's leadership battle.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/16/commentary/world-commentary/japan-quiet-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-16T21:24:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99527.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99527.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Japanese public has been divided between those demanding a cancellation of the entire Olympic Games and those (particularly in the restaurant business) objecting to strong restrictions on social and economic activities. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/18/commentary/world-commentary/china-killing-tech-golden-goose/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-18T20:31:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99664.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99664.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Tencent's chief executive officer, Pony Ma, and Alibaba's executive chairman, Jack Ma, attend an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in December 2018. Almost all dominant Chinese tech giants relied on foreign funding to grow into spectacularly thriving companies. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/18/commentary/world-commentary/cuba-protesters-american-support/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-18T20:31:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99666.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99666.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters in Hialeah, Florida, show support for Cubans demonstrating against their government.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/18/commentary/world-commentary/changing-battlefield-winning-future-conflicts/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-18T20:35:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99121.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99121.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The deck of the Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth supercarrier ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/19/commentary/world-commentary/fda-alzheimers-drug-aduhelm/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-19T17:00:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99322.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99322.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The FDA's decision to approve Biogen Inc.'s Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm risks bringing an expensive treatment to millions of patients without evidence of utility or safety.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/19/commentary/world-commentary/china-taiwans-vaccine-warfare/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-19T17:00:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99613.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99613.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/19/commentary/japan-commentary/u-s-japan-vaccines/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-19T11:40:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99140.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99140.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[While laboratories and pharmaceutical firms were mobilized quickly in the United States when the need for a COVID-19 vaccination become apparent, Japan's vaccine development lagged behind.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/20/commentary/japan-commentary/bolt-quiet-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-20T19:40:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100131.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100131.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Usain Bolt does his famous lightning-bolt pose at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August 2016.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/20/commentary/japan-commentary/tree-huggers-climate-change/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-21T13:43:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100110-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100110.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Tokyo cityscape looks very green. But looks can be deceiving and the Japanese capital is not as it seems; it has a low percentage of park space (6.2%), especially when compared with other big cities.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/21/commentary/world-commentary/delta-variant-southeast-asia/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-21T19:18:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100410.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100410.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As many medical workers in Southeast Asia succumb to COVID-19, the enduring few are left exhausted, broken and angry. 


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/21/commentary/world-commentary/generation-z-guaranteed-income/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-21T19:18:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99756.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99756.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A new paper suggests the skeptics may be right: A universal basic income may cause more harm than good for a very high cost.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/21/commentary/world-commentary/organic-farming-protect-nature/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-21T19:18:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99761.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99761.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Organic farms sequester about 25% more carbon than soils from nonorganic farms. They also emit far fewer greenhouse gasses.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/21/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-reopen-doors-international-students/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-21T19:20:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100310.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100310.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The University of Tokyo. Continuing with the COVID-19 travel ban will only damage Japan’s global reputation and competitiveness in higher education.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/22/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-rules-politics-science/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-22T19:14:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100761.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100761.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday takes questions virtually from his country residence during the weekly question time debate in Parliament after Health Secretary Sajid Javid tested positive for coronavirus. 




]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/22/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-zoom-amazon/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-22T19:15:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100728.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100728.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Orders are processed at an Amazon distribution center near Barcelona, Spain, in March 2018.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/22/commentary/world-commentary/america-israel-palestine/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-22T19:59:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100644.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100644.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah in March 2016. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/24/cartoons/vaccination-targets/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-24T10:00:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100135-e1627025797140.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100135.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's vaccination targets]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/24/cartoons/fortune-telling-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-24T09:55:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100140-e1627025868783.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100140.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fortune telling in Japan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/23/commentary/world-commentary/air-rage-class-warfare/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-23T19:27:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_92077.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_92077.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A 2016 study of air rage found that the presence of a first-class section made it 3.84 times more likely that someone in economy class would act out.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/25/commentary/world-commentary/cuba-biden-mariel-boatlift/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-25T19:26:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101256.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101256.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A man is arrested during a demonstration against the Cuban government in Havana on July 11. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/25/commentary/world-commentary/europe-green-unilateralism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-25T19:26:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101220.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101220.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[For the European Commission's ban on petroleum use in cars to achieve any positive climate effects, the EU would have to store the unused fuel somewhere in its territory, otherwise other counties will buy the surplus at cheaper prices to use.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/26/commentary/world-commentary/stablecoin-illusion/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-26T17:00:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100677.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100677.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing examining the company's plan to launch a digital currency, in Washington in October 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/26/commentary/world-commentary/londons-delta-surge-new-york/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-26T17:00:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101245.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101245.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A big question is whether New York, another large city that has reopened after having been through the COVID-19 wringer in 2020, will face a similar resurgence of cases like London.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/23/editorials/2020-olympic-games/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-26T13:49:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100920.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100920.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A year late, 22% over budget, and denuded of spectators, the 2020 Tokyo Games will be a testament to the human spirit.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/26/commentary/world-commentary/north-korea-crimes-against-humanity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-26T17:48:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101330.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101330.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[There can be few issues more grave and more deserving of the world's attention than the plight of North Korea’s 25 million inhabitants, with a new U.K. report suggesting that some of the atrocities there "reach the threshold of genocide.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/23/commentary/world-commentary/fight-open-societies-begins/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-27T02:13:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99714.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99714.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters demonstrate against the detention of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong in December 2020. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/27/commentary/world-commentary/changing-map-economics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-27T19:35:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101178-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101178.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One of the biggest breakthroughs of modern economics was the insight that knowledge is often asymmetric, and that this asymmetry can shatter the "invisible hand." This breakthrough earned Joseph E. Stiglitz and two other economists the 2001 Nobel prize in economics.


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/27/commentary/japan-commentary/cybersecurity-promise-peril/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-27T19:37:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101886.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101886.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Geneva on June 16. Biden warned that the U.S. will take “any necessary action” including the imposition of “unspecified consequences” if Russia doesn’t stop ransomware attacks that originate on its territory. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-latin-america/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T19:48:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102201.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102201.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A demonstrator takes part in a protest calling for a global day of climate action in Brasilia, Brazil, in September 2020. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-supply-chains-brexit-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T19:50:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101875.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101875.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[British supermarket chain Asda. Even before the delta COVID-19 variant started spreading and causing supply chain snarl-ups, the U.K.’s food supplies were straining from Brexit.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/world-commentary/japan-adopts-tougher-taiwan-stance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T19:53:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102146.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102146.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan’s increasing concern with China’s intimidation of its neighbors has triggered a shift toward a greater willingness to publicly align its national interests with the security of Taiwan. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/world-commentary/germany-patriotism-paradox/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T19:53:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101863.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101863.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As faith among the German public in the EU collapses, the nation's leaders could come under public pressure to go it alone on policies ranging from vaccine procurement, migration, trade and energy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/world-commentary/beijings-big-tech-crackdown/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T19:53:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102162.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102162.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Beijing’s recent crackdown on for-profit school tutoring is just one part of a much wider reshape of the tech economy in China and does not bode well for global stocks. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/28/commentary/japan-commentary/skateboarding-surfing-olympic-spirit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-28T20:53:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102138-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102138.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[That sports once viewed as the refuge of hippies and dropouts like skateboarding and surfing now have a global stage alongside the centuries-old traditions of fencing, archery and equestrianism is a sign that the Olympics are growing up.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/29/commentary/world-commentary/behavioral-economics-views-mask-mandates/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T01:19:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102387-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102387.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Requiring everyone to mask up may undermine the work of getting vaccines into arms and could possibly undermine trust for the next, potentially more deadly pandemic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/29/commentary/world-commentary/apple-google-winning-big/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T01:19:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102141.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102141.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Investors are focusing on intermediate business fundamentals, signaling that Google-parent Alphabet Inc. stands on firmer ground relative to Apple Inc. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/29/commentary/world-commentary/friends-foes-u-s-russia-eye-base-deal-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T01:21:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102436.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102436.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan National Army soldier takes a selfie inside Bagram Air Base near Kabul after all U.S. and NATO troops left, on July 5.  Russia has reportedly offered the U.S. the use of Russian military bases in Central Asia. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/31/cartoons/athletes-ambitions-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-31T10:00:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101635-e1627630144884.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101635.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Athletes' ambitions at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/31/cartoons/emergency-air-conditioning/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-31T09:55:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_101647-e1627630292368.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101647.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Emergency air conditioning]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/30/editorials/china-downward-spiral/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T21:25:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102619.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102619.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman meets Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tianjin, China, on Monday. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/30/commentary/world-commentary/fixing-global-tech-split/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T21:25:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102367-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102367.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden holds up a microchip prior to signing an executive order aimed at addressing the global semiconductor shortage, at the White House in February. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/30/commentary/japan-commentary/olympic-covid-19-fears-give-way-unseen-mental-injuries-sport/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T21:25:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102389.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102389.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[American star Simone Biles reminded us of the hidden mental injuries athletes suffer when she pulled out of the team gymnastics competition this week at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/30/commentary/world-commentary/legitimate-pain-research/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-07-30T21:26:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_102600.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102600.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Purdue Pharma, has declared bankruptcy in an effort to shield the owners from lawsuits over OxyContin, implicated in killing tens of thousands.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/01/commentary/world-commentary/millennials-raises-retiring-boomers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-01T20:46:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_101182.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_101182.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The oldest of the boomers are turning 75 this year and the youngest 57, so their entrance into the 65-and-older ranks has been depressing the growth of the 20 to 64 population for a decade now. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/02/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-global-war-variants/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-02T17:00:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_102646.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102646.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A person who died from COVID-19 complications is laid to rest in Bogor, West Java province, Indonesia, on July 8. The country, like others in the region, is struggling to cope with a devastating wave of cases driven by the highly contagious delta variant.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/02/commentary/world-commentary/civil-society-post-pandemic-world/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-02T17:00:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_102659.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_102659.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A memorial to George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Countries around the world are experiencing a drift toward authoritarianism with democracies facing an erosion of trust in the institutions that underpin them by their citizens. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/01/commentary/world-commentary/japan-south-korea-coal-power-financing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-01T23:01:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103038.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103038.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As Japan and South Korea work through policy implementation on ending funding for new coal projects, their decisions will have implications that reverberate beyond their borders. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/02/commentary/world-commentary/xis-expansionism-india-ties/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-02T10:42:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103086-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103086.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Indians burn a Chinese flag during a protest in June 2020. China's aggression and breaching of border agreements has made the rise of a more antagonistic and militarily stronger India a certainty.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/03/commentary/world-commentary/circular-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-03T17:00:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103396-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103396.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If the world does not abandon the “take-make-waste” consumption pattern by 2050, humankind will need the equivalent of almost three Earths to provide enough natural resources to sustain current lifestyles. AFP-JIJI
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/23/commentary/japan-commentary/deepening-japan-taiwan-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-03T11:12:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_100933.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_100933.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The U.S. Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain conducts routine operations in the Taiwan Strait in December 2020. Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said Japan would have to help "defend Taiwan” if the island is invaded by mainland China. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/03/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-digital-defeat/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-03T18:34:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103090.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103090.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/03/commentary/world-commentary/biden-southeast-asia-diplomacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-03T23:01:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103431-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103431.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (center) inspects a guard of honor  along with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang during a welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/04/commentary/world-commentary/weird-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-04T20:37:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103425-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103425.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander tests Martian soil samples. Some scientists at the space agency predict signs of alien life will be found by 2025.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/04/commentary/world-commentary/democrats-immigrants-amnesty/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-04T20:40:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103463-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103463.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Pro-immigration activists call on President Biden to secure a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally
during a demonstration near the White House in April.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/04/commentary/world-commentary/big-step-forward-global-tax-justice/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-04T20:40:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103878.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103878.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Activists stage a protest on a mock tropical island beach representing a tax haven outside a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels in December 2017.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/04/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-talks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-04T20:40:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103861.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103861.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The hotel where U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Chinese officials, in Tianjin, China, on July 25. Both sides need to reduce hostility, repair damage and provide breathing space and time for the relationship to heal.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/05/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-nuclear-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-05T20:20:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103205-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103205.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Hinkley Point B Power Station in Bridgwater, England. The U.K.'s decline in nuclear power production is due to the growing obsolescence of the nation's aging power plants.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/05/commentary/japan-commentary/ldp-presidential-race/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-05T20:21:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104271.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104271.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's term as the Liberal Democratic Party president expires at the end of September, party members could be deciding who will be the new head-of-government before the Japanese public ever goes to the polls.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/07/cartoons/olympic-gratitude/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-07T10:00:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103379-e1628242189202.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103379.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Olympic gratitude]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/07/cartoons/karaoke-inspiration/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-07T09:55:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103380-e1628242268527.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103380.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The inspiration for karaoke]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/06/editorials/myanmar-freedom-support/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-06T19:38:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104487.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104487.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A protester holds up a sign calling for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration against the military coup in Naypyidaw in February. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/06/commentary/world-commentary/zooms-threaten-big-tech/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-06T19:38:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104536.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104536.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[It seems large technology companies are giving up on trying to beat Zoom, whose share of the videoconferencing market rose by 10 percentage points to 76% in the June quarter from the prior period.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/06/commentary/world-commentary/in-defense-of-misinformation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-06T19:39:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104529.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104529.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People should be terrified of returning to an era when those in power are applauded for deciding which views constitute misinformation.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/06/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-demographic-manipulation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-06T19:39:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104456.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104456.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[By around 2035, China will be doing worse than the U.S. on all demographic metrics and in terms of economic growth. In fact, its GDP is unlikely to surpass that of the U.S.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/06/commentary/duterte-philippines-golden-olympic-moment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-06T20:22:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104636.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104636.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Philippines bagged its first-ever gold medal this year at the Tokyo Games. And that medalist, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, is at odds with outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/08/commentary/world-commentary/china-capitalism-phase/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-08T20:36:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104904.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104904.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With a true believer holding the reins of power in Beijing, there can be no doubt that China’s rulers mean what they say when they say they are communists.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/08/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-attack-oil-tanker/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-08T20:41:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104321-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104321.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Mercer Street, a Japanese-owned Liberian-flagged tanker managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime was attacked using drones off the coast of Oman on July 30.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/08/commentary/world-commentary/far-rights-war-women/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-08T21:51:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104949-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104949.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Erna Solberg (seventh from the left), members of the royal family and other prominent Norwegians attend a memorial service to mark the 10-year anniversary of a bombing and massacre carried out by a right-wing extremist in Oslo and on Utoya Island, that killed 77 people on July 22, 2011.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/09/commentary/world-commentary/china-covid-19-stonewall/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-09T13:03:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105072-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105072.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Security personnel patrol the grounds of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in February during a visit by a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 virus.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/09/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-independent-country/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-10T07:16:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105075.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105075.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People wave Taiwan's flag while tanks pass on a street during a military drill in Taichung, Taiwan, in November 2020.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/10/commentary/japan-commentary/hosting-olympics-medal-winner/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-10T23:02:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105470.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105470.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Gymnast Daiki Hashimoto celebrates winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Games. An analysis of all Summer Olympics held since 1992 shows that the single most powerful driver of medal tally is hosting the event and how many years since a country last did so.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/10/commentary/japan-commentary/technologies-demand-new-thinking/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-10T23:05:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105493.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105493.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[AI is the key to mastering technology. When we can think faster, we can do things faster and that speed will separate winners from losers.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/11/commentary/world-commentary/not-vaccinated-kill-father/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-11T21:48:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104900.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104900.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A health care worker treats a patient inside a negative pressure room in the COVID-19 ICU unit at a hospital in Joplin, Missouri.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/11/commentary/world-commentary/myanmar-political-revenge-porn/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-11T21:48:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105671.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105671.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Since Myanmar's armed forces overthrew the country’s elected government in February, revenge porn has become a weapon employed by both the military junta and its opponents.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/11/commentary/world-commentary/pax-sinica-americana/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-11T21:49:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105683.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105683.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite China's rapid economic gains, the evidence is ambiguous on whether dictatorship or democracy is better suited for development.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-women/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T00:19:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105625.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105625.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Taliban are reportedly going door-to-door in some areas, compiling lists of women and girls aged between 12 and 45 years for their fighters to forcibly marry.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/world-commentary/dangerous-covid-19-variant-populism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T00:20:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105620.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105620.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators in Paris protest against the anti-COVID-19 measures announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, in July. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/world-commentary/scarlett-johansson-disney-case/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T00:21:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104940.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104940.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Scarlett Johansson]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/world-commentary/apocalypse-covid-19-food-shortages/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T23:07:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105886.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105886.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Dramatic changes such as climate change, disease outbreaks and food shortages are occurring and we must hope that it is not yet too late to address them.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/world-commentary/moderna-200-billion-club/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T23:07:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105859.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105859.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Moderna said during its earnings presentation Aug. 5 that it expects its COVID-19 shot to generate $20 billion in sales this year.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/12/commentary/japan-commentary/shimoji-airport-china-threat/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-12T23:08:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105812.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105812.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Okinawa Prefecture's Shimoji Island]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/14/cartoons/yoshihide-suga-approval-covid19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-14T10:00:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105246-e1628834393698.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105246.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is struggling to combat COVID-19]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/14/cartoons/instagram-safeguards/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-14T09:50:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105247-e1628834485630.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105247.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Instagram safeguards]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/13/commentary/world-commentary/quicker-covid-19-test/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-13T20:43:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106094.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106094.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The now-dominant COVID-19 delta variant spreads so quickly that every missed opportunity to catch an infectious person can lead to many more new cases.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/13/commentary/world-commentary/resilient-supply-chains/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-13T23:26:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106075.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106075.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Microchips are inspected on a production line at a plant in Bang Pa-In, Thailand. Semiconductor and other global supply-chain problems have prompted advanced economies to take steps to mitigate the impact of such disruptions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/16/commentary/world-commentary/sports-betting-seismic-shift/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-16T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106250.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106250.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[DraftKings' CEO Jason Robins appears on the Nasdaq MarketSite jumbotron ahead of the company's initial public offering, in New York on June 11.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/16/commentary/world-commentary/central-bank-digital-currencies/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-16T17:00:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105650.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105650.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An illustration of China's official app for the digital yuan. Some say that issuance of central bank digital currencies will transform the status quo and erode the dollar’s dominance. But In fact, that conclusion doesn’t follow. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/13/editorials/extraordinary-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-16T10:06:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105994.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105994.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The mere fact that the Tokyo Games were held was a victory over COVID-19, a disease that has claimed millions of lives and ruined tens of millions more.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/04/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-financial-rise/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-16T11:53:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_103916-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_103916.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The rapid internationalization of China’s bond market has accelerated the internationalization of the yuan — a process the government in Beijing has long sought to facilitate.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/16/commentary/japan-commentary/olympic-medals/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-16T19:01:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106366.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106366.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Siblings Hifumi and Uta Abe show off the gold medals they won in judo in July. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2005/10/09/editorials/nine-numbers-and-81-squares/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-17T21:37:29+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/17/commentary/world-commentary/biden-blame-talibans-return/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-17T23:22:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106579.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106579.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on the Afghanistan crisis at the White House on Monday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/17/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistans-collapse-moscow-beijing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-17T23:23:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106559.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106559.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taliban fighters stand guard along the roadside in Kabul on Monday after their stunningly swift offensive that toppled Afghanistan's government after nearly a 20-year war.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2011/09/09/commentary/world-commentary/beating-the-midlife-blues/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-18T00:35:33+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/18/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-recycled-wars/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-19T00:17:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106858-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106858.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Given the tribal nature of Afghanistan, the Taliban will at some point most likely split along ethnic lines — possibly leading to another civil war. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/18/commentary/world-commentary/end-cuban-embargo/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-19T00:21:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106229.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106229.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Cuban authorities arrest a man during a demonstration against the government in Havana on July 11. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/19/commentary/world-commentary/singapore-social-divisions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-19T00:27:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106238-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106238.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Rebounding from the carousel of COVID-19 closures and reopenings is going to be tough on Singapore. Even harder will be papering over the social and economic divisions that have deepened because of the disease.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/19/commentary/world-commentary/terror-taliban/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-19T23:35:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106857-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106857.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A high-ranking Taliban spokesman speaks during a news conference in Kabul on Tuesday. Most assessments assume there is little daylight between the Taliban and al-Qaida. In reality, they have very different objectives. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/19/commentary/world-commentary/australia-authoritarian-covid-19-response/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T00:02:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106774.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106774.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Police officers speak with a member of the public during a law enforcement operation to prevent anti-lockdown protesters from demonstrating in Sydney in July.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/19/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kong-covid-19-policies/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T00:03:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107084.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107084.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Passengers wearing protective suits get ready to board their flight at Hong Kong's airport in July.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/19/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-blood-afghanistan-sand/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T00:04:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107013.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107013.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Since the Korean War, nearly every U.S. military intervention in the developing world has pretty much failed — and Afghanistan is no exception. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/21/cartoons/roger-dahl-ever-present-threat-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-21T10:00:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106405-e1629444201921.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106405.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and the sword of pandemocles]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/21/cartoons/baby-steps-texting/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-21T09:45:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106416-e1629444301608.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106416.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Baby steps in texting]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/20/commentary/world-commentary/blaming-biden/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T20:12:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107298.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107298.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The tragedy that has befallen Afghanistan with the Taliban takeover is heartbreaking but not a surprise to many.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/20/editorials/changed-taliban/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T20:23:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107235.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107235.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Taliban have tried to offer the world assurances that the Islamic militant group is ready to govern humanely, but their record is a cause of concern. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/20/commentary/world-commentary/pakistan-u-s-afghanistan-failure/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-20T20:25:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107192-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107192.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Pakistani soldier stands guard as people arrive from Afghanistan to cross through the border station in the town of Chaman on Monday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/22/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-american-politics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-22T21:14:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107474.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107474.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Barack Obama visits Bagram Air Base near Kabul in May 2014. Obama inherited the war in Afghanistan, but he also supported it to balance out his opposition to the war in Iraq when he was running for office.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/22/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-prime-minister-scandal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-22T23:06:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106243.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106243.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The great irony of David Cameron’s lobbying scandal is that in 2010 he promised to clean up politics so that what he is accused of would no longer happen. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/23/commentary/world-commentary/taliban-friends/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-23T17:00:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107497.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107497.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with members of a Taliban delegation during peace talks in Moscow in November 2018. Moscow, with its deep influence in Central Asia, holds the key to rebuilding the war-torn Afghanistan. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/17/commentary/japan-commentary/digital-agency-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-23T05:33:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_105760.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_105760.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's new digital agency is expected to begin operating in September.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/22/commentary/japan-commentary/private-sector-digital-agency/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-23T13:05:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_106291.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_106291.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[To achieve its goals, it will be important for the digital agency to nurture and utilize specialists with the latest knowledge.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/24/commentary/japan-commentary/u-s-security-commitments/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-24T21:19:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107859.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107859.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators protest the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan near the White House on Aug. 15. The U.S. pullout should not be construed with its commitments to Japan, South Korea and other longtime allies.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/earths-climate-ocean-maps/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:00:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107453-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107453.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Climate change is the most basic and urgent reason to map the ocean floors because excess carbon acidifies ocean waters, harming coral reefs and sea life.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-not-destined-military-conflict/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:01:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108058-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108058.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China and the U.S. are destined to clash in many ways, but because of the threat of mutual assured destruction due to their military capabilities and their many economic ties, open warfare is not likely.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/biden-was-right/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:02:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108076-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108076.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden is right to stand by his decision to end the military mission in Afghanistan as it had run its course and establishing a functioning Afghan government was never realistic. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-girls-world-cares/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:03:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108105.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108105.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The meteoric expansion of female education was perhaps the greatest single achievement of the Afghan intervention.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/will-london-washington-listen/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:04:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107942.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107942.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden meets with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the U.K.-sponsored G7 summit in June. The world's democracies can no longer rely on America to guarantee their security needs. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/nuclear-fusion-revolution/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-25T23:06:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108125-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108125.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Scientists associated with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory said they recently produced about 10 quadrillion watts of fusion power after blasting a hydrogen capsule with laser beams.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/07/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-victory-absolute-poverty/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-26T12:44:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_97647.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_97647.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, credit with launching China's economic miracle, is honored last month during a show in Beijing commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/26/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-nation-building/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-26T23:26:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108372-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108372.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. soldiers assist Afghan civilians during the evacuation effort at the international airport in Kabul on Aug. 20.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/26/commentary/japan-commentary/ldp-leadership-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-26T23:27:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108303-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108303.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If LDP party leaders were fully behind Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, they would not have limited his presidential term to one year instead of the standard three.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/28/cartoons/fragile-medical-response-covid19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-28T10:00:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107721-e1630052258596.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107721.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's fragile medical response to COVID-19]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/28/cartoons/educational-judo-lessons/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-28T09:45:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107722-e1630052338929.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107722.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Valuable judo lessons]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/27/commentary/world-commentary/taliban-jihadist-rivals/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-27T21:16:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108616.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108616.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taliban fighters stand guard outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul on Aug. 16. If Afghanistan's new rulers and more extremists groups do battle, the main victims, as always, will be civilians.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/27/commentary/world-commentary/fed-decries-wealth-gap/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-27T21:17:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108273.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108273.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Fed is actively making the wealth gap more pronounced with its ultraeasy monetary policy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/27/commentary/world-commentary/biden-cruel-summer/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-27T21:19:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108577.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108577.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[After running explicitly on the promise of restoring normalcy and moderation after the Trump years, the administration of Joe Biden has fallen fall short of those goals.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/27/commentary/world-commentary/pandemic-china-growth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-27T21:19:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108553.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108553.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A high school student receives the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, on Aug. 21. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/27/editorials/malaysia-old-ways/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-28T19:14:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108650-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108650.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Veteran politician Ismail Sabri Yakoob was named Malaysia's new prime minister on Aug. 20 after the previous government collapsed.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-infrastructure-cyberattacks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-29T13:57:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107584.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107584.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's defenses need a speedy overhaul if the country is to manage potential cyberattacks effectively.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/29/commentary/world-commentary/india-believers-survey/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-29T20:53:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108950.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108950.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In and apparent contradiction, a Pew multifaith survey found Indians value both religious tolerance and religious exclusivity and segregation at the same time. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/29/commentary/world-commentary/nonvaccines-promise-covid-19-immunity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-29T20:56:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108970.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108970.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The most interesting of the COVID-19 mAbs could be AstraZeneca's AZD7442, which just reported some impressive late-stage trial results.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/29/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-underground-railroad/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-29T20:57:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108986.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108986.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A U.S. Marine checks a woman as she goes through the evacuation control center at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Saturday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/30/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-china-russia-sanctions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-30T01:09:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109054.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109054.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan retains relatively close trade relations with Russia and China, and it has often shown reluctance to impose sanctions over human rights abuses by states, unlike the U.S. and its Western allies.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/31/commentary/world-commentary/china-us-economic-conflict/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-08-31T20:46:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_108996.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_108996.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Pedestrians are seen on Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City on March 19.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/31/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-south-korea-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T04:50:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109461-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109461.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier this year said the two neighbors should overcome their historical issues and work together to foster cooperation based on shared values of democracy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/31/commentary/world-commentary/nato-afghan-responsibility/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T04:51:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109474-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109474.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Afghan evacuees arrive in the Albanian capital of Tirana on Saturday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/31/commentary/world-commentary/modi-green-new-deal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T04:52:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109482-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109482.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With India’s lackluster economy failing to inspire both voters and investors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping a green-growth narrative will better his political fortunes.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/world-commentary/paradigm-blindness-bad-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T21:10:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109740.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109740.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Anti-COVID-19 vaccination protesters demonstrate in Belgrade in April. Without a new approach to crisis solving that captures the true complexity of our world, we will continue to be blindsided by systemic failures.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/world-commentary/trudeau-canadas-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T21:11:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109752.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109752.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s economic proposals are political positioning intended to help get him through the Sept. 20 election. But they could also do great harm to economic growth. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/world-commentary/eus-guidelines-u-s-visitors/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T21:12:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109626.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109626.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The EU's travel curbs on Americans comes amid a 600-day U.S. travel ban on Europeans. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-strike-capabilities/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T21:13:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109682.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109682.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Self-Defense Force conducts an anti-missile drill using the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system. If Japan wants to develop strike capabilities, it will have to break the self-imposed 1% GDP cap on defense spending.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/world-commentary/biden-southeast-asia-diplomacy-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-01T21:14:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109707.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109707.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Aug. 27 after finishing up her Southeast Asia tour.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/02/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-war-misadventure-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-02T22:38:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109945.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109945.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taliban fighters celebrate the withdrawal of all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in the city of Kandahar on Wednesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/02/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-vaccines-business/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-02T23:19:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109965.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109965.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Traumatized by the biggest pandemic in a century, rich countries are preparing to pay handsomely year after year to stay protected.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/02/commentary/world-commentary/failed-russia-coup/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-02T23:21:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109931.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109931.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Today's Russians enjoy relative prosperity and have never had it so good. So, why do so many remain convinced that a strongman like Vladimir Putin is needed to lead them?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/04/cartoons/2020-tokyo-paralympics-inspiration/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-04T10:00:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109243-e1630659835352.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109243.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Finding inspiration in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/04/cartoons/obi-versatility-beach/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-04T09:55:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_109252-e1630659908116.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109252.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The versatility of an obi at the beach]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/03/editorials/forever-war-done/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-03T19:59:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110139-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110139.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S soldiers conduct a patrol in Kandahar province in April 2012. U.S. allies like Japan should take heart in the withdrawal decision as it means Washington will no longer be distracted by the “forever war.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/03/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-03T20:00:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110076.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110076.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The bottom line is that climate change is quickly becoming a noticeable factor in macroeconomic performance. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/03/commentary/world-commentary/space-junk-imminent-threat/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-03T20:05:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110212-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110212.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The mystery of why a Chinese military satellite disintegrate in orbit has been solved. The Yunhai 1-02 collided with space junk leftover from a 1996 Russian rocket launch, according to an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/03/commentary/world-commentary/can-economics-keep-up/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-03T20:06:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110203.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110203.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As technology advances and the economic environment changes faster than our collective understanding, economists must call on their scientific imagination to rise to the challenge.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/03/commentary/world-commentary/u-n-system-with-taiwan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-03T20:09:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110175.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110175.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The COVID-19 vaccination is administered at a hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan, in April. The island believes its effective response to the global pandemic at home and abroad shows there is no compelling reason for it not to play a constructive role in the U.N. system.


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/didi-china-us/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-05T13:32:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109627.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109627.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The uncertainty around the financial relationship between China and the United States has led some to wonder what the future holds for the world's markets.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/israel-alone-u-s-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-05T19:58:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110075-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110075.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taliban fighters in the city of Kandahar on Wednesday celebrate the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kongs-sedition/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-05T20:00:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110516.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110516.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Confiscated children's books are displayed by the authorities in Hong Kong. Five authors in the city were arrested last month for publishing a series of children’s books about sheep defending their villages from wolves. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/oil-producers-calm-storm-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-05T23:13:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110570.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110570.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Unless oil demand turns out much stronger, the time will soon come when OPEC+ members will again have to contemplate cutting output. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-tragedy-unpeace/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-05T23:13:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110495.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110495.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taliban forces stand guard in front of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/05/commentary/world-commentary/olympic-difference-india-china/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-06T00:06:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110118.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110118.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[India’s sporting talent pool is smaller than its large population suggests. In a country of existential challenges and intense competition for every opportunity, very few people are able to devote the time needed to master a sport. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/06/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-paralympics-legacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-06T17:03:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109536.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109536.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Lawmakers in Japan passed barrier-free legislation in 2006 that obliges developers of new and renovated railway stations to include features such as access ramps, elevators and other barrier-free aids when finalizing construction blueprints.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/01/commentary/japan-commentary/sdf-afghanistan-withdrawal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-06T23:52:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_109704.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_109704.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Self-Defense Force C-130 transport plane prepares to depart for an operation to rescue Japanese nationals in Afghanistan from the Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 24.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/07/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-climate-card/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-07T22:06:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110922.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110922.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A thermal power plant in Beijing. A refusal by Beijing to work with Washington on climate issues — after multiple pledges to lead global efforts on this problem — would also do great damage to Chinese soft power and image.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/07/commentary/world-commentary/case-stronger-russia-sanctions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-07T22:07:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110903-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110903.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The West should focus its attention on Russian elites. When the U.S. imposed sanctions on seven oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin in April 2018, the Russian stock market plummeted 11% in one day. REUTERS.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/asean-strategic-importance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-08T20:48:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110932.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110932.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Leaders pose for a family photo at the ASEAN-China Summit in Bangkok in November 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-business-challenges/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-08T20:50:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111106.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111106.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan money exchange dealer carries bundles of banknotes at an exchange market in Kabul on Saturday.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/gaming-change-humanity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-08T20:51:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110534.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110534.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The gaming sector produces about $179 billion in worldwide revenue, larger than that for global movies and North American sports combined.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/china-slowdown-u-s-jobs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-08T20:52:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111003.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111003.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People walk past the headquarters of the People's Bank of China in April 2020. Chinese authorities have signaled a further cut in the reserve requirement for lenders after July's reduction. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/vaccines-immunity-debate/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-08T21:41:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111096.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111096.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Most decisions about the pandemic and vaccines have been made with only partial knowledge, so it’s only natural that policies have to change as more relevant data become available.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/09/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-biden-doctrine/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-09T18:16:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111394-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111394.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The question is: Has the Biden doctrine arrived in time to counter China’s rise or has the U.S.' two decades of involvement in the Afghan quagmire left China with too much of a head start?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/11/cartoons/yoshihide-suga-resignation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-11T10:00:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110739-e1631261248520.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110739.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Yoshihide Suga's shock resignation]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/11/cartoons/learning-summer-festival-dances/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-11T09:55:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110740-e1631261353664.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110740.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Tricks to learning summer festival dances ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/10/commentary/world-commentary/crippling-blow-war-terror/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-10T20:11:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111600.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111600.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Taliban’s triumph in Afghanistan will give the international jihadi movement an unprecedented boost, including for enlisting new recruits, with consequences that will play out for many years.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/13/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-chip-ambitions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-13T17:00:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110914.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110914.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Workers check their face masks before entering the clean room of a Chinese semiconductor plant in Shanghai. Spending $11 billion on huge factories to churn out generic parts won’t bridge the gap between SMIC and TSMC.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/11/commentary/lessons-from-911-20th-anniversary/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-13T09:42:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110973-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110973.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The al-Qaida attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, spurred major U.S. initiatives against terrorism at home and abroad.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/13/commentary/world-commentary/chinese-data-privacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-13T21:56:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111004.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111004.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The new, stricter privacy protections would have made it impossible for ByteDance to acquire sufficient data to be able to challenge China's dominant tech firms.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/13/commentary/world-commentary/joe-bidens-afghan-nightmare/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-13T21:56:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111819.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111819.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden faced only bad choices with Afghanistan. But the retreat revealed much about the nature of the government he is running and how he runs it. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/12/04/commentary/japan-commentary/stimsons-love-kyoto-saved-bomb/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-14T11:51:04+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/14/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-vaccine-rug-pull/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-14T20:50:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112131.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112131.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Valneva's headquarters in Saint-Herblain, near Nantes, France]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/14/commentary/world-commentary/lessons-from-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-14T20:52:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112125.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112125.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[NATO troops respond to an attack by militants in the Torkham area near the Pakistan-Afghan border in Nangarhar province in June 2014.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/14/commentary/world-commentary/nothing-to-lose-wars/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-14T20:57:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111039.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111039.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Palestinians protest near Hebron against Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday. A similar "nothing-to-lose" attitude drives the continued conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/14/commentary/japan-commentary/economic-growth-strategy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T10:44:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_110562.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_110562.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Like many countries around the world, Japan was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and must now work to put a recovery strategy in place.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/dictatorships-extraordinary-renditions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:25:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111720-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111720.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, meet at the Kremlin last week. With the world largely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and global crises such as Afghanistan, few people are paying attention to a reported rise in repression by authoritarian states.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/irrational-covid-19-behavior/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:28:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112415.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112415.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A billboard advertises free COVID-19 vaccines in Mumbai, India.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/afghan-resistance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:31:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112375.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112375.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Ahmad Massoud, son of the slain hero of the anti-Soviet resistance, Ahmad Shah Massoud, meets with supporters in Panjshir province, Afghanistan, in September 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/million-dollar-giveaway/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:31:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111068.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111068.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Peter Singer, the winner of the 2021 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/beware-hiring-software/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:32:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112303.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112303.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[While hiring software is often useful, it can also be inflexible, miss valuable traits such as soft skills and inadvertently hinder the job market.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/15/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-better-world/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-15T20:33:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112284.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112284.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan woman with a child gets ready to board an evacuation flight at Kabul's International Airport on Aug. 24. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/16/commentary/japan-commentary/tse-reforms/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-16T20:31:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112580.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112580.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Next April, Japan's largest bourse, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, will reorganize its structure from the current four markets to three named Prime, Standard and Growth.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/16/commentary/world-commentary/seoul-crackdown-muscle/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-16T20:31:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112573.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112573.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Both Apple and Google were on the receiving end of South Korea’s legislative wrath last month, thanks to a new anti-monopoly law that prohibits companies from forcing software developers to use their specific payment platforms. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/16/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistans-forsaken-women/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-16T20:32:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112522.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112522.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters call on the Taliban to ensure the preservation of the achievements in women's rights over the last 20 years, such as in education, during a protest in front of the presidential palace in Kabul on Sept. 3. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/18/cartoons/ldp-leadership-race/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-18T10:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111964-e1631861295256.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111964.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The LDP's heavyweight leadership race]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/18/cartoons/expired-work-visas/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-18T09:55:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111965-e1631861359767.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111965.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The pain of an expired work visa]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/17/editorials/north-korea-tests-new-weapons-much/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-17T18:49:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112806.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112806.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[This photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on Thursday purportedly shows the testing of a mobile missile.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/17/commentary/japan-commentary/manchuria-crisis-revisited/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-17T18:50:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112800.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112800.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The September 18th History Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/17/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-war-lessons/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-17T18:51:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112839.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112839.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies via a video link on the American withdrawal from Afghanistan during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington on Monday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/17/commentary/japan-commentary/shinzo-abe-sanae-takaichi/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-18T12:01:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_112828.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_112828.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former communications minister Sanae Takaichi participates in a remote conversation with local assembly members at the Diet in Tokyo on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/19/commentary/world-commentary/starvation-afghan-women/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-19T20:52:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113046.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113046.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With so many men killed in the conflict, or fleeing the country, many women have been left as both single parents and the sole breadwinners supporting their families.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/19/commentary/world-commentary/war-games/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-19T20:53:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113034.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113034.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A recent open-fire incident between the HMS Defender, a British Royal Navy vessel, and Russian forces in the Black Sea off of Crimea is just one example of how quickly a situation can spiral out of control.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/19/commentary/world-commentary/autobahn-speed-limit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-19T20:54:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111005.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111005.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Greenpeace demonstrators hold up traffic on an autobahn near Frankfurt to protest pollution levels in August 1997. 


]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/20/commentary/world-commentary/submarine-row-sinking-diplomatic-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-20T17:00:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113100.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113100.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A French nuclear Barracuda class attack submarine is readied for completion by naval construction workers in Cherbourg, France, in July 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/20/commentary/world-commentary/changing-climate-financial-regulation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-20T17:00:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113097.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113097.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Financial regulators must re-imagine their roles so that they can play their part in mitigating climate change and the broader re-imagining of economies.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/20/commentary/world-commentary/musk-bezos-space-race/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-20T17:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113096.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113096.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, with its Dragon spacecraft, is prepared for launch on Wednesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/21/commentary/world-commentary/aukus-indo-pacific-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-21T21:34:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113409.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113409.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/21/commentary/world-commentary/ruckus-over-aukus/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-21T21:35:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113384.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113384.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[France's recalled ambassador to the U.S., Philippe Etienne, said the canceled submarine contract was “much more” than a business deal and was an essential part of his country's Indo-Pacific strategy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/24/commentary/world-commentary/asian-allies-biden-afghan-debacle/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-21T21:43:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_107841.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_107841.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on the situation in Afghanistan at the White House on Sunday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/22/commentary/japan-commentary/next-pm-constitutional-amendment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-22T19:42:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113623.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113623.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[LDP presidential candidates (from left) Taro Kono, Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda take part in a debate held at the Japan National Press club in Tokyo on Saturday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/22/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-navy-drone-fleet/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-22T19:47:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113655.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113655.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A U.S. Air Force drone is readied to be loaded with bombs at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in March 2016. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/22/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kongs-nonelection/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-22T19:49:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113649.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113649.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Officials empty a ballot box following the Hong Kong's election on Sunday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/22/commentary/world-commentary/australias-china-conflict-enthusiasm/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-22T19:50:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113546.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113546.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison meets with U.S. President Joe Biden during the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/23/commentary/world-commentary/homophobes-autocrats/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-23T18:54:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113828-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113828.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[LGBTQ rights activists carry a caricature depicting President Vladimir Putin during a May Day rally in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2014.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/23/commentary/world-commentary/indias-green-growth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-23T18:55:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113784.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113784.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Only 15.5% of the electricity consumed in India is clean, while the remainder is sourced through fossil fuels. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/23/commentary/world-commentary/twitters-business-reboot/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-23T18:56:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113852.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113852.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Jack Dorsey ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/22/commentary/world-commentary/aukus-geopolitical-ramifications/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-23T20:55:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113566-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113566.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Regional experts worry that Australia’s decision to embrace nuclear propulsion for its subs could lead to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region like Japan to do the same. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/25/cartoons/ldp-leadership-race-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-25T10:00:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113305-e1632469923482.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113305.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The many paths to victory in the LDP leadership race]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/25/cartoons/tatami-mat-dust/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-25T09:45:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113306-e1632470132136.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113306.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Dusty tatami mats]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/24/editorials/aukus-good-thing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-24T18:32:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114065-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114065.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Australian and U.S. naval vessels sail through the South China Sea in April 2020. The most prominent feature of the new AUKUS agreement is that the U.S. is providing nuclear-propulsion technology to Australia for its next generation of submarines.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/24/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-communist-return/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-24T18:34:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114014.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114014.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A survey found that the share of wealth held by the top 1% of China's richest rose from 20.9% in 2000 to 31.5% by 2015. Such disparity is worse than in the United States.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/24/commentary/world-commentary/nuclear-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-25T18:32:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113764.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113764.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Nuclear war, in Ronald Reagan’s words, cannot be won and must never be fought. Since the start of the atomic age, every American president has accepted the grim logic of deterrence. Still, better safeguards are needed.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/26/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-household-savings/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-26T13:15:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113093-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113093.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Financial assets held by households hit a record ¥1.946 quadrillion as of the end of March thanks in part to a rise in stock prices, according to Bank of Japan statistics released in June.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/26/commentary/world-commentary/japan-u-s-vietnam-not-page-china/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-27T07:27:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114211-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114211.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Aug. 25. REUTERS]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/08/07/commentary/japan-commentary/gaffe-prone-leaders-are-doing-japan-no-favors/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-27T10:09:04+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/27/commentary/world-commentary/philippines-hero/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-27T17:00:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114296.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114296.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Philippine Senator and boxer Manny Pacquiao questions a retired policeman during a Senate inquiry on alleged extra judicial killings, in Manila in March 2017.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/27/commentary/world-commentary/think-like-economists/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-27T17:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113761.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113761.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One recent estimate suggests that climate change is likely to destroy about 10% of global welfare by the year 2200. To the economist, that is a truly significant quantity of resources. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/26/commentary/world-commentary/xi-chinas-gilded-age/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-28T11:39:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_113581.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_113581.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping now presides over a country that is far wealthier than the one he inherited in 2012. But he also must confront a host of problems including rampant corruption.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/28/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-afghanistan-role/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-28T16:03:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114358.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114358.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As part of its mission to evacuate Japanese nationals from Afghanistan, the government sent an Air Self-Defense Force C-2 transport plane to Kabul, followed by two C-130 aircraft.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/28/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-28T18:10:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114256.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114256.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Climate change is already claiming casualties. Either everyone, including the U.S. and China, wins the fight against it, or no one does.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/28/commentary/japan-commentary/kono-faces-ldp-opposition/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-29T16:15:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114737-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114737.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taro Kono's reputation as a maverick is built upon tension between himself and the old LDP guard, but he appears to be moderating positions to accommodate his opponents. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/china-cant-kill-bitcoin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-29T19:23:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_115027.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115027.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The bulls reckon the latest attempt by Beijing to crack down on crypto — the seventh — will fail to throttle an asset that bypasses borders and banking systems.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/asia-pacific-biodiversity-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-29T19:26:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114989-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114989.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Agricultural yields in Southeast Asia have slowed due to land degradation and poor farming practices while the regions wild fisheries are at risk of over-fishing.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/liars-get-covid-19-boosters/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-29T19:26:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114893.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114893.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden is administered a COVID-19 booster shot at the White House on Monday. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/indo-pacific-strategic-environment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-29T19:32:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114957-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114957.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minster Yoshihide Suga steps down at a time when Tokyo is facing several challenging political, economic and military developments in the Asia-Pacific region.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/30/cartoons/colonel-sanders-doppelganger/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-30T16:50:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114482-e1632984982499.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114482.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Seeing a Colonel Sanders doppelganger in Japan spurs a desire for KFC.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/30/cartoons/fumio-kishida-political-curveball/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-30T17:00:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_115256-e1632985121140.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115256.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida steps up to home plate]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/post-merkel-germany/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-30T17:37:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114871-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114871.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[During her four electoral terms, Angela Merkel proved to be a master at balancing various political positions. Still, her critics says she often failed to follow up on her election promises after noticing they were not playing well in the media.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/30/commentary/world-commentary/singapores-covid-19-response/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-30T19:13:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_115276.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115276.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People take a COVID-19 antigen rapid test under supervision at a Quick Test Centre in Singapore on Tuesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/30/commentary/japans-leader-policy-prisoner/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-09-30T19:25:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_115262.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115262.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, appears at a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/08/05/commentary/world-commentary/compulsory-vaccinations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-01T00:55:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/np_file_104300.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_104300.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If the IOC had said only vaccinated athletes could compete, that would have freed thousands of athletes from the risk of infection and justified overriding U.S. archer Brady Ellison’s decision to compete without being vaccinated.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/30/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-russia-china-space/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-01T07:51:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_115255.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115255.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Long March-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the core module of China's space station Tianhe, prepares for launch at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, China, in April.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/01/editorials/global-politics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-01T18:36:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115487.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115487.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida (right) celebrates with outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga after being announced the winner of the Liberal Democrat Party leadership election in Tokyo on Wednesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/01/commentary/world-commentary/bidens-agenda/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-01T18:37:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115465.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115465.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a Ford electric vehicle center in Dearborn, Michigan, in May.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/03/commentary/world-commentary/reinvigorating-multilateralism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-03T17:54:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115632-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115632.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks via videoconference as U.S. President Joe Biden listens during a virtual COVID-19 summit on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/02/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-covid19-response/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-04T08:00:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_114818.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114818.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan has statistically outperformed other Group of Seven countries in managing the COVID-19 pandemic on almost all counts.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/05/commentary/world-commentary/biden-china-conciliatory-approach/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-05T11:35:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115705.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115705.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to be working toward a gradual decoupling from the U.S. and international financial markets and appears to be retooling his nation's economy to make it more self-sustaining.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/03/commentary/japan-commentary/new-prime-minister-global-leader/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-05T11:35:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114748.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114748.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister's Suga's successor has a chance at becoming a global leader by helping end COVID-19 elsewhere in the world — a move that could also see Japan advance both public health outcomes at home as well as its foreign policy goals.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/05/commentary/world-commentary/tech-control-talks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-05T17:15:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116118.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116118.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. and EU officials, including American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, participate in the inaugural Trade and Technology Council meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 29.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/05/commentary/world-commentary/china-dominates-world-stage/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-05T17:17:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116144.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116144.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews a military parade in Beijing in September 2015. The failure of Chinese soft power may well have pushed Beijing to focus on national power where the West is concerned.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/05/commentary/world-commentary/china-afghanistan-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-05T17:38:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115567.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115567.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, political chief of the Taliban, meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Tianjin, China, on July 28.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/06/commentary/world-commentary/aukus-false-promise/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-06T18:36:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116392.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116392.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Barracuda class attack submarine under construction at a naval yard in Cherbourg, France, in July 2019  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/06/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-record-setting-incursions-taiwans-adiz/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-06T18:39:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116346.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116346.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taiwan Air Force Mirage-2000 fighter jets. Repeatedly needing to intercept Chinese planes places great pressure on the island's military and cost it at least $886 million in 2020 alone after scrambling interceptors nearly 3,000 times.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/06/commentary/world-commentary/indias-taliban-problem/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-06T18:40:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116270.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116270.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Afghan nationals protest against Pakistan's alleged support to the Taliban in New Delhi on Sept. 14.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/07/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-korea-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-07T22:49:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116646.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116646.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (center) meets his South Korean and American counter parts, Yun Byung-se and Secretary of State John Kerry in New York in September 2016.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/07/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-approval-ratings/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-07T22:51:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116643.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116643.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/09/cartoons/diplomacy-with-china/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-09T10:00:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115879-e1633677272118.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115879.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Diplomacy with China ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/09/cartoons/working-out-what-is-for-dinner/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-09T09:45:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115882-e1633677326152.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115882.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Working out what's for dinner]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/08/commentary/world-commentary/pandora-papers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-08T18:40:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116330.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116330.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[So much money now moves through the world’s offshore financial centers that such paper transactions now account for a greater flow of capital than any country receives from genuine foreign investments. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/08/commentary/world-commentary/supply-chain-trouble/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-08T18:41:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115641.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115641.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Unlike past festive holiday seasons, when retailers had to tempt people to spend with bargains and deals, this year demand won’t be an issue. It’s filling the shelves that will be the big challenge.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/11/commentary/world-commentary/doing-business-report-dead/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-11T17:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117041.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117041.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The World Bank had earlier suspended publication of its annual Doing Business index last year owing to “irregularities” in its data.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/11/commentary/world-commentary/duterte-successor/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-11T21:47:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117036.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117036.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio (right), is currently the mayor of Davao. She seems to act with the same disregard for the law as her father. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/12/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-us-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-12T14:49:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116551.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116551.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Taliban soldier sits outside a news conference in Kabul on Oct. 5.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/13/commentary/world-commentary/saving-taiwan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-13T19:27:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117577.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117577.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Giant balloons in the shape of a Chinese tanks and Tank Man are displayed in Taipei's Liberty Square in preparation for the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy crackdown, in May 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/13/commentary/world-commentary/china-ai-juggernaut/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-13T19:28:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117570-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117570.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The U.S. has a broad artificial intelligence toolkit that’s deployed across multiple disciplines. China, by contrast, excels mostly in areas that help Beijing build out its surveillance state. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/13/commentary/world-commentary/prudence-over-sustainability/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-13T19:29:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117513-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117513.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The creativity of a “free people” is one factor that explains the Great Enrichment of the past two centuries, when standards of living in countries such as Japan improved by an astounding 3,000%. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/13/commentary/world-commentary/china-evergrande-meltdown/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-13T19:30:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117542.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117542.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Evergrande Group's headquarters in Shenzhen, China]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/16/commentary/world-commentary/credit-relevance-cybersecurity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-13T21:23:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_91852.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_91852.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The impact and cost of the cyberattack on SolarWinds contributed in part to its recent downgrade by S&amp;P to B from B+.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/14/commentary/japan-commentary/kishidanomics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-14T19:20:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117813.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117813.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Whether 'Kishidanomics' with its wealth redistribution plan is destined to be successful or not depends on the political will of the Japanese people and the result of the general election to be held at the end of the month.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/14/commentary/japan-commentary/sdf-disaster-missions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-14T20:31:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117597.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117597.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers rescue local residents after heavy flooding in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, in July 2020. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/11/commentary/world-commentary/nobel-free-speech/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-15T11:42:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117042.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117042.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Maria Ressa]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/16/cartoons/fumio-kishida-lower-house-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-16T10:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117099-e1634286886544.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117099.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Kishida's time is running out to turn around low approval ratings]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/16/cartoons/zen-enlightenment-dogs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-16T09:45:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117100-e1634286987787.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117100.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Zen enlightenment for dogs]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/15/editorials/a-q-khan-dies/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-15T18:07:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118037-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118037.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Were A.Q. Khan responsible only for his country’s nuclear progress, his international reputation would be much different. Instead, he also established a nuclear proliferation network that supplied technology to North Korea and other rogue states. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/17/commentary/world-commentary/putins-offshore-money/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T19:27:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117494.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117494.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Those in Vladimir Putin's inner circle have cut their foreign investment losses due to Western sanctions and dug in close to the sources of their wealth — their holdings in Russia itself.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/17/commentary/world-commentary/supply-chain-massacre/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T19:28:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118280.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118280.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Container ships wait amid a shipping logjam near the congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, on Oct. 1.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/17/commentary/world-commentary/citi-big-tech-wall-street/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T19:29:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118283.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118283.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If the revamped Google Pay is a huge success, the big banks may have little choice but join in or else get shut out. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/18/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-power-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:00:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118259.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118259.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China now consumes more electricity per capita than the U.K. and Italy, but comes nowhere close in terms of economic output.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/15/commentary/japan-commentary/uk-japan-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T19:57:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117341.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117341.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[F-35B fighter jets are shown on the deck of the Queen Elizabeth, a British aircraft carrier, at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/15/commentary/world-commentary/japan-election-taiwan-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T21:05:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118040.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118040.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel moor the destroyer JS Suzutsuki at Qingdao Port, China, for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in April 2019.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/17/commentary/world-commentary/global-chip-supply-chain/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-17T23:43:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118054.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118054.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A request last month by the U.S. Commerce Secretary for semiconductor companies to detail their sales and inventory has ruffled feathers in Taipei, Seoul and Beijing at a time when Washington needs to open lines of communication with other nations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/18/commentary/world-commentary/austria-conservative-qualities/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118309.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118309.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Austria's former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz delivers a speech during a session of the parliament in Vienna on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/01/commentary/japan-commentary/fumio-kishidas-china-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:24:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115488.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115488.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Japanese flag is flown during a welcoming ceremony for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in October 2018.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/07/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-ambivalence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:24:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116588-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116588.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida (right), the nation's new prime minister, poses with his predecessor, Yoshihide Suga, after Kishida won the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo on Sept. 29, 2021.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/01/commentary/japan-commentary/fumio-kishida-challenges/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:25:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115382.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115382.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida has been out of the Cabinet since 2017, meaning that a newer class of bureaucrats has risen among the ranks. The new LDP president will have to form new relationships with the government officials who will be tasked with implementing his policies and decisions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/04/commentary/japan-commentary/fumio-kishida-cabinet-analysis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:25:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_115826.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_115826.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has used his Cabinet postings to reward allies, placate or punish adversaries, and satisfy intraparty deals.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/12/commentary/japan-commentary/how-ldp-wins/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:25:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117393-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117393.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Newly elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Fumio Kishida and his predecessor, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, celebrate after the LDP leadership vote in Tokyo on Sept. 29.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/27/commentary/japan-commentary/ldp-presidential-race-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:26:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114241-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114241.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[LDP presidential candidates attend a debate in Tokyo on Sept. 18. The contenders are (left to right) Taro Kono, Fumio Kishida, Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/03/commentary/japan-commentary/politicians-switch-upper-lower-house-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-18T17:26:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_96699-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_96699.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Yoshimasa Hayashi is not the first lawmaker in Japanese politics to try and make the switch from the Upper House to Lower House.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/19/commentary/world-commentary/valuing-art/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-19T19:18:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118672-3.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118672.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Banksy’s “Girl with Balloon,” which was retitled “Love is in the Bin” after being purposely shredded by the artist, was recently auctioned off for $25.4 million. That was 18 times more than what it sold for back in 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/19/commentary/world-commentary/what-colin-powell-taught-me/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-19T19:19:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118639-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118639.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell (left) consults with Gen. Norman H. Schwarzkopf during Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War in Saudi Arabia in 1991.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/20/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-climate-change-shock/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-20T20:27:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117488.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117488.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Central California grows nearly half of all the fruits, nuts and vegetables in the U.S. and a third of the world’s tomatoes. Due to climate change, predictions for this region are grim.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/20/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-seoul-new-direction/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-21T09:49:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118883.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118883.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit in Tokyo in May 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/20/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-defense-spending/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-21T09:51:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118836.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118836.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Abe administration waited until after the 2013 Upper House election to roll out its National Security Strategy and National Defense Program Guidelines. Prime Minister Minister Fumio Kishida will likely do the same.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/20/commentary/world-commentary/americas-superstar-cities/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-21T09:55:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117538-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117538.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The modern U.S. is now a decentralized nation, where despite an urban revival in recent years the periphery has kept growing faster than the center. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/21/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-us-afghanistan-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-21T14:59:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118939.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118939.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Donald Trump addresses American and Japanese troops on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's helicopter-carrying destroyer Kaga in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in May 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/21/commentary/world-commentary/fragile-internet/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-21T17:07:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118236-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118236.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Facebook’s recent outage was a reminder about the fragile nature of the internet, where millions of interconnected systems are dependent on each other.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/21/commentary/world-commentary/g20-climate-safety/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-22T04:53:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119095.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119095.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The G20 governments have a moral imperative to adopt the means to achieve the globally agreed goal of climate safety. Their countries account for roughly 80% of global carbon dioxide emissions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/21/commentary/world-commentary/energy-crisis-climate-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-22T04:54:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119098.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119098.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Transforming the world’s fuel mix in such a fundamental way after the two or three centuries’ reign of fossil fuels, was always going to be a process full of wider consequences and unforeseen outcomes. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/08/editorials/kishida-real-change/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-22T04:56:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_116903.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_116903.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his new Cabinet take a group photograph in Tokyo on Monday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/23/cartoons/opposition-alliances-lower-house-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-23T10:00:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118495-e1634884660784.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118495.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Opposition alliances ahead on the Lower House election]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/23/cartoons/washing-machine-earthquakes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-23T09:50:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118496-e1634884717218.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118496.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[ZG243-QuakeWasher]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/22/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-loss-asias-gain/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-23T00:30:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119317.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119317.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Increasing digitalization of production, higher costs and ongoing trade tensions with the United States have contributed to an exodus of companies from China that had previously set up manufacturing facilities there.
 ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/22/editorials/japanese-economics-after-abenomics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-23T00:33:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119344.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119344.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan’s Gini coefficient — the measure of inequality within the country — is better than that of the United States and the United Kingdom, but it has worsened over the last decade and living standards appear to have declined. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/22/commentary/world-commentary/mark-zuckerberg-needs-change-facebooks-name/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-23T00:34:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119386-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119386.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mark Zuckerberg is engineering a corporate name change. But rebranding a company mired in controversy is never a surefire cure for the maladies unspooling its operations or ravaging its reputation.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/24/commentary/world-commentary/shunning-fossil-fuels/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-24T20:10:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119564.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119564.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Without a realistic investment strategy — and timetable — for producing renewable energy, the effects of shunning investment in traditional energy sources are likely to be little short of catastrophic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/24/commentary/world-commentary/pandemic-have-nots/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-24T20:13:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119585.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119585.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A demonstrator protests against COVID-19 vaccination distribution inequality outside the Johnson and Johnson offices in Cape Town, South Africa, in March. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/24/commentary/world-commentary/children-overlooked-covid-19-victims/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-24T20:15:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119594.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119594.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Public health experts have been calling attention to an increasingly serious problem: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of children.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/25/commentary/world-commentary/china-growth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-25T17:00:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119636.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119636.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China’s experience over the past 40 years shows that without decent growth, financial stability is difficult to achieve.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/25/commentary/world-commentary/russia-nord-stream-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-25T17:00:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119642.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119642.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Gas pipework at the Nord Stream 2 landing facility on the Baltic Sea coastline in Lubmin, Germany  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/20/commentary/world-commentary/israel-iranian-nukes-plan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-25T10:35:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_118249.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_118249.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One of the problems with the 2015 Obama administration's nuclear deal is it accounts for only nuclear sites Iran has declared, not the ones it hid for years from the international community.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/26/commentary/world-commentary/illiberalisms-appeal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-26T17:35:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120020.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120020.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What has been eye-opening of late is the open arms, and too-often fawning reception, that authoritarians and their animating principles now receive in democratic societies. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/26/commentary/world-commentary/remembering-colin-powell/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-26T17:37:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120012-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120012.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell holds talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo in October 2004.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/14/commentary/world-commentary/kishidas-seoul-phone/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-28T16:23:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117804-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117804.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite having already talked to other world leaders during his first week in office, newly elected Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has yet to call his South Korean counterpart, President Moon Jae-in.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/28/commentary/world-commentary/cop26-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-28T17:48:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120507.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120507.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Ocean Rebellion activists hold a protest Wednesday opposite the Scottish Event Campus, where the COP26 summit will take place in Glasgow.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/28/commentary/world-commentary/americas-ports/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-28T17:51:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120250.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120250.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Product delays caused by port congestion impose serious costs to an economy: Retailers face shortages, manufacturing production is slowed, goods spoil and exporters have lost customers.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/28/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-pacific-rim-economic-order/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-28T20:28:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120524-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120524.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Tokyo in November 2020. China will not be able to join the CPTPP pact if any member, including Japan, opposes it.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/30/cartoons/japan-halloween-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-30T10:00:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120171-e1635495145836.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120171.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The spooky 2021 Halloween election]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/30/cartoons/feng-shui-classroom/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-30T09:45:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120172-e1635495232948.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120172.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Feng shui in the classroom]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/29/commentary/world-commentary/asean-good-week/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-29T17:56:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120785-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120785.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha takes part in the virtual ASEAN Summit at Government House in Bangkok on Tuesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/29/commentary/world-commentary/biden-taiwan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-29T17:57:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120765-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120765.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Remarks made by U.S. President Joe Biden recently about defending Taiwan have become a cause of concern in Tokyo. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/29/commentary/world-commentary/taxing-billionaires/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-10-29T17:58:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120803.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120803.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The main reason Democrats are unlikely to pursue Joe Biden's tax-at-death is that they want revenue now. Going the president's route could mean waiting longer.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/01/commentary/world-commentary/geoengineering/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-01T17:00:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120939-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120939.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Royal Thai Air Force personnel prepare to seed clouds to induce rain in Thailand's northern province of Chiang Mai in March 2007. A similar seeding technique could be used to reflect the sun's radiation in order to slow climate change. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/01/commentary/world-commentary/segregated-classrooms/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-01T17:00:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120953.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120953.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Whichever route New York City chooses to go with its most advanced students, one thing is clear: Overhauling the system is only likely to work if the city abandons its standardized approach to education.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/31/commentary/world-commentary/climate-talks-glasgow-greta-good-intentions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-01T14:29:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120938.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120938.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Swedish environmentalist Greta Thurnberg arrives in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday for the COP26 climate change conference.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/31/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-cops/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-01T18:28:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120956.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120956.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Climate change protesters hold a demonstration at the Wall Street Bull in Lower Manhattan in October 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/02/commentary/world-commentary/aukus-china-cold-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-02T11:17:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120319.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120319.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House alongside screens displaying Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on Sept. 15, as a new trilateral defense initiative is unveiled.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/27/commentary/world-commentary/1-trillion-tesla/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-02T11:29:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120271.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120271.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Elon Musk's Tesla is now worth more than the next nine most valuable listed carmakers combined. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/27/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-conferences/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-02T11:30:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120162-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120162.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The messaging on the mosaic urges negotiators to formally accept and enforce the Kyoto Protocol during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal in November 2005.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/27/commentary/world-commentary/asean-biodiversity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-02T11:31:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120247.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120247.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The ASEAN Center for Biodiversity reported that much of Southeast Asia, which is plagued by deforestation and land clearing, is poised to lose 70%-90% of habitats and 13%-42% of species by 2100.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/27/commentary/world-commentary/climate-diplomacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-02T12:47:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_120125-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120125.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Washington insists that environmental policies remain separate from other issues such as human rights. Beijing maintains “climate cooperation" is integral to their wider relations. That leaves the two at loggerheads.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/02/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-election-results/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T08:29:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121555.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121555.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The LDP and Komeito performed above expectations in the Lower House election, which gives Prime Minister Fumio Kishida enough political capital to maneuver ahead of next summer’s Upper House contest.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/02/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-nuclear-posture-review/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T08:31:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121527.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121527.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[America's allies are concerned over President Joe Biden’s tendency to trust his own judgment on military matters — Afghanistan is exhibit 1 — and to downplay their concerns when weighing U.S. interests.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/singapores-travel-lanes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:31:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_119551.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_119551.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[For decades, Singapore’s migrants have lived in rudimentary dorms, old factories and other converted industrial spaces, far from the architectural wonderland of glass and steel that dominates the city's main business and shopping districts.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/pandemic-recovery-care-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:33:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_120170.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_120170.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Older adults line up to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in Buenos in March. Argentina's government reported last year that unpaid care and domestic work amounted to 15.9% of GDP, making it the economy’s largest sector.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/weaponizing-migration/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:34:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121700.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121700.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Alexander Lukashenko (left) and Vladimir Putin's hybrid warfare using refugees will only continue and probably already extends to manipulating Russian gas deliveries to Europe to worsen the current energy crisis. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/life-after-queen-elizabeth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:35:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121834.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121834.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Queen Elizabeth II prepares to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in June.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/cop26-fail/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:36:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121803.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121803.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/hack-from-stars/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:37:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121814.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121814.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One of the challenges of satellite cybersecurity according to one expert is that whatever is put in orbit it's what must be lived with. Systems must be designed so that they can address threats throughout their lifespan.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/03/commentary/world-commentary/defense-taiwan-biden-makes-slip-tongue/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-03T19:41:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121794.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121794.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/04/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-health-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-04T18:44:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121973.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121973.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Climate activists march through the streets of Glasgow outside the COP26 Climate Conference on Wednesday.     ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/04/commentary/japan-commentary/unpacking-japans-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-04T18:46:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122038.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122038.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With the way the Lower House election unfolded, no one should be surprised if the LDP-Komeito ruling coalition loses a simple majority in the next Upper House election.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/04/commentary/world-commentary/manchin-warns-democrats/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-04T18:47:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122060.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122060.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Joe Manchin]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/04/commentary/world-commentary/aukus-japan-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-04T18:59:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121417.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121417.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the AUKUS initiative, joined virtually by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, at the White House in Washington on Sept. 15.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/05/editorials/chinas-military-buildup-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-05T20:05:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122263-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122263.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan’s 2021 defense white paper argues that China has “engaged in broad, rapid improvement of its military power in qualitative and quantitative terms.” ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/05/commentary/world-commentary/malaysias-pandemic-success/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-05T20:06:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122198-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122198.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A student is inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine at a school in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in September.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/05/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-national-sovereignty/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-05T20:08:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122283.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122283.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Are burning rainforests located in Brazil — the world’s primary "lung” or "carbon sink” — the business of Brazil or of the world in the era of climate change?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/07/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-drugs-changing-lives/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-07T20:57:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122492-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122492.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Pfizer development and molnupiravir's approval for COVID-19 treatments couldn’t be timelier for the U.K. and elsewhere as hospitals face massive backlogs of delayed procedures.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/07/commentary/world-commentary/ev-batteries-rush/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-07T20:59:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122510.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122510.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Flags of different countries fly above Bolivia's Uyuni salt lake, which holds the world's largest reserve of lithium.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/07/commentary/japan-commentary/fumio-kishidas-plans/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-07T21:13:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122481-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122481.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) fist bumps with former Foreign Minister Taro Kono after the general election at the LDP party’s headquarters in Tokyo on Oct. 31. Pool / via REUTERS
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/08/commentary/world-commentary/elon-world-hunger/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-08T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122497.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122497.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If Elon Musk doesn’t want to plow $6 billion into emergency aid, perhaps he’ll cash out his Tesla stock to invest in climate-smart innovations that help with long-term food security.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2009/04/02/reader-mail/lessons-from-a-junior-high-school/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-08T12:09:09+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/08/commentary/world-commentary/greening-kremlin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-08T17:56:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122555.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122555.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Moscow's recent overtures on cutting its carbon emissions are a huge change because Russia has traditionally avoided setting ambitious climate goals. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/09/commentary/world-commentary/us-china-trade/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-09T13:57:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122625.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122625.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The United States has much to overcome if it is to formulate an effective trade policy regarding China.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/09/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-new-foreign-minister/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-09T18:53:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122956-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122956.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The appointment of Yoshimasa Hayashi to be Japan's next foreign minister gives Prime Minister Fumio Kishida another ally in the Cabinet, as well as another minister who has the capabilities to excel in the position.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/09/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-cptpp-bid/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-09T18:59:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122926.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122926.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People watch as Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech via video at the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai on Thursday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/growing-naval-imbalance-expanding-chinese-aging-american-fleets/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:55:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123074-2-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123074.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China’s burgeoning naval capabilities in relation to the U.S. Navy were detailed in the Pentagon’s annual report released last week. The report also warned Beijing may double or even triple its nuclear arsenal by the end of the decade.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/indias-climate-pledge-hole/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:55:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123088.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123088.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[India's net zero goal for emissions by 2070 is a daunting target as the nation's share of renewables in its current energy mix is only 12%.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/energys-recovery-year/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:56:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123100.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123100.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[To call the past year a recovery for the oil sector, implying a return to what existed before, would be incorrect. Instead, it's best to look at it as energy being offered the chance to adopt a healthier lifestyle. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-missile-defense/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:57:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123026.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123026.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptor, or THAAD, is tested by the U.S. military. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/north-koreas-options-shrink/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:58:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123025.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123025.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addresses a meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Sept. 2.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/10/commentary/world-commentary/jfk-cover-up/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-10T17:59:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123115.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123115.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The city of Dallas, Texas, prepares to hold a commemorative ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 2013.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/08/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-preparing-for-next-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-11T14:13:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121707.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121707.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The government should take steps to ensure it is never entirely dependent upon vaccine supplies from abroad if another pandemic emerges in future.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/11/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-distressed-developers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-11T17:58:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122501.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122501.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Developers shouldn’t shoulder all the responsibility for questionable corporate governance. China’s entire $4 trillion corporate bond market is polluted — and the mindset starts at official levels.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/11/commentary/world-commentary/palestinian-ultimatum/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-11T17:59:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123150.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123150.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Palestinian demonstrators march in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in July. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/11/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-starvation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-11T18:00:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123410.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123410.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The national security chiefs attending the "Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan" in New Delhi pose for a group photo on Wednesday.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/13/cartoons/fumio-kishida-climate-pledges/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-13T10:00:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122735-e1636701244168.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122735.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's climate pledges]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/13/cartoons/mystery-japanese-dishes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-13T09:45:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_122736-e1636701180585.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_122736.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mystery Japanese dishes]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/12/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-misinformation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-12T17:24:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123392-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123392.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters call for the impeachment of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during a rally in Rio de Janeiro in July.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/12/editorials/xi-jinping-grows-stronger/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-12T17:25:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123606-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123606.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Xi Jinping's failure to identify a potential successor, which has typically occurred during the second term, has convinced China watchers that he has no intention of stepping down.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/15/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-germany-indo-pacific-ties/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-15T17:00:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123734-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123734.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The German Navy frigate Bayern docked at the International Cruise Terminal in Tokyo, on Nov. 5]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/15/commentary/world-commentary/china-exit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-15T17:00:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123741.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123741.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With the once-hot China market cooling, Tencent plans to invest more to leverage its foreign exposure including beefing up overseas games publishing operations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/15/commentary/world-commentary/cop26-deal-money/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-15T17:48:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123736.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123736.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters demonstrate at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/16/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-security-milestone/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T00:25:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124156-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124156.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A recent Japan-Australia naval exercise has established a precedent for the SDF to be able to protect foreign militaries in the future. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/17/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-business-climate-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T19:41:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124353-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124353.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses the World Leaders' Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 2.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/17/commentary/japan-commentary/shinzo-abe-becomes-faction-boss/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T19:42:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124336.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124336.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Shinzo Abe, as leader of the largest intraparty group, still does not have the numbers to dictate terms unilaterally — decisions will still have to be brokered through power struggles. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/17/commentary/world-commentary/supply-chains-blocked/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T19:43:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124375.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124375.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Because there is little slack built into global supply networks and the systems that manage them, large deviations from normal patterns produce delayed responses and blockages like those we are seeing today.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/10/editorials/asia-europe-military-presence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T19:46:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_111602.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_111602.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The British Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier docks at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Monday. European military forces have been expanding their presence in Asia.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/17/commentary/world-commentary/russias-communist-comeback/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-17T19:48:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123136-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123136.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Workers paint over graffiti depicting jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg. Navalny’s “smart voting” strategy — which urged voters to support whoever had the best chance of beating a Kremlin-backed candidate — is credited with helping the Communist Party perform strongly in recent elections.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/18/commentary/japan-commentary/biden-xi-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-18T17:47:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124598.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124598.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the White House during their virtually meeting on Monday. 

 ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/18/commentary/world-commentary/iraqi-kurds/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-18T17:48:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124610.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124610.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Migrants congregate at a market in Minsk on Saturday. Iraqi Kurds and other migrants said they were fleeing despair at home, but Belarus encouraged them to come, offering visas and helping them get to the border with other European countries. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/18/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-taiwan-exchange-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-18T17:50:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124528.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124528.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A Taiwanese earthquake search and rescue team prepares to depart Taipei's Songshan Airport for Japan to help find survivors after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/19/editorials/cop26-climate-change-failure/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-19T17:57:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124791.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124791.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If the United Nations Development Program is correct, then COP26 will result in a world that warms 2.5 degrees Celsius, which means that the key goal of the 2015 Paris agreement will not be met.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/19/commentary/world-commentary/japans-media-fail-agree-weight-biden-xi-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-19T17:58:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124751.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124751.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from the White House during a virtual summit on Monday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/19/commentary/world-commentary/murdoch-trump-power/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-19T17:59:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124830.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124830.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Rupert Murdoch's Fox News has spent years amplifying Trump's contentious messaging, and it’s the single most influential media platform supporting the former U.S. president.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/21/commentary/world-commentary/russia-space-bullets/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-21T17:49:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125060.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125060.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The International Space Station. Russia’s military used an anti-satellite weapon to obliterate a satellite in orbit, sending a vast cloud of debris zipping around Earth that puts the station at risk.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/21/commentary/world-commentary/fixing-climate-finance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-21T18:02:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124529.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124529.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The world is stuck between the reality of a devastating global climate crisis and rich countries’ nationalist politics, the result of which is causing a chronic underfinancing for the fight against global warming.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/21/commentary/world-commentary/better-cptpp/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-21T18:10:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124530.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124530.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Representatives from member countries of the CPTPP trade deal take part in a news conference in Santiago, Chile, during the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in May 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/22/commentary/world-commentary/milton-friedman/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-22T11:14:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125075-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125075.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Milton Friedman addresses an event held in his honor in Washington in May 2002 as then-U.S. President George W. Bush chats with Friedman’s wife, Rose.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/21/commentary/world-commentary/rebuilding-sino-american-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-22T14:31:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125072.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125072.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A single virtual summit between the leaders of the U.S. and China — while highly welcome — is not enough to inspire hope for more stable bilateral relations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/22/commentary/world-commentary/political-energy-pipelines/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-22T14:34:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125109-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125109.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Although Russian President Vladimir Putin denies there are any political motives behind the country’s failure to deliver more gas to Europe, few on the continent believe him.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/06/20/editorials/adapting-to-the-digital-age/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-22T19:41:30+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/23/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-business-decarbonization/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-23T15:13:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125185.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125185.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[While Japan has plenty of forests, many of the trees are old and no longer have good carbon-absorbing abilities.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/23/commentary/world-commentary/rich-poor-country-taxation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-23T18:14:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125480.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125480.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators burn the U.S. flag during the Group 20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/23/commentary/world-commentary/us-china-nuclear-talks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-24T12:33:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125461.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125461.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China's People's Liberation Army parades nuclear-capable missiles in Beijing on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 2009.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/24/commentary/world-commentary/taliban-narco-terrorism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-24T18:52:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125515.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125515.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Afghanistan accounts for 85% of the global acreage under opium cultivation, making the Taliban the world’s largest drug cartel.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/24/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kong-singapore-wealth-tax-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-24T18:53:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125694.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125694.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Singapore’s private property prices rose 1.1% from the previous three months in the third quarter. It won’t be a bad idea to introduce additional taxation that helps the market cool down a bit.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/24/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-fed-political-control/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-24T18:55:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125493.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125493.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell (left) listens as President Joe Biden nominates him for a second term at the White House on Monday.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/24/commentary/world-commentary/stereotypes-hold-women-back/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-24T18:56:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125671.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125671.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[At the university level, female students have more than achieved parity with their male counterparts. In the workplace, the same cannot be said.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/25/commentary/world-commentary/iran-nuclear-talks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-25T18:12:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125510.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125510.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility near Tehran in April 2008.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/25/commentary/world-commentary/europe-covid-19-optimism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-25T18:12:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125945.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125945.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters in The Hague demonstrate in September against the Dutch authorities introduction of a mandatory "corona pass" showing a person has tested negative for the virus. The pass was needed to enter bars, restaurants and other cultural events. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/25/commentary/world-commentary/china-discourse-power/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-25T18:14:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125653.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125653.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China is attempting to globalize its preferred political discourse, where it is experiencing both success and some failures, the later of which it is using to hone its influencing skills.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/24/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-mass-testing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-25T21:47:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125630-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125630.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With extensive experience in treating respiratory diseases, Japan decided against mass testing of the general population and instead focused its resources on the elderly and others more susceptible to COVID-19. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/10/12/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-economic-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T12:49:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/np_file_117400.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_117400.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's talk about prioritizing economic security and using it to direct the government only makes sense if other parts of the LDP are behind it. Fortunately for him, they are.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/02/cartoons/fumio-kishida-electoral-mandate/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T16:08:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121617-e1636099072959.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121617.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's electoral mandate]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/02/cartoons/hot-spring-etiquette/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T16:08:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_121619-e1636099162685.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_121619.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Bobbing for apples in a Japanese hot spring]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/15/cartoons/sharing-elevator-sumo-wrestlers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T16:11:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123884-e1637910565824.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123884.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What goes through one's mind when sharing an elevator with sumo wrestlers]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/15/cartoons/kishida-cash-handout-reaction/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T16:11:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_123883-e1637910632134.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_123883.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The reaction to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cash handout]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/27/cartoons/shohei-ohtani-mvp/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-27T09:45:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125146-e1637910828783.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125146.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Shohei Ohtani's MVP award]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/27/cartoons/doughnuts-protest/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-27T10:00:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125147-e1637910924262.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125147.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The use of doughnuts to express an opinion]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/26/commentary/world-commentary/digital-singapore-dollar/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T19:47:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125490.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125490.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Singapore’s triple-A-rated sovereign has historically accumulated fiscal surpluses and is not known to cheapen its exchange rate to gain an export advantage, making the city's currency an attractive store of wealth. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/26/commentary/world-commentary/government-spending-costs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T19:47:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125859.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125859.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden, along with other Democratic leaders, claim his spending plan will be “fully paid for” with tax hikes. Apparently, the administration thinks that only budget deficits impose costs.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/26/commentary/world-commentary/astrazeneca-keeps-britain-safe/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-26T19:49:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126136.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126136.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[AstraZeneca's CEO noted the U.K. has had fewer hospitalizations relative to Europe during a time of peak infection, but does his company's vaccine deserve credit for that?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/28/commentary/world-commentary/bidens-democracy-summit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-28T19:41:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126366.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126366.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Joe Biden's virtual democracy summit scheduled for next month comes at a challenging time for free societies. The global monitoring organization Freedom House called this year’s report on the state of global freedom “Democracy Under Siege.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/28/commentary/world-commentary/long-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-28T19:43:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126363-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126363.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A new study suggests that vaccinations reduce the risk of long COVID, even among those who get inoculated after they’ve contracted COVID-19. But is that true?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/29/commentary/world-commentary/fixing-europes-migrant-predicament/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-29T17:00:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126469.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126469.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A group of Syrian migrants rest in the forest near Siemiatycze, Poland, on Nov. 21 as they travel from Belarus, hoping to reach the Netherlands.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/29/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-socialized-medicine/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-29T11:12:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126273-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126273.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Britain’s National Health Service has performed well amid the pandemic despite the limited resources it has received.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/26/editorials/oil-release-renewables-path/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-29T11:47:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126122.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126122.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Crude oil constitutes 40% of Japan’s primary energy supply and the country imports 99.7% of its petroleum. That dependence has been a focus of the nation's foreign and economic policies for years. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/26/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-oil-reserves/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-29T12:01:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126121.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126121.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Many in Japan, including the nation’s oil industry, are reportedly questioning the government's decision to tap into the national oil reserves. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2011/08/08/editorials/taming-the-yen/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-29T16:53:47+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/30/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-bold-defense-moves/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-11-30T20:06:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126781.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126781.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida inspects military equipment during a review at Camp Asaka in Tokyo on Saturday.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/09/29/commentary/world-commentary/dishonorable-afghanistan-retreat/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T13:32:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/np_file_114962.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_114962.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Afghan soldiers stand guard at the gate of Bagram Air Base on the day the last of American troops vacated the facility in Parwan province, Afghanistan, on July 2. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/01/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-tech-regulators/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T18:33:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126940-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126940.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Emboldened by the government’s push to rein in tech giants, the Cyberspace Administration of China will play a major role in determining the trajectory of the nations platform businesses and tech innovation. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/01/commentary/world-commentary/omicron-uncertainty/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T18:37:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126916-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126916.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[News of the sudden spread of omicron is causing much anxiety around the world.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/01/commentary/world-commentary/inflation-conundrum/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T18:38:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126267.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126267.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Unlike previous global inflationary episodes, what is remarkable this time is how different the cross-country experiences have been as governments’ diverse responses have led to varied economic performance.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/01/commentary/world-commentary/franco-italian-bromance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T18:43:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126272.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126272.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi shake hands after signing the Quirinal Treaty between Italy and France in Rome on Friday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/01/commentary/world-commentary/bidens-democracy-summit-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T18:44:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126979.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126979.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Imran Khan was effectively selected by the country’s powerful military establishment, and not simply elected. So why is Joe Biden inviting Pakistan and not similar less-than-stellar examples of democracy to his summit. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/30/commentary/world-commentary/omicron-vaccine-inequality/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-01T20:23:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126815-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126815.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The appalling divide between vaccine haves and have-nots as far as nations go will ensure that we are regularly visited by new and alarming COVID-19 variants.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/28/commentary/world-commentary/china-global-decarbonization/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-02T18:40:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_125421.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_125421.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Following its push to promote and adopt renewable energy, China now occupies 36% of the global solar photovoltaics market.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/02/commentary/world-commentary/texas-cowboy-afghanistan-funding/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-02T18:59:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127273.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127273.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Afghanistan is close to the tipping point under Taliban rule and could slip into full-blown famine this winter if it does not get access to U.S. dollars and funds. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/02/commentary/world-commentary/supreme-court-roe-wade/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-03T07:26:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127263.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127263.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Some of the more conservative U.S. Supreme Court judges are showing signs that they may be willing to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and it all hangs on the interpretation of a Mississippi abortion law.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/03/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-south-korea-relations-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-03T10:12:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126532.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126532.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The set of remote islands called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese remains a sticking point in ties between the two nations. The Japan-claimed islands are administered by South Korea.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/02/commentary/japan-commentary/shinzo-abe-beijing-message/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-03T10:17:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127227-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127227.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, seen here meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in December 2019, recently angered Beijing with remarks warning that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be “economic suicide.”]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/04/cartoons/covid-19-sixth-wave/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-04T10:00:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126634-e1638522142849.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126634.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's possible sixth wave of COVID-19]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/04/cartoons/consensus-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-04T09:45:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_126635-e1638522062285.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126635.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The different interpretations of consensus in Japan]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/03/commentary/japan-commentary/new-futenma-base-obsolete/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-03T18:22:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127399.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127399.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Due to political considerations and local opposition, the new Futenma base will not support the full range of capabilities provided by the current facility, lessening its military effectiveness. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/05/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-facebook-giphy-smackdown/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-05T17:54:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127456-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127456.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.K. regulators concerned about competition have ordered Meta Platforms Inc., Facebook's new parent company, to sell recently acquired Giphy, a GIF search tool.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/05/commentary/world-commentary/3-gallon-gasoline/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-05T17:55:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127685.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127685.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite a recent panic over U.S. fuel prices, gasoline’s share of the American wallet is lower than in the past.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/05/commentary/world-commentary/southeast-asia-migrant-labor-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-05T17:59:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127680.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127680.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Similar to countries like Australia, Malaysia’s farmers are aging rapidly and young workers are reluctant to work in the sector due to low pay, creating a labor shortage.  
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/05/commentary/world-commentary/evidence-based-policymaking/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-05T23:22:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126270.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126270.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Almost two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the world still has a surprisingly limited understanding of the health, economic and other effects of policies intended to mitigate the disease's spread.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/07/commentary/world-commentary/worlds-shipping-delays/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-07T18:35:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_126950-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_126950.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The global supply chains are not really chainlike, but in essence, the system is like a host of distinct nodes that function smoothly only if they are synchronized. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/07/commentary/world-commentary/china-throws-gauntlet-development-aid/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-07T18:36:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128158-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128158.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping attends memorandum of understanding signing ceremony on China's Belt and Road initiative in Rome in March 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T20:10:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128261.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128261.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping from Washington during their Nov. 15 virtual summit.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/cutting-drug-prices/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T20:11:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128351.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128351.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Medicare's prohibition from bargaining on drug prices has long kept U.S. drug costs among the highest in the world.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/hiding-offshore-bank-accounts/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T20:13:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127677-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127677.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Robert Brockman, the software executive charged in the largest-ever tax case against a U.S. individual, arrives for a competency hearing at a federal courthouse in Houston on Nov. 16.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/kremlins-hybrid-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T20:14:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127699-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127699.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Migrants line up for food in the Grodno region of Belarus near the border with Poland on Nov. 20.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/trump-billion-origin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T20:15:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128275-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128275.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[National security questions are being raised over the origins of funding for Donald Trump’s new social media venture, especially since he may run for president again.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/global-financial-system-overhaul/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-08T22:57:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128396-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128396.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Activists dressed as debt collectors protest outside the IMF-World Bank headquarters in Washington on Oct. 13.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/09/commentary/world-commentary/tesla-got-troubles/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-09T17:00:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128267.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128267.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Tesla Inc. Gigafactory in Shanghai]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/09/commentary/world-commentary/free-money-end/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-09T17:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127446-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127446.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The European Central Bank’s president says the lender believes inflation is a temporary problem that will clear up once supply bottlenecks are overcome, so the bank will continue its current policies. Bloomberg]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/03/editorials/omicron-vaccine-inequality-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-10T07:18:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127393.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127393.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Globally, of the 15 billion total COVID-19 doses produced, just 331 million have gone to low-income countries, creating reservoirs where the virus can better mutate. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/09/commentary/japan-commentary/economic-security-strategy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-10T09:15:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128410.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128410.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As part of his first policy speech in parliament on Oct. 8, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida talked of reviewing the national security strategy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/10/commentary/world-commentary/winter-olympic-boycott/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-10T18:50:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128696-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128696.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom have all announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games that China will host in February.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/06/22/commentary/world-commentary/face-masks-booming/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-12T20:00:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/np_file_94511.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_94511.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The recent abandonment of face masks has ramifications for companies that aggressively stockpiled inventory and ramped up production to meet the pandemic needs.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/07/26/commentary/world-commentary/americas-face-mask-ambivalence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-12T20:01:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/np_file_25949.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_25949.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Donald Trump long shunned the wearing of face masks to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, then flip-flopped and called it "patriotic."]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/05/24/cartoons/roger-dahl-guilty-pleasures-wearing-face-mask/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-12T20:01:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/np_file_12847-e1590123119524.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_12847.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Roger Dahl on the guilty pleasures of wearing a face mask]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/13/commentary/japan-commentary/monetary-fiscal-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-13T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128850.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128850.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Sheets of U.S. five-dollar bills are printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington in March 2015. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/13/commentary/japan-diplomatic-window/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-13T17:00:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128876.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128876.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech via video for the opening ceremony of the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing in September 2020.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/13/commentary/world-commentary/christmas-lockdowns/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-13T17:00:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128727.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128727.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Christmas lights illuminate London's Oxford Street on Nov. 13. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/14/commentary/world-commentary/new-philippine-marcos/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-14T18:37:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129185-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129185.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Members of the opposition Akbayan Partylist party gather outside the Commission on Elections in Manila on Dec. 2 where they filed a petition to disqualify Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from the 2022 national election.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/14/commentary/world-commentary/democracy-summit-promises/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-14T23:36:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129161.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129161.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden convenes a virtual democracy summit with world leaders from the White House on Dec. 9.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/15/commentary/world-commentary/bidens-terrible-year/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-15T20:13:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129372.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129372.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The current U.S. administration has moved from one bad economic situation to another since taking office and only has itself to blame.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/15/commentary/world-commentary/carbon-cutting-cost/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-15T20:14:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128142-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128142.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[France’s yellow vest protests, which first broke out in November 2018 and continue to this day, arose over anger at a proposed fuel tax hike. Similar aversions to higher energy costs are being expressed elsewhere around the world. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/15/commentary/world-commentary/omicron-immunity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-15T20:15:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128864-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128864.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With there still being much to learn about omicron, the world’s richest countries would be wise to help get vaccines to poorer countries to help prevent future mutations.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/15/commentary/world-commentary/railroad-bubble/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-15T20:16:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129493-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129493.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[North American railway carriers stand to gain from the supply-chain snafu, which is causing a local manufacturing renaissance. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/15/commentary/world-commentary/beijing-turns-hybrid-lawfare-expand-borders/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-15T20:19:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129439-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129439.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Beijing is trying to use “lawfare” to rewrite legislation to legitimize unlawful territorial claims, such as its revised coast guard law and maritime safety laws that could be used to target Japanese vessels navigating around the Senkaku Islands. Kyodo]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/16/commentary/world-commentary/campaign-silly-season/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-16T19:44:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129496.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129496.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally in Perry, Georgia, on Sept. 25.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/16/commentary/world-commentary/japan-olympic-boycott/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-16T19:46:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129747.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129747.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan has so far refrained from joining the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and is currently studying its options.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/16/commentary/world-commentary/omicron-wake-up-call/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-16T19:46:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128829.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128829.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A nurse prepares to administer a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Dec. 4. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/29/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-shinzo-abe-asia-pacific/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-29T08:00:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127033-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127033.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A slimmed-down trade pact allows 11 Asia-Pacific nations to push forward with economic integration in the face of greater U.S. protectionism, even if the new deal will offer fewer benefits than originally hoped.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/30/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-us-china-nuclear-arms/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-30T08:00:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127046.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127046.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/02/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-recovering-stronger-together/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T08:00:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127057.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127057.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Waorani indigenous people file a climate change lawsuit against Chinese oil company PetroOriental in El Coca, Ecuador, in December 2020.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/03/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-americas-struggle-at-home/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T08:00:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127106.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127106.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin share an elevator to go to the Senate Chamber to vote in Washington on Sept. 30, 2021. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/03/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-restoring-dynamism-to-development/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T08:00:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127063.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127063.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An elderly resident receives a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Lisbon on Nov. 4.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/05/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-big-tech-antitrust-laws/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T08:00:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127084-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127084.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Jack Ma, founder of the Alibaba Group, attends a forum on rural headmasters in Hangzhou, China, in July 2017.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/05/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-covid19-digital-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T08:00:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127096.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127096.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The physician in charge of Bethlehem Hospital in Stolberg, Germany, speaks with doctors while using telemedicine for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in January.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/06/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-future-of-trade/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-06T08:00:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127093.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127093.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Workers operate an assembly line at Vietnam's first homegrown car manufacturer in Haiphong on June 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/06/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-jerome-powell-paul-volcker/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-06T08:00:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127070.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127070.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell speaks to reporters during a news conference in Washington on Oct. 30, 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-debt-for-climate-swaps/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T08:00:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127099.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127099.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A woman with her child stands outside her destroyed house in Gonaives, Haiti, in 2008. During the first eight months of 2008, Haiti got hit by two tropical storms and two hurricanes leaving more than a million people homeless. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-europe-climate-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T08:00:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127101.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127101.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveils the Green Deal initiative to fight climate change during a press conference in Brussels in December 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/09/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-americas-killer-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-09T08:00:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127094.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127094.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Due to an aging population, falling birthrates and slowing immigration, the United States is growing more slowly than at any time since the Great Depression.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/04/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-germany-angela-merkel/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-04T00:00:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127076.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127076.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Angela Merkel's designated successor, Olaf Scholz, is calling for a general vaccine mandate in Germany in response to the pandemic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/11/cartoons/santa-claus-surveillance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-17T17:56:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127902-e1639731161527.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127902.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What Santa is keeping an eye on this Christmas ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/11/cartoons/home-cooking/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-17T17:58:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127903-e1639731293655.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127903.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Home cooking]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/18/cartoons/santa-claus-entry-woes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-18T10:00:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129069-e1639733076650.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129069.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Santa's travel woes amid COVID-19]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/18/cartoons/christmas-songs-amid-climate-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-18T09:45:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129070-e1639733138278.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129070.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Christmas songs amid a climate crisis]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/17/editorials/safety-security-key-new-go-travel-campaign/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-17T18:37:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129903-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129903.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The government may revisit the Go To Travel campaign, launched in July 2020, which was widely viewed as a success at stimulating demand for tourism.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/17/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-asia-trade/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-17T18:39:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129962.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129962.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Tuesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/19/commentary/world-commentary/gdp-environment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-19T20:04:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130243.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130243.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[For now, ending the use of GDP as the main gauge of prosperity will be difficult given the near-impossible task of getting experts to agree on an alternative that also measures environmental sustainability.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/19/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-secrets-protection-law/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-19T20:04:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130240-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130240.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Before Japan's special secrets protection law, there was no real mechanism in place to prevent military or government officials from taking classified materials home with them or formal security vetting procedures for such employees.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/19/commentary/world-commentary/cash-dying/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-19T22:20:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128323.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128323.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[COVID-19 shifted trillions in retail sales to online, but cash's decline started long before that with the introduction of smartphones and other internet-linked devices. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/20/commentary/world-commentary/modi-twitter-breach/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-20T17:00:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_129934.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129934.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Hackers recently hijacked the Twitter account of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and used it to pump Bitcoin. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/21/commentary/world-commentary/honoring-musical-inspirations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-21T17:59:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130720-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130720.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[This ad photo from May 1967 for one of The Monkees' albums shows from left: Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Robert Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/21/commentary/new-u-s-japan-ambassador/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-22T11:05:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130717-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130717.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel gives his opening statement during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on his nomination to be the United States ambassador to Japan in Washington on Oct. 20. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/22/commentary/world-commentary/ukraine-taiwan-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-22T18:38:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130819.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130819.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A T-72B3 main battle tank takes part in a military drill in Russia's Rostov region where Moscow has been deploying forces for what some fear is a possible invasion of Ukraine, just across the border.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/22/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-paralympics-host/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-22T18:48:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131038.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131038.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Gold medalist Hannah Aspden of the United States celebrates with teammates after competing in a race on Aug. 29.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/22/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-north-korea-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-22T18:48:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130883-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130883.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Since Kim Jong Un assumed power, Tokyo-Pyongyang relations have only soured with North Korea ending its participation in the Japanese abduction investigation and all diplomatic efforts aimed at improving ties are at a virtual standstill. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/22/commentary/world-commentary/joe-biden-omicron-plan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-22T18:55:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130921.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130921.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden seeks to reassure Americans on the status of the country and the fight against COVID-19 during a speech from the White House on Tuesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/22/commentary/world-commentary/vote-buying/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-23T10:27:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127664-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127664.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Questions have been raised over politicians promising voters government cash and handouts if elected. The U.S. Supreme Court says that does not constitute vote buying.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/23/commentary/world-commentary/china-population-advantage/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-23T17:59:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131223-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131223.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Even as China’s birth rate drops, hitting a record low in 2020, it still has a significant advantage over the U.S. and other countries in terms of human capital. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/23/commentary/world-commentary/build-back-better-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-23T18:00:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130914.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130914.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators march in favor of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better social spending plan in Washington on Dec. 13. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin effectively doomed the bill over the weekend, announcing he would not vote for it.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/24/commentary/world-commentary/james-webb-space-telescope/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-24T19:51:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131420.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131420.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The James Webb Space Telescope project has been called "the telescope that ate astronomy,” costing NASA one in every three dollars it has spent on astrophysics over the past two decades.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/24/commentary/world-commentary/south-korea-income-inequality/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-24T19:52:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130901-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130901.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Since 1997, South Korea has been moving toward U.S.-style shareholder capitalism, with its increased divide between the rich and the poor. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/24/editorials/inflation-fears/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-24T19:52:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131444.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131444.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Where the world's central bankers once insisted inflation was “transitory,” they are now modifying their views saying they expect it to be more persistent.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/24/commentary/world-commentary/protecting-democracy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-24T19:53:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131391-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131391.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators protest against police violence and the Belarusian presidential election results at a rally in Berlin on Aug. 14.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/26/commentary/world-commentary/asia-geopolitics-review-year-shadowboxing/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-26T21:09:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131405.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131405.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden convenes his virtual Summit for Democracy from the White House on Dec. 9.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/26/commentary/world-commentary/ending-coal-use/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-26T21:12:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131386.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131386.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[India has 17% of the world’s population but generates only 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions while China, with a similar sized population, generates 27% of all emissions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/26/commentary/world-commentary/russia-china-gas-pipeline/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-26T22:56:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131098.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131098.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russia's President Vladimir Putin signs the first segment of the original Power of Siberia pipeline at a ceremony in the village of Us Khatyn, Russia, in September 2014.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/27/commentary/world-commentary/conservative-hide-behind-pseudonyms/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-27T17:00:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131661.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131661.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A recent issue of the Harvard Salient, a conservative student publication, contains eight articles, all written under pseudonyms out of fear of so-called cancel culture.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/01/commentary/world-commentary/us-china-asean/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-01T10:00:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131488.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131488.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks on the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific strategy in Jakarta on Dec. 14.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/23/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-economic-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-27T12:22:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131184-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131184.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan’s economic dependence on other countries needs to be reassessed amid lessons learned from pandemic-caused scarcities and other geopolitical factors. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/25/cartoons/celebrating-christmas-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-27T12:26:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130292-e1640575443940.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130292.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Celebrating Christmas amid a pandemic]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/25/cartoons/omicron-christmas-tale/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-27T12:35:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130291-e1640576069160.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130291.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The arrival of the omicron variant]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/01/cartoons/immigration-obstacles-2022/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-01T10:00:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131756-e1640575498836.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131756.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's immigration obstacles in 2022]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/01/cartoons/japan-new-year-cleaning/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-01T09:45:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131758-e1640575938974.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131758.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[End-of-year cleaning]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/08/cartoons/tackling-japan-debt/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-08T10:00:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131757-e1640575775391.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131757.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Tackling Japan's debt]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/08/cartoons/bubble-gum-garnish/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-08T09:45:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131759-e1640575840778.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131759.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Bubble gum garnish]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/28/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-alchemy-angst/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-28T08:19:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127018.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127018.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters walk during the Women's March on Washington in January 2017.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/28/commentary/world-commentary/japan-military-tech-economic-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-28T10:17:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_130865.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_130865.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone in a hanger at Amari Air Base, Estonia]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/29/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-asia-regional-threats/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-29T08:00:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127029.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127029.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan child walks near military uniforms as he waits to leave Kabul airport on Aug. 16 after a shockingly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/28/commentary/world-commentary/facilitating-young-thinkers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-28T18:52:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132287-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132287.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Young Leaders program is about helping up-and-coming young professionals join in on policy discussions once reserved for political and academic elites.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/28/commentary/world-commentary/politics-taxes-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-28T18:53:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132285.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132285.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters take part in a demonstration organized by the ParentsTogether Foundation in support of the child tax credit portion of Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Monday, Dec. 13.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/01/commentary/world-commentary/financial-outlook-2022/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-01T10:00:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131493.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131493.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/29/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-population-growth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-29T17:47:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131679.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131679.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[America’s population is for the most part holding just steady, which is not ideal for economic growth.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/29/commentary/world-commentary/commonwealth-decline-china-rise/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-29T17:48:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132301-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132301.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prince Charles attends a presidential inauguration ceremony on Nov. 29 in Bridgetown, Barbados, the world’s newest republic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/30/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-china-crossroads/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-30T08:34:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127036.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127036.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects People's Liberation Army soldiers at a barracks in Hong Kong in June 2017.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/30/commentary/world-commentary/american-race-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-30T21:12:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132705.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132705.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Research shows beliefs about the causes of racial inequities are quite entrenched within American society. Democrats are more likely to cite systematic reasons for racial disparities while Republicans believe individual decisions explain the differences.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/30/commentary/world-commentary/connectivity-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-30T21:17:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132476.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132476.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The government of Alexander Lukashenko’s has been flying in migrants from the Middle East and other countries into Belarus, and funneling them across the border into the European Union in an attempt to gets sanctions lifted.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/editorials/japans-security-situation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-31T17:00:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132679.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132679.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reviews Japan Self Defense Force troops at Camp Asaka in Tokyo on Nov. 27. The Japanese leader has warned the year ahead is fraught with dangers to the nation's security. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/commentary/world-commentary/capitalism-inflation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-31T21:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132689-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132689.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With COVID-19 roiling labor markets, workers, particularly the lowest paid, appeared to be gaining strength — only to begin losing those gains to inflation. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/commentary/world-commentary/asias-coming-2022/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-31T17:00:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131733.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131733.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters march in support of the anti-coup movement and democracy in Myanmar  ahead of the ASEAN leaders' meeting in Jakarta on April 24.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/commentary/world-commentary/oil-producers-year-ahead/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-31T17:00:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132541.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132541.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If oil demand continues to recover, it won’t be long until OPEC's main concern is whether it has the ability to meet the world's energy needs. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/commentary/world-commentary/asias-2021-experience/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-31T17:00:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_132665.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132665.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[For most of the world, 2021 was a year in which the COVID-19's impact on health outcomes and economies once again dominated the news.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/30/commentary/world-commentary/young-talent-wall-street/</loc>
		<lastmod>2021-12-30T21:33:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_131179.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131179.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Investment banks are finding they can't just lure in young workers by upping salaries as competition for such workers from outside the industry is growing and the concepts about traditional career paths are changing. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/31/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-waiting-for-results/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T15:19:43+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127047.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127047.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Hundreds of protesters rallied in Pretoria on June 25, calling for South Africa's regulatory body to approve alternative Chinese and Russian vaccines.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/02/commentary/world-commentary/europe-averting-u-s-china-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T17:36:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133097-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133097.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The German Navy frigate Bayern makes a port call in Singapore on Dec. 21. The EU's limited capacity to project real military power in the Indo-Pacific could help China see it as a viable intermediary between it and the U.S.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/02/commentary/world-commentary/cheap-stocks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T17:37:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_131683-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_131683.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite some of the highest U.S. share prices since the peak of the 1999 dot-com bubble, there are still cheap stocks with potential out there to be had. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/02/commentary/world-commentary/addressing-climate-change/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T17:38:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_132736.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132736.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A person poses for a photo next to a thermometer in Death Valley, California, on July 11.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/02/commentary/world-commentary/biden-multipolar-world/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-02T23:53:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_132561.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132561.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the White House on Nov. 15.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/03/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-cooperation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T17:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_132728-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132728.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Both China and the U.S. would benefit from acknowledging they have common interests in fixing current and emerging problems, not just unavoidable disagreements.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/12/08/commentary/world-commentary/china-asean-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T02:26:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_128251-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_128251.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A China Coast Guard vessel follows a Vietnamese ship in contested waters in the South China Sea in May 2014. The question over sovereignty of the strategic waterway remains an intractable issue between China and ASEAN. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/03/commentary/japan-commentary/energy-security-decarbonization/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T10:25:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_132053.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_132053.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's continued reliance on coal to generate its electricity has drawn criticism from other nations.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/01/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-no-wiggle-room-ahead/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-03T11:08:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127049.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127049.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China is celebrated in Beijing on June 28.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/04/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-democracy-southeast-asia/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-04T08:40:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127074.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127074.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Supporters of Mahathir Mohamad wait for the world's oldest elected leader to be sworn in as prime minister after Malaysia's general election in May 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/04/commentary/world-commentary/jan-6-democracy-democrats/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-04T17:54:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133418.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133418.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One year after Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and shut down Congress, America is still awaiting a reckoning on the unprecedented challenge to the country's democracy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/04/commentary/world-commentary/2022-tipping-point/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T14:19:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133434-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133434.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A reveler ushers in the new year in New York City’s Times Square on Dec. 31. Analysts are both bearish and bullish on the year ahead.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/05/commentary/world-commentary/u-k-war-on-wokeness/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T17:47:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133606-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133606.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An anti-vaccine protester takes part in a demonstration in London on Dec. 18. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/05/commentary/world-commentary/japans-immigration-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T18:23:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133629-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133629.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A portrait of Wishma Sandamali is displayed during a protest against Japan’s immigration control policies in Tokyo in May.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/05/commentary/world-commentary/finance-hubs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-05T21:17:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133600-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133600.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[With the COVID-19 pandemic showing businesses that remote work is viable, banks that once concentrated around Wall Street and in other financial hubs have begun to spread out their operations across countries and continents. Bloomberg]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/06/commentary/world-commentary/americas-china-focus/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-06T17:00:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133542-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133542.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Asia was once just an afterthought to U.S. security planners, now China and the region dominate their agenda.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/jan-6-riot-white-males/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T19:51:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133963.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133963.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A police officer detains a pro-Trump protester as mobs storm the U.S. Capitol during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kong-former-crossroads/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T19:52:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134003-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134003.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Newly elected lawmaker Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen takes his oath in front of Chief Executive Carrie Lam at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Monday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/china-cheap-coal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T19:53:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_129945.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_129945.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Rescuers move pumps to drain out water as part of operations to save over 20 Chinese miners trapped in a coal mine in Shanxi province on Dec. 16.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/retirees-big-problem/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T19:54:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134013.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134013.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One big problem is that many retirees overly fear depleting their savings, so they scrimp more than they need to and don't spend enough of their money.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/editorials/japan-economic-security-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-07T19:55:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134005-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134005.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan is pushing for self-sufficiency in key technologies such as semiconductors in a bid to protect supply chains from the mercies of China's geopolitical manipulations.  
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/07/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-china-common-prosperity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-08T14:30:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127105.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127105.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Over the past 20 years, Chinese people's dependence on mobile phones has been increasing, which has become a serious health and social problem.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/09/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-big-picture/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-09T17:53:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134245.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134245.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In these trying times, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the rest of Japan's leadership must convince the people that the overall collective interests must be placed before individual interests.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/09/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-elections-mob-violence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-09T17:53:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134267-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134267.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters hold a demonstration in support of indictments over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riots in New York on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/09/commentary/world-commentary/reckonings-reopening-the-world/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-09T20:00:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/np_file_127110.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_127110.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump have been rallied by cynical politicians to reject even those government services that might help them, notably the provision of affordable universal health care. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/10/commentary/world-commentary/soviet-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-10T17:00:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133525-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133525.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[This derelict industrial building in the city of Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, is part of a tour called the Cemetery of Communism that takes people to abandoned and ruined factories from Soviet times.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/10/commentary/world-commentary/unvaccinated-victimize-others/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-10T17:00:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134287.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134287.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Medical staff assist a patient in a COVID-19 intensive care unit at a hospital in Bochum, Germany, on Dec. 16. Health care resources are under great strain due to the recent surge in new patients, almost all of them unvaccinated.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/11/commentary/world-commentary/djokovic-immigration-debacle/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-11T19:11:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134673-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134673.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Supporters of Novak Djokovic angered at the detention of the Serbian tennis star in Australia take part in a protest in Vienna on Saturday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/11/commentary/world-commentary/japanese-officials-reportedly-hope-to-use-the-raa-as-a-model-for-defense-cooperation-agreements-with-other-countries-european-ones-in-particular-to-expand-the-security-network-in-the-indo-pacific/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-11T19:11:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134628.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134628.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, show off signed documents during their video signing ceremony of the bilateral Reciprocal Access Agreement on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/11/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-china-us-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-12T18:44:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133816.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133816.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Tensions between China and the United States have unnerved Japanese businesses dealing with both countries, a survey has shown.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/12/commentary/world-commentary/americas-hunger-pandemic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-12T19:57:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133595.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133595.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People visit the food bank at St. Bartholomew Church in the Elmhurst section of Queens, New York, in May 2020. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/12/commentary/japan-commentary/covid-19-japan-u-s-military/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-12T19:59:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134871-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134871.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What distinguishes Japan's omicron hot spots from other prefectures is they are all home to major U.S. military bases.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/12/commentary/japan-commentary/fumio-kishida-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-12T20:01:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134833-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134833.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[After the Upper House election, expect to see a Cabinet reshuffle as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida begins governing with policies that reflect his own personal preferences rather than those of just his party if the LDP wins.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/13/commentary/world-commentary/international-rule-making/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-13T17:00:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134266.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134266.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As China becomes a bigger trade partner to more countries, its global influence is increasing and it is poised to set global standards, particularly with new technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/13/commentary/world-commentary/capital-strategy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-13T23:01:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134949-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134949.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The critical assessing of business plans by entrepreneurs has given way as of late amid an extraordinary increase in the supply of capital.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/12/commentary/world-commentary/novak-djokovic/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-14T11:21:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134788-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134788.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What the Australian government’s actions against Novak Djokovic show is that bureaucrats and technocrats have grown used to ruling by decree without having to be accountable to those they govern.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/15/cartoons/regional-security-threats-2022/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-15T10:00:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134722-e1642143682300.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134722.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[How to tame a tiger]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/15/cartoons/sumo-rankings-foreign-residents/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-15T09:45:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134745-e1642143840951.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134745.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Sumo rankings for ordinary citizens]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/14/commentary/world-commentary/great-covid-19-coverup/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-14T19:00:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135224.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135224.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China has embraced obfuscation rather than transparency as the world tries to determine if COVID-19 emerged naturally in wildlife or was leaked from a lab.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/14/commentary/world-commentary/millennials-wealthiest-generation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-14T19:00:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_134285.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_134285.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The world has changed a lot since the 1980s with investing in skills and in financial assets for retirement making more sense than buying a house. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/14/editorials/tokyo-stock-exchange/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-14T19:01:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135203.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135203.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Tokyo Stock Exchange's restructuring plan is aimed at revitalizing corporate governance and attracting global investors.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/14/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-security-agreements/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-14T19:02:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135153.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135153.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison hold a video signing ceremony of the bilateral Reciprocal Access Agreement on Jan. 6.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/16/commentary/world-commentary/kazakhstan-chaos/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-16T20:24:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135503-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135503.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Kazakh law enforcement officers check vehicles on a road in Almaty on Jan. 8. after mass protests triggered by fuel price increases erupted all over Kazakhstan.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/16/commentary/japan-commentary/hiroshima-npt-review-conference/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-16T20:26:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135500.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135500.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[There is general agreement that with the ineffectiveness and crumbling of nuclear arms control measures, continued weapons modernization efforts and rising geopolitical tensions, risks of a nuclear conflict have intensified.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/17/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-cyber-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-17T12:05:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133885.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133885.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Various reports have questioned Japan's cybersecurity abilities, with the country falling behind its peers in the field.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/17/commentary/world-commentary/boris-johnson-fate/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-17T15:31:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135537-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135537.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators protest near the House of Commons on Wednesday. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week made a partial apology to lawmakers amid a public uproar over news of his office holding a party amid a COVID-19 lockdown.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/17/commentary/world-commentary/global-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-17T15:33:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135538-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135538.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Many parts of the world's economy will experience fundamental change as remaining reservoirs of underutilized labor and productive capacity simply are not large enough to accommodate growing global demand.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/18/commentary/world-commentary/japans-younger-generation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-18T19:46:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135895-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135895.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan’s younger generations are no longer confident in their ability to start families. According to the Cabinet Office, just 38.8% of the nation’s youth are satisfied with the state of the country compared with their counterparts in the U.S. and the U.K., where that number is over 50%.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/19/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-grocery-shelves/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-19T19:47:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136088.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136088.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Americans are seeing empty store shelves once again as the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues affect inventories and delivery.   

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/19/commentary/world-commentary/china-made-plan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-19T19:47:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133566-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133566.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China latest industrial plan calls for the upgrading of equipment in the manufacturing sector, with a heavy reliance on robots.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/19/commentary/world-commentary/saving-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-19T19:49:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136057-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136057.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As the world waits for the Taliban to make progress on human rights and in other areas before lifting sanctions, some 97% of the population may be too poor to survive the winter.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/19/commentary/japan-commentary/u-s-japan-sofa-agreement/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-19T19:50:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136074-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136074.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Calls for revising the 1960 Status of Forces Agreement are growing amid calls to make sure the American military follows laws and rules set out by the Japanese government, especially after U.S. forces ignored Japanese compliance requests on COVID-19 mitigation efforts. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/20/commentary/world-commentary/irans-vienna-gambit/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-20T19:31:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136253-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136253.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[American negotiators say their Iranians counterparts aren't showing a sense of urgency in reviving the nuclear deal with negotiations in Vienna moving into their final stretch. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/20/commentary/world-commentary/kishida-foreign-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-20T19:31:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136289-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136289.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida greets lawmakers during the opening ceremony of a regular session of the Upper House of parliament in Tokyo on Monday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/22/cartoons/protection-against-omicron/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-22T10:00:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135770-e1642748093800.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135770.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Preparing for the next wave of omicron]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/22/cartoons/rating-noh-performances/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-22T09:55:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135771-e1642748167641.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135771.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Rating noh performances]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/21/commentary/world-commentary/americas-democratic-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-21T19:18:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136062-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136062.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One of the great ironies in U.S. elections in recent times is that states with the fastest growing income inequality now vote for Democrats while those states where inequality has grown less are more likely to cast their vote for Republicans. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/21/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-economic-problems/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-21T19:19:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136017.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136017.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The People’s Bank of China will likely continue to lower bank reserve requirements, unlike the U.S. Fed which is expected to raise rates in its fight against inflation. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/21/commentary/world-commentary/biden-bad-year/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-21T19:20:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136445.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136445.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at his first news conference in over two months from the White House on Wednesday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/21/commentary/world-commentary/mmt-power-poison/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-21T19:21:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136307-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136307.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Senate Democrats extol the merits of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan, which has support among Modern Monetary Theory theorists, at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 15.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/21/editorials/china-aging-problem/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-21T19:25:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136502.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136502.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Some economists warn that the Communist Party's plan for China to become “a rich and powerful country” by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the republic, will be difficult to achieve, in part, due to its demographic problems.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/23/commentary/world-commentary/student-debt-relief/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-23T19:50:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136501-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136501.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[According to a 2016 study, four years after earning a bachelor’s degree, the average Black graduate had about $53,000 in debt, nearly twice the level of their white counterparts.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/23/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-china-trade-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-23T19:51:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136727.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136727.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. and Chinese retaliatory tariffs only led to higher prices in the American market and hurt importers in China. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/25/commentary/world-commentary/economic-security-finance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-25T16:03:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136413.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136413.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Bold moves are being taken around the world with the planning and launch of nontraditional currencies by governments.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/25/commentary/world-commentary/smart-economic-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-25T18:59:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137160.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137160.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Many Japanese companies are keenly aware that their businesses are vulnerable to U.S.-China geopolitical moves and that measures are needed to mitigate the resulting risks. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/25/commentary/world-commentary/optical-clock-network/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-25T19:00:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137145.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137145.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[ANA and JAL were among the airlines that canceled flights last week in the U.S. amid concerns over the rollout of a new 5G system that some fear could interfere with altimeters and the landing of aircraft. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/climate-change-technology/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T18:59:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136685-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136685.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/men-jobs-boom/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T18:59:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137349-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137349.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People wait to file for unemployment in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in April 2020, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Regardless of the cause, the fall in men’s participation in the labor force will have terrible consequences for families and the economy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-immunity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T19:00:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137335.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137335.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Though they have been less effective at preventing transmission than originally hoped, vaccines have been very effective at preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms and deaths. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/ukraine-europe-hopes/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T19:01:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137324-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137324.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Tanks take part in an Independence Day military parade rehearsal in Kyiv in August. Ukraine is aligning itself more with the EU rather than NATO in the hopes of protecting itself against Russian aggression. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/surviving-chinas-property-meltdown/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T19:02:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136701.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136701.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Wang Jianlin ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/26/commentary/world-commentary/china-olympic-spying/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-26T19:03:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137280.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137280.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[On arrival in China, all Olympic athletes should expect to have their cellphone signals intercepted and all content and messages recorded by the state's security agencies. Many governments are also advising them to never access their devices or online accounts with regular passwords.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/27/commentary/world-commentary/afghanistan-starvation-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-27T17:57:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137287.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137287.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An UNHCR worker distributes supplies to displaced Afghans outside a distribution center near Kabul in late October.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/29/cartoons/setsubun-mysteries/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-29T09:55:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136964-e1643353633946.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136964.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Setsubun theology]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/29/cartoons/fumio-kishida-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-29T10:00:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136973-e1643353690397.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136973.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Fumio Kishida's bid to close the wage gap]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/28/commentary/world-commentary/second-drone-age/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-28T18:37:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_133558-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_133558.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An Afghan family on Nov. 7 prays at the grave of a relative who was a victim of a U.S drone strike that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in Kabul, in August.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/28/commentary/world-commentary/great-resignation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-28T18:48:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_136097.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136097.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A U.K. government report found that mothers who left the workforce completely were three times more likely to return to a lower paying jobs when they returned.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/28/commentary/world-commentary/green-nuclear-power/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-29T14:41:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137759.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137759.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Electricite de France nuclear power plant near Orleans, France. Having emerged from the anti-nuclear movement, today’s European Greens never dreamed that once ostracized nuclear power would regain respectability as a clean alternative energy source.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/30/commentary/world-commentary/american-book-banning/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-30T17:53:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_138014-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138014.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The graphic novel "Maus" by American cartoonist Art Spiegelman]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/30/commentary/world-commentary/venture-capital-big-tech-global-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-31T00:24:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_138027.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138027.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is now a venture capitalist, having gone on to create the Founders Fund in 2005.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/30/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-costs/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-31T00:27:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_138062.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138062.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Even though COVID-19, is impacting all economies, the poorer developing countries with limited abilities to borrow and large debt are being left with fewer options to battle the pandemic.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/03/03/commentary/world-commentary/china-ambassador-united-states-joe-biden/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-01-31T09:14:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/np_file_72953.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_72953.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, performs in a rap video to mark the traditional Tet holiday on the Lunar New Year. Kritenbrink, a career foreign service officer, is probably more qualified to be a diplomat in China than any of the other names currently being discussed, despite being a Trump era appointee.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/08/13/commentary/japan-commentary/multilingual-support-foreign-residents/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-01T15:40:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/p12-Yamawaki-a-20190814.jpg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[p12-Yamawaki-a-20190814.jpg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Staff at Sapporo's multilingual disaster support center prepare to visit evacuation facilities after southern Hokkaido was hit by a powerful earthquake last September.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/01/commentary/japan-commentary/economic-security-defense/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-01T17:17:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_137112.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137112.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The limited activities of the Self-Defense Forces are not enough to sustain Japan's defense industry.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/01/commentary/world-commentary/heros-spotify-saga/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-01T18:20:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138466.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138466.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Some see both Neil Young and Joe Rogan as heroes for taking a stand in connection to the Spotify issue — yet their records on the positions they are championing are far from pristine.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/02/commentary/world-commentary/financial-illiteracy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-02T20:02:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138704.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138704.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The problem with financial literacy quizzes is they tend to measure a narrow type of know-how — one that doesn’t often help people understand their actual situation. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/02/commentary/world-commentary/economic-closed-minds/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-02T20:02:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_137783.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_137783.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The World Bank headquarters building in Washington. The global lender is forecasting that the world's economic growth will slow to 4.1% in 2022, from 5.5% last year. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/03/commentary/japan-commentary/china-human-rights-resolution/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-03T19:56:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138959.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138959.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese workers walk by the perimeter fence of what could be the world's largest detention facility, officially called a "vocational skills education center," located in Dabancheng, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, in September 2018.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/03/commentary/world-commentary/south-china-sea-environmental-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-03T19:59:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138993.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138993.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Philippine fishermen sort their nets in the coastal town of Masinloc, Zambales, which is located about 130 nautical miles from the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in April 2015. According to the U.N., the South China Sea produces 12% of the world’s fish catch.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/03/commentary/world-commentary/stopping-military-coups/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-04T11:43:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138988.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138988.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Myanmar's junta chief, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup in early  February last year, presides a parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw in March. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/04/commentary/japan-commentary/mountain-communities-need-winter-games/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-04T19:20:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139130-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139130.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Winter Olympics are important to the future of Japan’s ski resort towns. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/04/editorials/olympics-china-2022-beijing-winter-olympics-winter-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-04T19:21:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139119.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139119.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Beijing, which is is struggling with the same frustrations felt by the Tokyo 2020 Games due to COVID-19, is now the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Games.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/04/commentary/world-commentary/facebook-peaks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-04T19:22:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139139.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139139.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mark Zuckerberg]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2013/03/26/commentary/world-commentary/is-china-a-world-beating-model-of-governance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:05:32+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/01/17/commentary/world-commentary/davos-man-ready-xi-change/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:05:51+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/04/commentary/world-commentary/taiwan-olympic-dilemma/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:11:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139149.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139149.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou waves a flag to encourage athletes during a ceremony at the Olympics training camp in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in July 2008.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/02/commentary/world-commentary/putin-olympics-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:14:29+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138615-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138615.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Vladimir Putin and then Chinese leader Hu Jintao meet during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing on Aug. 8, 2008. Russia sent its military to intervene in the war between Moscow-backed Georgian separatists and government forces on that day.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/07/12/commentary/world-commentary/china-really-set-another-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:19:29+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/08/25/commentary/world-commentary/denmarks-nice-danes-live-better-u-s/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T09:48:18+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/04/commentary/world-commentary/southeast-asia-cold-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-05T19:03:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139190-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139190.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China, with its centralized political control, is frustrating the Western model of liberal democracy with the aid of a capitalist-like economy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/06/commentary/world-commentary/facebook-cataclysm/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-06T23:35:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139423.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139423.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The relentless competition which is hitting Facebook hard is one reason why the U.S. tech industry is thriving.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/06/commentary/world-commentary/plant-liberation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-06T23:36:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139383.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139383.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Vegan activists protest against the exploitation of animals and climate change in Zurich in August 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/07/commentary/world-commentary/facial-recognition-overlords/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-07T17:00:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_138653.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138653.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As the technology advances, today’s gatekeepers in the facial recognition market are promising stringent security to protect the data, a promise some believe they cannot keep.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/07/commentary/world-commentary/democracy-threat/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-07T17:00:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139446.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139446.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The right-wing League party leader Matteo Salvini casts a ballot during voting to elect the country's new president in Rome on Jan. 26. In recent years, quite a few authoritarian leaders come to power in democratic elections.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/08/commentary/world-commentary/authoritarian-governments/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-08T18:40:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139871-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139871.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Friday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/09/commentary/world-commentary/korean-unification/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-09T20:04:30+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140032-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140032.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A South Korean soldier stands guard in the truce village of Panmunjom separating the two Koreas. Younger South Koreans are increasingly viewing reconciliation as a pragmatic, economic matter rather than that of a national mission.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/09/commentary/world-commentary/fracking-boom/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-09T20:04:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140054-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140054.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Anti-fracking protesters demonstrate outside the White House in November 2011. The controversial practice looks promising because it is more efficient and cheaper at producing oil than drilling new wells.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/09/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-hits-emerging-markets/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-09T20:06:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140052.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140052.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One reason to be skeptical of the rosy consensus on emerging markets is that COVID-19 has spurred accelerated automation in advanced economies, making them less attractive for manufacturers.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/09/commentary/world-commentary/least-racist-country/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-09T20:07:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139776.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139776.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite making substantial progress in tackling institutional racism, Britain still has problems of racial bias, particularly in the criminal justice system.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/05/cartoons/covid19-testing-2022-beijing-winter-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-10T16:38:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_138214-e1644478580293.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138214.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[COVID-19 testing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/05/cartoons/escalator-eternal-slinky/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-10T16:38:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_138215-e1644478643346.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_138215.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The eternal slinky]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/12/cartoons/2022-beijing-winter-olympics-surveillance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-12T10:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139676-e1644478833460.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139676.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Surveillance at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/12/cartoons/vending-machine-good-fortune/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-12T09:55:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139677-e1644478925232.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139677.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The joy of good fortune at the vending machine]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/10/commentary/world-commentary/germany-ukraine-stance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-10T19:21:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140339.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140339.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visits Shyrokyne in the Donetsk Region, of Ukraine, on Tuesday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/10/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-cryptocurrencies/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-10T19:22:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140285.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140285.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A customer uses a Suica rail commuter pass to purchase items at a cashierless kiosk at Akabane Station in Tokyo.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/11/commentary/world-commentary/human-ingenuity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-11T19:53:47+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140222-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140222.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[What should ultimately define a species that figures out E=mc2, Albert Einstein’s most famous equation, then spends an eternity trying to find ways not to blow itself up with that knowledge? ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/11/commentary/world-commentary/ending-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-11T19:56:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_136532.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_136532.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A man receives a booster shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a makeshift clinic in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on Jan. 17.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/11/commentary/japan-commentary/japans-security-multilateralism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-11T23:49:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140601.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140601.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[(From left) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi hold talks in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/14/commentary/world-commentary/fixing-afghanistan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-14T17:00:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140757.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140757.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The United Nations estimates that 97% of Afghans will soon be living below the international poverty line of $1.90 a day, with half of the country’s population of roughly 40 million facing life-threatening food shortages.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/14/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-cybersecurity-laws/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-14T17:00:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140760.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140760.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[An XPeng Inc. P7 performance electric car is displayed outside the New York Stock Exchange in August 2020. Beijing is shooting its car industry in the foot with cybersecurity legislation that would seek data collected by new cars on their drivers, the roads they travel and the faces they pass. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/15/commentary/world-commentary/canada-supply-chains/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-15T19:56:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141189-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141189.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces that two Canadian citizens who were detained by Beijing as part of a geopolitical tug of war had left Chinese airspace shortly after the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Ottawa, on Sept. 24.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/15/commentary/world-commentary/arm-nvidia-sale/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-15T19:57:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141192.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141192.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group. speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in August 2018. His company bought Arm, the U.K. semiconductor designer, in 2016.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/16/commentary/world-commentary/wife-makes-bigger-salary/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-16T18:41:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141409.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141409.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In his book, federal judge Frederic Block wrote that Sonia Sotomayor considered turning down her nomination to the Supreme Court because she knew it would hurt her dating life.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/16/commentary/world-commentary/biracial-olympic-athlete-eileen-gu/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-16T18:42:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141438.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141438.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[American-born silver medalist Eileen Gu, representing China, celebrates on the podium during an awards ceremony for the women’s freeski slopestyle final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics in Zhangjiakou, China, on Tuesday. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/16/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-new-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-16T18:43:20+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141375-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141375.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[One of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's biggest obstacles to his "new capitalism" ambitions might be his former boss, Shinzo Abe, and his desire to preserve his Abenomics legacy.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/16/commentary/world-commentary/myanmar-civilian-resistance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-16T18:44:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141385.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141385.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Myanmar's deadly battles are no longer limited to border hotspots. Instead they are being fought throughout the nation and in cities, to include assassination attempts on junta members.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/16/commentary/world-commentary/china-russia-u-s-promises/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-16T20:44:53+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141417-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141417.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[After the West’s broken promises, including pledges not to expand NATO's influence into Russia’s buffer states, Russian and Chinese leaders are no longer inclined to believe their assurances of peaceful intentions. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/17/commentary/world-commentary/americas-greatest-enemy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-17T17:00:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141484-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141484.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A major mistake the U.S. made after the Cold War was aiding China’s rise, helping to create one of the greatest rivals America has ever faced. REUTERS]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2009/06/16/commentary/world-commentary/ozawas-residual-influence/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-17T15:28:11+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/17/commentary/japan-commentary/public-services-digital-age/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-17T16:47:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141682.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141682.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[To have Japan entirely supported by digitalized public services will take a massive change in laws and regulations by local and national governments.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2012/02/10/commentary/world-commentary/constructing-green-cities-to-save-the-economy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-17T20:35:19+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2012/08/05/reader-mail/shut-out-of-the-grand-finale/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-17T20:36:45+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/07/20/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-last-minute-vaccines/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-18T06:57:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/np_file_99356.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_99356.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan fared better than many other countries in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but as a result became complacent and failed to quickly implement a vaccination program.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/01/20/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-health-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-18T06:58:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/np_file_135102.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_135102.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Ensuring a stable supply of items of personal protective equipment, such as masks, is seen as a sensible move for the government going forward.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/19/cartoons/kishida-stagnant-wages/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-19T10:00:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140816-e1645177542985.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140816.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ambitious attempt to lift wages]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/19/cartoons/futon-dust-advantages/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-19T09:55:50+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140819-e1645177620907.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140819.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[How futon dust can assist sky-gazing results]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/18/commentary/world-commentary/women-equal-pay/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-18T20:32:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141343.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141343.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A recent multimillion dollar award to a female banker against her employer, BNP Paribas, should serve as a warning to the entire finance industry about pay discrimination.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/18/commentary/world-commentary/governance-4-0/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-18T20:37:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139999.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139999.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The world has changed with major structural shifts like the digital revolution and climate change disrupting our centers of power and industries. Public and corporate governance must adapt to meet the new challenges.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/18/commentary/japan-commentary/health-systems-human-security/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-19T04:54:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141860.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141860.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A woman walks past a COVID-19 vaccination center in Abuja, Nigeria. World Health Organization data shows that decades-long fights against diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and polio have also been disrupted by the pandemic, with TB deaths increasing for the first time since 2005.


 ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/20/commentary/world-commentary/china-gold-demand/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-20T21:32:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142287.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142287.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A salesperson presents gold jewellery at a store in Shanghai, China. In China, gold consumption jumped 63% to 675 tons last year. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/20/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-asia-pivot/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-20T21:34:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142246-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142246.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Demonstrators in New Delhi protest in June 2020 against China after a deadly border clash with Chinese troops in India’s Ladakh region. With the U.S.’ attention focused on a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, a bigger military buildup that is taking place along the China-India border is being ignored.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/06/commentary/world-commentary/boris-johnson-troubles/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-21T12:37:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139409-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139409.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and one of his top aides, Munira Mirza (left), leave No. 10 Downing Street in London to attend a weekly Cabinet meeting in December 2020. Mirza recently resigned after objecting to comments made by her former boss. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/21/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-variants-vaccine-mandates/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-21T13:57:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142243.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142243.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Scientists say most COVID-19 vaccines are designed to produce antibodies that attack just one part of the virus — the spike protein. As that protein keeps mutating, vaccines lose their effectiveness.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/17/commentary/world-commentary/olympic-future/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-22T04:41:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141471.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141471.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Single city or country hosting of the Olympic Games has become prohibitively expensive, so maybe it is time to consider having several locations host the event. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/22/commentary/japan-commentary/kishida-realism-diplomacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-22T11:36:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_141796-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_141796.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is trying to avoid being labeled as a liberal politician, some sources have said.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/22/commentary/japan-commentary/less-western-world/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-22T22:30:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142784-1-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142784.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Central to current anxiety in many countries is “Westlessness,” the idea that not only the world is getting less Western, but also the West itself is becoming less Western, especially with the rise of China, and Russia on the global stage.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/15/commentary/japan-commentary/prime-ministers-office-challenges/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-23T03:39:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_140244.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_140244.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Prime Minister's Office (right) and official residence in Tokyo]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/22/commentary/world-commentary/beijing-olympics-legacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-23T11:37:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142774-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142774.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife, Peng Liyuan, Premier Li Keqiang and the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (left) attend the closing ceremony for the 2022 Beijing Olympics on Sunday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/23/commentary/japan-commentary/the-man-shintaro-ishihara/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-23T19:17:19+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142928-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142928.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara speaks with U2 singer and activist Bono at a tree-planting event to promote environmental awareness in Tokyo in May 2008.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/23/commentary/world-commentary/monetizing-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-23T19:19:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143018.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143018.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A 3D model of a SARS-CoV-2 virus. To mitigate future pandemics, governments should be obliged to share dangerous viruses, microorganisms and bacteria and not claim sovereignty over them for their own benefit.

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/23/commentary/world-commentary/employment-older-workers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-23T19:20:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143030.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143030.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Despite a growing need for labor, employer bias and mismatched skills are difficult hurdles to overcome for older workers.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/09/08/commentary/world-commentary/nato-endangering-earth/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-24T14:47:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/p9-thakur-a-20140909.jpg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[p9-thakur-a-20140909.jpg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/24/commentary/world-commentary/nixon-china-gamble/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-24T18:48:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143227.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143227.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Richard Nixon toasts with Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai at a banquet in Beijing during his official visit in February 1972. Communist China has gained substantially more than the U.S. in economic terms from the opening of relations that the visit ushered in, but the U.S. has gained too.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/25/commentary/world-commentary/china-ukraine-thoughts/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-25T19:56:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143521.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143521.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying gives a new conference at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Thursday. China is walking a tightrope now between Russia and the West, seeing the Ukraine invasion as a good distraction from which it could benefit.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/25/commentary/world-commentary/russia-ukraine-invasion-2/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-25T19:57:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143547.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143547.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Ukrainian servicemen inspect a destroyed armored vehicle they said belonged to the Russian Army, outside Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Thursday.   ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/25/commentary/world-commentary/biden-misery-index/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-25T19:58:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142234.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142234.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Having averaged below 2% for nearly a decade, inflation hasn’t been much discussed until the recent surge to nearly 7.5%. Now Democrats are worried rising prices could hurt them in the coming midterm and presidential elections.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/25/commentary/world-commentary/russia-ukraine-sin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-25T22:41:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143498.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143498.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Protesters march against the Russian invasion of Ukraine outside the White House in Washington on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/28/commentary/world-commentary/2-inflation-target/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-28T17:00:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143209.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143209.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell arrives for a hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill on Jan 11.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/26/cartoons/japan-easing-entry-restrictions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-28T12:18:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142564-e1646017882982.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142564.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Easing Japan's entry restrictions]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/26/cartoons/japan-traditional-central-heating/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-02-28T12:19:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_142565-e1646018137926.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_142565.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Japan's traditional central heating options]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/01/commentary/world-commentary/covid-zero-beijing-olympics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-01T15:23:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_143471.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143471.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Airport employees wearing personal protective equipment at Beijing Capital International Airport on Feb. 21, the day after the Beijing Winter Olympics ended.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/25/editorials/nixon-china/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-02T11:56:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_143408.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143408.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then U.S. President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State William Rogers (right) visit the Great Wall of China during his official visit in February of 1972.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/02/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-two-traps/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-02T20:40:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_144433-2.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144433.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Shanghai's Yangshan deep water port. While China doesn't need to adopt Western-style liberal democracy to avoid the middle-income trap and the Thucydides Trap, it still has to devise viable alternatives.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/02/commentary/world-commentary/bashing-big-oil/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-02T20:42:06+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_143223.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143223.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Climate change can't be stopped by simply by forcing publicly-listed oil companies to pump less as long as the demand remains high. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/03/commentary/japan-commentary/taro-aso-decline/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-03T19:48:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_144824.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144824.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then-Finance Minister Taro Aso talks with Prime Minister Shinzo during an Upper House parliamentary session in Tokyo in March 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/03/commentary/world-commentary/biden-state-of-the-union/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-03T19:49:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_144783.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144783.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/04/commentary/world-commentary/biden-union-speech/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-05T03:13:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_145079.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_145079.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden greets people after delivering his State of the Union address at the House Chamber in the Capitol Building on Tuesday. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/09/commentary/world-commentary/crispr-working/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-09T20:31:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_145326-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_145326.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Results from new research are showing promise for biotech companies racing to develop therapies using the Crispr gene-editing tool. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/09/commentary/world-commentary/high-school-newspapers-civics/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-09T20:43:37+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_146059.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_146059.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[According to a 2011 study, some 64% of U.S. high schools had student news publications. But of the schools that did not have newspapers, a majority were in low income areas with primarily minority students.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/07/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-china-unstable-relationship/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-10T11:07:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_143692.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_143692.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka in Shanghai in September 1972. The two leaders signed a joint statement in Beijing the same month to normalize bilateral ties.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/16/commentary/world-commentary/south-koreas-presidential-hopeful/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-10T16:06:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/np_file_124092.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_124092.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If Tokyo is serious about wanting a productive relationship with Seoul, then the Kishida administration should reach out quickly to show presidential-hopeful Yoon Seok-youl that he has a partner in Japan.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/04/commentary/world-commentary/international-students-covid-19-hurdles/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-11T02:42:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_144992.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144992.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Foreign students participates in a jobs fair in Tokyo. Even in good times, Japan struggles to attract overseas students. But with the harsh travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, many such students are choosing to study elsewhere.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/05/cartoons/russia-ukraine-invasion-3/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-11T19:27:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_144106-e1646994316357.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144106.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Putin's justification for Russia's invasion of Ukraine]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/05/cartoons/roger-dahl-mastering-art-air-shamisen/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-11T19:28:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_144107-e1646994387289.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_144107.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Mastering the art of air shamisen ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/11/editorials/yoon-victory-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-11T19:32:32+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_146519.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_146519.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[South Korea's president-elect, Yoon Suk-yeol (center), shows off the presidential election certificate at the National Assembly Library in Seoul on Thursday. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/11/commentary/world-commentary/south-korean-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-11T19:32:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_146417-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_146417.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[South Korea's new president-elect, Yoon Suk-yeol, celebrates his victory outside his People Power Party's headquarters in Seoul on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/12/cartoons/oscar-nominations-ukraine-war/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-12T10:00:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_145758-e1646994571793.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_145758.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/12/cartoons/false-spring-flowers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-12T09:55:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_145771-e1646994663643.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_145771.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/14/commentary/world-commentary/china-self-reliance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-14T16:19:42+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_146062-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_146062.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese leaders recognize that it is folly to remain on a cold-war footing with the West while trying to address domestic challenges such as improving the economy, delivering quality health care and ensuring adequate social protections. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/15/commentary/world-commentary/china-wealth-gap/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-15T16:31:17+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_145893.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_145893.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A video of Chinese President Xi Jinping is shown during a show titled "The Great Journey" at the National Stadium in Beijing on June 28, three days before the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/16/commentary/world-commentary/singapore-work-visas/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-16T20:56:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147196.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147196.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Singapore recently tightened visa rules for skilled foreign white-collar workers and introduced a points system similar to that used in the U.K. and Canada]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/16/commentary/japan-commentary/japanese-economic-recovery/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-17T06:49:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147198.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147198.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The COVID-19 pandemic may have been the catalyst Japan needed to break old, unproductive habits and inject new dynamism into the nation's working life.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/02/08/commentary/world-commentary/china-digital-currency/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-17T11:56:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/np_file_139868-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_139868.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The digital e-yuan, also unofficially referred to as e-CNY, is used at a self check-out counter at a store in Shenzhen, China, in November 2020. The nation’s central bank was testing its digital money in select cities at the time. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/17/commentary/world-commentary/long-covid-19-alzheimers-lyme-disease/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-17T17:30:02+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147502-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147502.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[There is a bit of good news in the fight against COVID-19. Top medical researchers are taking a look a the long-term effects of the disease, and what they learn is likely to apply to other medical problems. 
REUTERS]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/19/cartoons/north-korea-missile-tests/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-19T10:00:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147084-e1647592747336.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147084.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Roger Dahl on North Korea's mystery missile tests ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/19/cartoons/japan-cat-litter/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-19T09:55:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147086-e1647592797429.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147086.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/18/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-universities/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-18T19:05:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147723-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147723.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[As colleges struggle with an ever-shrinking pool of available students, they are also hurting because today’s employers are increasingly dropping degree requirements in their quest for labor.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/20/commentary/world-commentary/saudi-arabia-oil-yuan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-20T19:40:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147459.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147459.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Chinese yuan rose recently after it was reported that Saudi Arabia and China were in talks to price some of their oil transactions in that currency. Such talk is fanciful.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/21/commentary/world-commentary/china-us-future-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-21T10:04:18+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_146745.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_146745.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Relations between China and the U.S. may have opened up in the past 50 years, but ties remain tense over certain topics.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/21/commentary/world-commentary/kissinger-china-opening/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-21T10:55:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148122-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148122.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (left) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in November 2019. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/22/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-nuclear-treaty/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-22T14:12:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_147367.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_147367.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[People gather in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on Jan. 22, the first anniversary of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons coming into force, calling for Japan to ratify the agreement.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/22/commentary/dangerous-ai/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-22T19:24:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148408-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148408.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[AI technologies are the most powerful tools that have been developed in generations — perhaps even in human history — and with such advancements come a magnitude of dangers.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/26/cartoons/japan-rising-gas-prices/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-26T10:00:40+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148287-e1648194511381.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148287.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/26/cartoons/organ-recitals/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-26T09:55:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148288-e1648194599543.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148288.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/25/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-gas-prices/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-25T18:39:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148968.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148968.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Most industrialized countries use tax cuts and subsidies to soften the impact of rising fuel costs on consumers. The U.S. Congress should bite the bullet and do the same.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/27/commentary/world-commentary/china-u-s-competition/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-27T19:45:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_149510.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_149510.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. containment policies and geopolitical shocks will not stop China’s growth and productivity potential, which is far from being tapped out. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/30/commentary/world-commentary/iran-nuclear-deal-teorrorism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-30T17:00:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148967.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148967.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In seeking a renewal of the Iranian nuclear deal, the U.S. may be considering removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s terrorist designation, a group that has American blood on its hands. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/28/commentary/japan-commentary/china-japan-dialogue-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-28T10:03:38+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_148874.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_148874.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Kindergarten pupils wave national flags ahead of talks between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Akasaka Palace state guest house in Tokyo in May 2018.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/30/commentary/world-commentary/trump-broke-law/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-30T21:07:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_150131-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150131.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A legal opinion affirming the “illegality” of a plan to overturn the 2020 election won’t necessarily put Donald Trump in jeopardy, but it may spur the Department of Justice to look more seriously at the possibility of future indictments. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/03/31/commentary/world-commentary/china-hong-kong-covid/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-03-31T14:45:36+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_149643.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_149643.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Patients wearing face masks rest at a makeshift treatment area outside a hospital amid the latest coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong, on March 2.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/02/cartoons/japanese-yen-value-weakening/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-02T10:00:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_149784-e1648800885493.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_149784.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/02/cartoons/canine-hygiene/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-02T09:55:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np_file_149785-e1648800820330.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_149785.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/01/commentary/world-commentary/may-kids-theyre-giants-hacking/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-01T20:31:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_149471.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_149471.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Just as sophisticated and dangerous as some of their more grown up contemporaries, adolescent hackers are a challenge for law enforcement as many jurisdictions around the world won’t charge them as adults.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/01/commentary/world-commentary/china-techno-nationalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-01T20:34:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150533-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150533.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China is bolstering its technological capabilities with an intensity unseen since Mao Zedong placed the country on a course to compete with the West in advanced military weaponry. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/01/editorials/china-pacific-island-diplomacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-01T20:35:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150580.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150580.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Solomon Islands counterpart, Jeremiah Manele, attend a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in October 2019.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/01/commentary/world-commentary/north-korean-missilization/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-01T20:37:05+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150525.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150525.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[North Korea tests what its state media said was a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location on March 24. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2010/05/29/editorials/responsibility-for-asbestos-ills/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-03T23:40:17+09:00</lastmod>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/05/commentary/world-commentary/china-ethnic-minorities/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-05T14:01:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150199.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150199.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Activists take part in a protest against China's treatment of ethnic Uyghur people and call for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, at a park in Jakarta on Jan. 4.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/06/commentary/world-commentary/hong-kong-anniversary/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-06T18:34:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151399-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151399.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Nearly a quarter century after Britain returned Hong Kong to China, Beijing's promise to ensure 50 years of autonomy and self-rule for the city has all but vanished.  
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/06/commentary/world-commentary/taiwans-fatal-attractions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-06T18:38:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151349-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151349.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen meets with Mike Pompeo in Taipei on March 3. The former U.S. Secretary of State used the visit to call for the opening of diplomatic relations between the island and the United States.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/06/commentary/world-commentary/elon-musks-twitter-investment/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-06T18:43:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151251.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151251.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Running a social media company is hard. So why did Elon Musk spend $3 billion to take such a large stake in Twitter when the company’s financials aren’t great?]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/07/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-defending-taiwan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-08T14:33:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151640.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151640.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Taiwanese soldiers take part in combat readiness drills in Hsinchu, Taiwan, in October 2020.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/09/cartoons/japan-russia-relations-putin/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-09T10:00:39+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150859-e1649402538369.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150859.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/09/cartoons/insomnia-cure/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-09T09:55:12+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150860-e1649402606219.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150860.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/08/commentary/world-commentary/confronting-ais-potential-create-new-chemical-weapons/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-08T21:10:49+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151868-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151868.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Researchers have raised the alarm about the potential for artificial intelligence to be used for nefarious purposes such as in the development of new chemical and biological weapons. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/08/commentary/world-commentary/singapore-malaysia-border-opens/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-08T21:14:46+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151860.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151860.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Before COVID-19, more than 300,000 people crossed the border daily between Singapore and Malaysia, one of the world’s busiest crossings.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/11/commentary/world-commentary/better-covid-19-booster/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-11T13:53:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151996.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151996.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. President Joe Biden receives a COVID-19 booster shot at the White House on March 30.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/13/commentary/world-commentary/beijing-pollution/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-13T18:50:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152467.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152467.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The once huge differences in air quality between Beijing and other major cities seem to now be a thing of the past as the Chinese capital's anti-pollution efforts begin to pay off. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/13/commentary/world-commentary/australia-china-cyber-signal/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-13T18:52:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_150806.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_150806.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Australia is difficult to invade because it's protected by oceans on all sides, but the internet and cyberspace change that equation, opening it up to vulnerabilities.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/14/commentary/world-commentary/china-backs-myanmar/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-14T19:12:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152457.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152457.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Anti-military coup protesters raise a Chinese flag before burning it during a demonstration against China in Yangon in April 2021.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/14/commentary/world-commentary/roki-sasaki/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-14T19:13:44+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152830-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152830.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Roki Sasaki of the Lotte Marines delivers a pitch on the day he threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba, on Sunday.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/16/cartoons/covid19-rebound/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-16T10:00:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152372-e1650012470932.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152372.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/16/cartoons/sumo-wrestler-hot-spring/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-16T09:55:16+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152373-e1650012550641.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152373.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/15/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-philippines-security-meetings/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-15T18:14:21+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153042-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153042.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (right) and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin hold a news conference during the “two-plus-two” talks in Tokyo on April 9. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/15/commentary/world-commentary/germany-energy-fiasco/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-15T18:15:15+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_151995.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_151995.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Germany’s abandonment of nuclear and coal and nuclear, two energy sources that would have given it a degree of self-sufficiency, has placed its security at risk. 

]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/15/commentary/world-commentary/macron-le-pen-inflation/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-15T18:16:03+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153012.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153012.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[If French President Emmanuel Macron is going to defeat Marine Le Pen in the election, he will need a strategy on the economy that goes beyond highlighting his opponent's far-right roots.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/17/commentary/world-commentary/donald-trump-2024-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-17T23:49:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152727-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152727.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on April 9. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/18/commentary/world-commentary/china-human-rights-democracy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-18T11:18:11+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_152597.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_152597.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A police officer orders journalists off a plane before all other passengers without explanation while the aircraft is parked on the tarmac at Urumqi airport, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, on May 5.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/19/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-taiwan-strategic-ambiguity/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-19T18:11:01+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153686.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153686.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[While Taiwan, like Ukraine, has no allies, it does have the Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the U.S. to provide the island with the military equipment it needs to defend itself.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/20/commentary/world-commentary/chinas-abortion-problem/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-20T22:30:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153836-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153836.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[China further loosened its once-strict family-planning rules in 2021, permitting three children per household. The authorities are expected to abandon their population-control policy entirely sometime soon.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/20/commentary/world-commentary/elon-musk-business-skills/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-20T22:32:54+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153791.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153791.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The stock market deems Elon Musk's electric car company, Tesla, almost four times as valuable as automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/20/commentary/world-commentary/west-forgets-pacific-islands/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-21T07:07:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153969-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153969.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Solomon Island’s government has signed a framework agreement on security cooperation with Beijing, a move that is causing unease in Washington and Canberra. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/21/commentary/world-commentary/new-south-korean-government/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-21T18:27:24+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154258-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154258.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Yoon Suk-yeol’s incoming government faces two immediate economic-policy challenges: The first is soaring housing prices and the second will be to prioritize employment issues.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/21/commentary/japan-commentary/tokyo-superhero-stocks/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-21T18:28:34+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154140-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154140.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Tokyo Stock Exchange created the new Prime segment to house Japan’s best companies — then opened it to almost everyone, possibly making it irrelevant. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/21/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-u-s-monetary-policy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-21T18:33:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153929.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153929.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/23/cartoons/international-tourism-restrictions/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-23T10:00:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153520-e1650621285363.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153520.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/23/cartoons/bowing-fatigue/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-23T09:55:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153522-e1650621374515.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153522.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/22/commentary/world-commentary/kids-leaning-right/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-22T19:13:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154423.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154423.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In the first round of the French presidential elections, Emmanuel Macron's narrow victory over the right-wing populist Marine le Pen was based the caution of older voters, and not so much on the fervor of the young. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/22/editorials/yen-decline/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-22T19:13:55+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154390.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154390.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The yen’s decline has made it the worst-performing major currency this year and it isn’t clear that Japan’s monetary authorities can do anything about it.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/24/commentary/world-commentary/equitable-capitalism/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-24T20:02:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154658-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154658.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[According to the World Bank, because of COVID-19, the effort to reduce poverty has suffered its worst setback in a quarter century.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/25/commentary/world-commentary/china-wolf-warrior-diplomacy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-25T10:04:52+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_153700-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_153700.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Feb. 4. Less than three weeks later, Russia invaded Ukraine.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/26/commentary/japan-commentary/new-zealand-japan-relations/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-26T23:21:27+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155239.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155239.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his New Zealand counterpart, Jacinda Ardern, inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Tokyo on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2020/02/13/editorials/coming-terms-whats-behind-sagamihara-killings/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-27T15:55:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/p7-edi-a-20200214.jpg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[p7-edi-a-20200214.jpg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Satoshi Uematsu is driven to the Yokohama District Public Prosecutor's Office on July 27, 2016.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/27/commentary/world-commentary/next-cybersecurity-crisis/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-27T22:36:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155497-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155497.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Concerns are being raised over the danger of data poisoning: the manipulation of information used to train machines to get around AI-powered defenses.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/27/commentary/world-commentary/quad-crossroads/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-27T22:37:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155390-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155390.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[A major problem faced by the "Quad" is that its members have been seduced by the Chinese narrative that economic relations can be separated from geopolitics — giving Beijing leverage over the group’s actions.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/27/commentary/world-commentary/europe-sets-global-tech-standards/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-27T22:38:35+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155427.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155427.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The EU plays a defining role in regulating big tech globally as many companies adopt European standards for their businesses, even if they don’t operate in that market.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/29/cartoons/weakening-value-yen/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-29T10:00:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154781-e1651136773190.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154781.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/29/cartoons/natto-allure/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-29T09:55:22+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_154782-e1651136846591.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_154782.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/29/commentary/world-commentary/elon-musk-gets-twitter/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-29T20:00:31+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155871.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155871.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Betting against Musk has made fools of many in recent years. So if anyone can, he has as good a chance as any to fix what ails Twitter.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/04/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japanese-billionaires/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-04-29T20:08:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/np_file_155915.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155915.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Shigenobu Nagamori can’t seem to stay away from the company he co-founded — The 77-year-old is back as CEO of Nidec Corp.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/01/commentary/world-commentary/stopping-covid-19/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-02T10:49:14+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156145.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156145.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[German virologist Christian Drosten (right) early on cautioned that COVID-19 was an infection of the the nose, throat and lungs, and that shots injected into the muscles would be of limited effectiveness in preventing the spread of the disease, and he was right.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/03/commentary/world-commentary/banks-money-supply/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-03T13:58:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_155921.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_155921.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Because of quantitative easing and stimulus measures, banks have more money than they know what to do with, which can be seen in the rates they are offering.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/03/commentary/world-commentary/military-animals/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-03T21:36:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156607.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156607.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Satellite photos show that the Russian Navy is using dolphins to protect its ships in harbor. It's part of a long tradition of militiaries using animals for specialized duties.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/04/commentary/world-commentary/u-s-politics-abortion/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-04T19:59:28+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156858-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156858.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Pro-choice activists gather outside s U.S. courthouse to defend abortion rights in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday after leaked documents suggest the Supreme Court is poised to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/04/commentary/world-commentary/philippine-election/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-04T20:00:09+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156835-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156835.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Then vice presidential hopeful and current presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, attend a political rally in Manila in October 2015. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/04/commentary/world-commentary/inside-look-one-horse-race-hong-kongs-chief-executive-post/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-04T20:00:45+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156770.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156770.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Hong Kong's former chief secretary, John Lee, presents his election manifesto at an event in the city on Friday. 
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/05/commentary/world-commentary/tech-unicorns/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-05T22:15:57+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157082.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157082.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[France added a 24th unicorn to its list of home-grown billion-dollar startups after Fintech firm Qonto was valued at $5.5 billion.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/05/commentary/world-commentary/boris-johnson-brexit-bill/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-05T22:17:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156971.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156971.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[It's too early to tell how those Britons who backed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Brexit will feel once the true economic costs of the separation begin to be felt.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/07/cartoons/japan-russia-diplomacy-ukraine/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-07T10:00:41+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156283-e1651818602276.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156283.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/07/cartoons/deja-vu-horrors/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-07T09:55:13+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156284-e1651818682920.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156284.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/06/commentary/world-commentary/economic-competition/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-06T21:13:26+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157248.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157248.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Competition is not the only driver of economic innovation: Publicly funded research and government regulation are also essential for healthy economies. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/06/commentary/world-commentary/india-heatwave/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-06T21:14:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157077.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157077.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[In India, which is in the middle of a massive heatwave, just 12% of the nation's 1.4 billion people have access to air conditioning, meaning hundreds of millions are unable to cool themselves when their bodies reach the point of heatstroke.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/09/commentary/world-commentary/strategic-competition/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-09T17:00:07+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157369.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157369.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The world needs a benign form of strategic competition more than ever, where countries like China and the U.S. strive to reach the forefront of innovation without trying to prevent others from challenging them.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/09/commentary/world-commentary/covid-19-volunteers/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-09T17:59:08+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157368.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157368.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[There were a few big surprises that resulted from the "challenge” trial such as how short the COVID-19 incubation period was and that the amount of virus people produced didn’t reflect the severity of their symptoms.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/10/editorials/fed-interest-rate-increase/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-10T10:41:25+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157224-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157224.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference in Washington on Wednesday. The Fed raised interest rates the same day by the steepest increment since 2000.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/10/commentary/japan-commentary/china-senkaku-islands-issue/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-10T15:45:00+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156923.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156923.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands has evolved significantly since China lodged its claim in 1971.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/10/commentary/world-commentary/kishida-diplomatic-wins/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-10T18:50:33+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157718-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157718.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[British leader Boris Johnson welcomes Prime Minister Fumio Kishida with a guard of honor in London on Thursday.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/10/commentary/japan-commentary/yoon-suk-yeol-inauguration/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-10T18:52:59+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157695-1.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157695.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[South Korea inaugurates a new president, Yoon Suk-yeol, in a ceremony at the the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/11/commentary/world-commentary/nato-indo-pacific-alliance/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-11T19:41:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157923-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157923.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The Maritime Self-Defense Force ship JS Kurama leads a formation with American guided missile destroyers during an exercise in January 2011. ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/11/commentary/world-commentary/north-korea-nuclear-strategy/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-11T19:47:56+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157889.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157889.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[For most of its existence, North Korea's nuclear program has been geared toward defending the Kim regime from foreign attack. Recent developments indicate a new war-fighting capability focus.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/11/commentary/world-commentary/marcos-jr-rise/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-11T19:49:10+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157931-scaled.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157931.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[This undated handout photo received on May 11 shows Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Bongbong) visiting the grave of his father, the late president Ferdinand Marcos.  ]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/12/commentary/world-commentary/china-factor-market/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-12T13:05:04+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_156951.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_156951.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[The skyline of Shanghai in February. Since March 2020, the Chinese Communist Party has issued guidelines on improving mechanisms for market-based allocation of production factors.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/12/commentary/japan-commentary/japan-south-korea-relations-3/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-12T21:44:23+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_158231.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_158231.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (center right) meets with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol after his inauguration ceremony at new presidential office in Seoul on Tuesday.
]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/14/cartoons/constitutional-revision-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-14T10:00:51+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157550-e1652431722735.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157550.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/14/cartoons/celebrating-mothers-japan/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-14T09:55:58+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_157551-e1652431876403.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_157551.jpeg]]></image:title>
		</image:image>
	</url>
	<url>
		<loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2022/05/13/editorials/japan-south-korea-relations-4/</loc>
		<lastmod>2022-05-13T18:37:48+09:00</lastmod>
		<image:image>
			<image:loc>https://wp.japantimes.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/np_file_158408.jpeg</image:loc>
			<image:title><![CDATA[np_file_158408.jpeg]]></image:title>
			<image:caption><![CDATA[Throughout his presidential campaign, Yoon Suk-yeol criticized sitting President Moon Jae-in for letting Japan-South Korea relations deteriorate and said he would make repairing them a top priority.]]></image:caption>
		</image:image>
	</url>
</urlset>
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