Matthew Bell
Editor
Matthew Bell is an editor at The World.
I’m an editor and correspondent based in the Boston newsroom. When I’m not working closely with producers and hosts on our daily program, I’m looking for new story angles to report – especially related to China, the Middle East and religion. By way of background, I studied comparative religion and Chinese history at the University of Vermont. That led me to Mandarin language classes and U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. My first job in public radio was at KQED in San Francisco. I joined The World as a staff reporter in 2001 and over the years I’ve covered a wide range of global stories: from immigration to U.S. foreign policy; international business to North Korea’s nuclear activities; the wars in Iraq, Ukraine and the Gaza Strip to human rights in China. I spent three years as The World’s Middle East correspondent based in Jerusalem. Beyond journalism, I’m helping to raise a couple of kids in Massachusetts and trying to become a better guitar player.
President Trump hints at compromise ahead of US-China trade talks
US and Chinese officials are heading to Switzerland this weekend to talk about the trade war. At one time, both Washington and Beijing were promising not to back down. But the two sides have recently been signaling a willingness to compromise.
South Korea says it sent babies abroad for adoption ‘like luggage’
Since the end of the Korean War in the 1950s, South Korea provided an estimated 200,000 children for international adoptions. That’s believed to be more than any other country. But the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Korea now says the system was plagued with abuse and falsified information, and that it was driven by profits. The new report has been a long time coming for adoptees who have been pushing for more transparency.
Japan moves to shut down the Unification Church
A court in Tokyo has ordered the once-powerful Unification Church in Japan to be dissolved. The case against the religious group goes back to the 2022 assassination of Japan’s former prime minister, Shinzo Abe. The church is accused of violating the human rights of its followers, by demanding that they hand over their material wealth to the group. But church leaders deny any wrongdoing and say they will appeal the decision.
30 years since Japan’s worst domestic terrorist attack, the cult group behind it is ‘ongoing problem,’ officials say
The worst terrorist attack in Japan’s modern history happened 30 years ago, on March 20, 1995, during the morning rush hour on the Tokyo subway system. Members of a violent cult called Aum Shinrikyo released packages of deadly sarin gas on several subway cars, ultimately killing 14 people and injuring nearly six thousand more. Japanese authorities say the group remains an “ongoing problem.”
How a former gang member in Japan found a new path through Christianity
Tatsuya Shindo was once a member of the yakuza, a Japanese organized crime gang. His arm-length tattoos are a sure sign of his past life. Shindo also served time in prison. But now, he’s a 53-year-old Christian pastor who spends time with other former prisoners in a society where redemption and getting a second chance are not easy.
Japan’s ‘listening lounges’ offer pure music with a side of drinks
They go by a few different names, but Japan’s listening lounges are going through something of a revival. They’re music bars where simply sitting and listening to records is the main attraction. In fact, some of these establishments have strict rules against conversation and other distractions like cellphone photos. It’s all to maximize the listening experience, which often relies on extraordinarily expensive vintage stereo equipment that almost nobody can afford at home.
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