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JAPAN

JAPAN / Society
Jul 28, 2017
Panel urges Justice Ministry check asylum requests more thoroughly
A panel urged the Justice Ministry Friday to conduct more in-depth background checks on those applying for refugee status, and not just rush them through the system if they don't at first appear to meet the requirements for approval.
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2017
Inada makes resignation official; Kishida to pick up defense portfolio
Beleaguered Defense Minister Tomomi Inada announced Friday that she will resign over allegations that a cover-up was conducted to hide the politically sensitive activity logs of the Ground Self-Defense Force unit that was deployed for peacekeeping duty in conflict-riven South Sudan.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 28, 2017
Japanese to stay at home this summer as economic worries and smaller bonuses dent budgets
While many Japanese dream of spending weeks on vacation to get away from their homes and offices, many are likely to settle for more modest getaways this summer amid the ongoing uncertainties in the economy.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 28, 2017
Tokyo forum for women empowerment takes stock of progress, challenges still to come
Looking back at her university years in the early 1980s when Japanese companies could openly discriminate against women in recruitment, Keiko Honda now feels gender equality in Japan has come a long way.

ASIA PACIFIC

Japan Times
Singapore scientists create probiotic beer
Researchers in Singapore have brewed up a beer containing probiotic bacteria that can improve gut health and boost the immune system.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Jul 28, 2017
Chinese man sentenced to death for killing parents and 17 others
A court in China's southwestern Yunnan province sentenced a man to death for killing his parents and 17 other people in a spat last year over money, state media said on Friday.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2017
Britain to send warship to South China Sea for freedom of navigation exercises next year
Britain plans to send a warship to the disputed South China Sea next year to conduct freedom of navigation exercises, Defence Minister Michael Fallon said on Thursday, a move likely to anger Beijing.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 28, 2017
North Korean hacking said to be more focused on making money than on espionage: South Korean report
North Korea is behind an increasingly orchestrated effort at hacking into computers of financial institutions in South Korea and around the world to steal cash for the impoverished country, a South Korean state-backed agency said in a report.

WORLD

WORLD
Jul 28, 2017
Mongolia bans grain exports due to drought from hottest temperatures in 56 years
Mongolia has suspended grain exports with as much as a third of its farmland suffering from severe drought after temperatures last month rose to the highest in more than half a century, agricultural officials said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 28, 2017
Sources say Russia used Facebook accounts in attempt to spy on Macron campaign
Russian intelligence agents attempted to spy on Emmanuel Macron's election campaign earlier this year by creating phony Facebook personas, according to a U.S. congressman and two other people briefed on the effort.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 28, 2017
Republicans seen backing Steve Bannon plan for higher tax rate for rich, with tradeoffs
White House chief strategist Steve Bannon's plan to raise the top income-tax rate for America's highest earners could find some support among congressional Republicans as part of a populist message to sell a broader tax overhaul, according to one conservative lawmaker who has heard the proposal.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jul 28, 2017
Federal law doesn't ban discrimination against gay workers, U.S. Justice Department tells court
The Trump administration told a U.S. appeals court that federal law does not ban discrimination against gay employees, a sharp reversal of the position former President Barack Obama took on a key civil rights issue.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 28, 2017
113 hurt, clashes erupt as thousands of Muslims surge into Jerusalem mosque after Israel lifts security measures
Thousands of Muslim worshippers surged into Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque on Thursday and at least 113 were hurt in scuffles with police after Israel lifted security measures imposed at the sacred site in the face of days of violent protests.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 28, 2017
Putin vows to retaliate as U.S. Senate slaps new sanctions on Russia, puts bill on Trump's desk
The U.S. Senate voted nearly unanimously on Thursday to slap new sanctions on Russia despite President Donald Trump's objections to the legislation, which has angered Russian President Vladimir Putin, who threatened to retaliate.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jul 28, 2017
Trump tweet barring transgender ranks in military prompts Pentagon pushback
The Defense Department said there will be "no modifications" yet to its policy allowing transgender people to serve in the U.S. military, one day after President Donald Trump unexpectedly said they would be barred from serving.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jul 28, 2017
Italy plans to deploy ships to Libyan waters by late August to block migrant flow
Italy intends to deploy several ships in Libyan waters by the end of August to combat human trafficking and stem a huge influx of immigrants, a government source said on Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 28, 2017
Scientists turn to slug slime to create new kind of surgical glue
Scientists have developed an experimental surgical glue inspired by the mucus secreted by slugs that could offer an alternative to sutures and staples for closing wounds.

BUSINESS

Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2017
Fatal Florida crash last week may be linked to faulty Takata air bag inflator, Honda says
Honda Motor Co. said on Thursday that a Takata air bag inflator ruptured in a car crash last week in Florida in what could be the 19th death worldwide linked to faulty air bags recalled as part of the largest automotive safety campaign in history.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2017
Starbucks buy full stake in China venture with $1.3 billion deal yet
Starbucks Corp. is buying the rest of its East China joint venture in a $1.3 billion transaction, marking the biggest deal ever for a company that sees China as a huge growth opportunity.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2017
Auto incentives seen digging into Asian carmakers' U.S. profits
Asian carmakers are taking hits to their profits from having to spend more to move metal in America.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 28, 2017
Abe won't abandon key economic goals as he pushes for constitutional reform, adviser says
Japan will press ahead simultaneously with economic reform and constitutional changes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries to revive his declining popularity, according to lawmaker Yasutoshi Nishimura, who advises the prime minister.

Opinion

EDITORIALS
Jul 28, 2017
Renho exit not enough for DP to defuse crisis
With Renho on the way out, the Democratic Party has to reassess and redefine its basic direction. Otherwise, its very survival may be in doubt.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 28, 2017
China's weaponization of trade
China is exploiting states' economic reliance on it to compel their support for its foreign policy objectives.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 28, 2017
Make Japan Inc. great again
Japanese firms must acquire a taste for startup mergers and acquisitions, if the nation is to regain its global competitive advantage.

Sports

Japan Times
BASKETBALL
Jul 28, 2017
New coach Lamas preparing Japan national team for FIBA Asia Cup
New Japan men's national team head coach Julio Lamas, who arrived in Japan last week, has not spent enough time assessing his players and their technical skills yet. But he's satisfied with their intangibles so far.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 28, 2017
AIBA chief Wu responds to ongoing rift, crisis
In the midst of an organizational crisis, the president of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) is fighting back.

LIFE

Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jul 28, 2017
Speed and tradition at the Zamami Yacht Race
Every year, toward the beginning of July, the waters of Zamami Island — so blue as to seem synthetic — are disturbed by a fleet of yachts. Almost 60 in number, the yachts cut elegant figures across the ocean, their hulls heeling and sails billowing as the prevailing south-westerlies drive them through...

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji