The South Korean president and Wendy Sherman also exchanged views on how to deal with climate change and other global issues, vowing to continue cooperation, according to an official.

The 15 or so world leaders attending the opening ceremony are down from the roughly 40 that attended the same event for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

The prioritization of the global sporting event over public health has added anger to the desperation weighing on the shoulders of an already exhausted nation.

Hokkaido's capital is hosting soccer games and will host marathon events, but the mayor is now calling for stronger coronavirus measures as the number of cases jumps.

With applications for the documents accepted from Monday, details have been set out on how to apply and where the passports can be used.

Daily new infections in the capital averaged 1,373.4 in the week to Thursday, compared with 882.1 the previous week.

The new scandal is a further drag on public enthusiasm toward the Games, which have already drawn strong opposition amid concerns about coronavirus infection risks.

The request is aimed at addressing vaccine shortages that have forced some municipalities to suspend vaccination appointments.

Just as the Biden administration appeared on the verge of snuffing out COVID-19 in the U.S., a shadow pandemic of disinformation threatens to prolong the crisis.

The two athletes who tested positive were named as Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs and Czech Republic table tennis player Pavel Sirucek.

Recent analysis found that 0.9 people per 100,000 population caught the virus among fully vaccinated people aged 65 or over, while the number was 13.0 among unvaccinated people.

Border measures will be tightened from Saturday for Myanmar and several other areas, including some U.S. states and regions in Russia, while others will see protocols eased.

By the end of the century, slow-moving, deadly storms that release more rain could be 14 times more frequent, researchers have found.

The Marmara has been sickening for a long time, and this year, it suffered a paroxysm that choked its waters and suffocated marine life.

The 25-meter high tower is meant to filter air over a 1 square kilometer radius around the swanky shops and cafes in Connaught Place.

Firms are going low-profile in games-related advertising lest they antagonize a public worried at the prospect that the Olympics could become a superspreader event.

Farmers are reviving ancestral varieties and creating new ones that can withstand increasingly frequent storms, floods and droughts.

Without the traveling crowds to feed, house and entertain, the Games' carbon footprint will be cut by 12% to about 2.4 million tons of carbon dioxide, organizers said.

China pushed back against the World Health Organization’s call for another probe into the coronavirus’s origins that includes examining whether it leaked from a lab, saying there’s no evidence for the theory and it defies common sense. The pathogen most likely arose in an animal, ...

Flush with cash from an IPO, Kuaishou is cranking up spending to close the gap with ByteDance, more than four times its size.

To keep selling into the EU without tariffs, the U.K.'s car industry will need to meet stringent rules of origin — with up to 70% of components by value coming from the U.K. or EU.

Moves are underway to provide soft loans for cities to buy vulnerable seaside properties from willing sellers, and then rent them back for as long as they remain habitable.

The country's primary balance is expected to turn black in fiscal 2027 with a surplus of about ¥1.8 trillion ($16.4 billion) under the most optimistic scenario.

His disappearance ahead of the opening of the Olympics raised further questions about the safety of the global sporting event.

The former prime minister, who memorably dressed up as video game character Super Mario to promote the Tokyo Olympics, will not attend the Games' opening ceremony, NHK reported.

Wendy Sherman, the State Department's second-ranked official, will meet with State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other officials in the city of Tianjin.

Police said they officially laid charges against four persons aged 51 to 57, for the offense of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces."

The numbers, derived from research and local authority data, range from three to 10 times the official count, hinting that the true cost of its outbreak has been massively underreported.

China has grown to dominate production, and with demand on the rise for all forms of renewable energy, analysts say a shortage may lie ahead.

Boris Johnson’s government has warned that it will suspend parts of the agreement if the EU doesn’t budge.

The study reiterated that one shot of the vaccines is not enough for high protection from the highly transmissible variant.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. promised to carry out drastic reforms to strengthen its corporate governance.

If the last 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that a successful COVID-19 policy requires three things: high levels of public trust, a coherent strategy and effective implementation.

Online services such as Zoom and Amazon have proven their worth during the pandemic. And COVID-19 may ultimately push our society to learn new ways of using digital technologies.

Many Muslims find it difficult to grasp why a sense of empathy for the Jewish people — which is fully justified — should somehow translate into injustice against the Palestinians.

With COVID-19 vaccinations ramping up, some people may be ready to leave their neighborhoods and go traveling again. Three spots in particular are good if you're into history.

Drawing from a novel based on true events, “Inubu” shows the barriers activists fighting for the humane treatment of animals face, their own physical and financial limits among them.

Anime director Mamoru Hosoda recently criticized famed animator Hayao Miyazaki for how he portrays women in his films, but the chiding isn’t exactly warranted.

Mired in the COVID-19 pandemic and a slew of scandals, the opening ceremony on Friday will look nothing like the original plans for a spectacular celebration of Japan’s pop culture.

Kubo scores late to give Japan a win over South Africa

As New Zealand took on South Korea, it was impossible to feel a sense of excitement with the stands mostly empty.

Karate is getting its moment to shine at the Olympics, but are the Games simply catching up to something a lot of us already know?

The Los Angeles Angels two-way star is the latest big name to join the roster at the firm, which specializes in sports memorabilia and merchandise.

A number of the country's lesser known stars look set to make a splash on the world stage at the Olympics.

The local government of Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture, promotes a policy of "Surfonomics" to get the greatest possible financial benefit out of the new addition to the Games.

Goto stranded five runners over the final two innings and Mana Atsumi singled in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth as Japan beat Mexico 3-2.

Despite earning a bronze in the marathon at the Tokyo Games in 1964, Kokichi Tsuburaya was plunged into a downward spiral until his tragic end.

Whether you’re a dedicated fan or a casual viewer, here are six podcasts to get you in the Olympic spirit.

Coates on Thursday denied bullying a female politician to attend the Tokyo Games opening ceremony, after some labeled him a "mansplaining dinosaur."

It wouldn't be the first time sibling rivalry has spurred Hifumi and Uta Abe to success.

"When I came to the league, I didn't know where my next meal will come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street," Antetokounmpo recalled. "Now I'm here sitting at the top of the top."

The U.S. swimmer, who has been among the most dominant athletes in any sport in recent memory, has a schedule at the Games that could leave you gasping for air just thinking about it.

The National Hockey League's 32nd and newest franchise stocked its roster Wednesday in the expansion draft, with their selections announced at a nationally televised party in Seattle.

Following the 2016 Rio Games, USA Gymnastics was rocked by revelations of systemic abuse of athletes that triggered mass resignations, lawsuits, investigations and bankruptcy filings.

Head injuries and their potential long-term health impact have been in the spotlight since former players filed a class-action lawsuit against governing bodies.