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Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 5, 2017

Putin blasts 'nonsense' claims Russia has dirt on Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly denied he had any compromising material about U.S. President Donald Trump in a sometimes combative televised interview broadcast Sunday.
JAPAN / Media / DARK SIDE OF THE RISING SUN
Jun 3, 2017

The not-so-shady world of Japan's singles bars

On May 22, the Yomiuri Shimbun published a curious article about Kihei Maekawa, a former administrative vice education minister who has said that he is willing to testify under oath about the Kake Gakuen scandal dogging Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 2, 2017

Gunmen kill Venezuelan judge at barricade as unrest over Maduro's rule worsens

Gunmen shot dead a Venezuelan judge at a street barricade in the latest fatality of two months of anti-government unrest that has seen at least 61 people killed, authorities said on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2017

Trump pulling U.S. out of Paris climate deal: Axios

U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Axios news outlet reported on Wednesday, citing two unidentified sources with direct knowledge of the decision.
JAPAN / Society
May 31, 2017

Soccer star Honda's tweet on government suicide data draws criticism by some, praise by others

Soccer star Keisuke Honda has caused a stir on social media with an impassioned "motivational" tweet he posted in response to a news report about Tuesday's government white paper on suicide.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 30, 2017

North Korea blasts South for 'nuclear bomb-dropping' drill with U.S. B-1B strategic bomber

North Korea lambasted the U.S. on Tuesday over the staging of what it called a "nuclear bomb-dropping drill" by flying a two B1-B strategic bombers close to its border with the South a day earlier.
JAPAN / Politics
May 29, 2017

Abe denies Kake approval process 'distorted,' claims friend won project due to 'regulatory reform'

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe denies the education ministry's approval process for a veterinary project was 'distorted' and claims instead that his friend won the project due to 'regulatory reform.'
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
May 29, 2017

North Korea fires apparent Scud-type missile that lands in Japan's exclusive economic zone

Pyongyang's latest missile test lobs a suspected Scud into Japan's stated exclusive economic zone, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to vow “concrete measures.”
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 29, 2017

Retiring golfer Miyazato laments loss of motivation

Former women's world No. 1 golfer Ai Miyazato won nine LPGA Tour titles in her career. Her trademark smile is still beloved by fans, and she is just as polite as always when dealing with the media.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 29, 2017

China to implement cybersecurity law from Thursday

China, battling increased threats from cyberterrorism and hacking, will adopt from Thursday a controversial law that mandates strict data surveillance and storage for firms working in the country, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 29, 2017

New French president promises tough talk at first Putin meeting

New French President Emmanuel Macron is promising tough talk at his first meeting with Vladimir Putin on Monday, following an election campaign where his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere in the democratic process.
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 27, 2017

Discrimination in day care is a vexed issue

Last January, the mayor of Chiba, Toshihito Kumagai, raised eyebrows when he called for increasing the number of male staff in the city's public day care program. Tending to children is still considered a woman's job in Japan, which is why pay remains criminally low. Over the years, however, men have...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 27, 2017

In shake-up, Trump to set up 'war room' to repel attacks over Russia probe

Once U.S. President Donald Trump returns from his overseas trip, the White House plans to launch its most aggressive effort yet to push back against allegations involving Russia and his presidential campaign, tackling head-on a scandal that has threatened to consume his young presidency.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 25, 2017

Backers of immigration detainees blast prolonged stays as violation of human rights

After a nearly two-week hunger strike at two immigration centers, supporters of the detainees blast Japan's practice of consecutive detentions as a violation of human rights.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 25, 2017

Revival-seeking rural Japan feels left out as casino plans favor major cities

Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama are emerging as likely candidates for casino resorts under the government's new bidding framework, triggering criticism from smaller cities that say it undermines Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's goal of reviving rural areas.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 24, 2017

Trump slams North Korean leader as 'madman with nuclear weapons' in call with Philippines' Duterte

U.S. President Donald Trump labeled North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a "madman with nuclear weapons" — just days before he said he would be "honored" to meet him — during a telephone call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a report said Wednesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / A MATTER OF HEALTH
May 24, 2017

Experts say Japan should examine male infertility amid falling birthrate

In mid-December, when news emerged that the number of newborn babies in Japan in 2016 would likely fall below 1 million for the first time since the government started collecting data in 1899, it sparked a renewed debate on how to reverse the downtrend in the fertility rate.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 23, 2017

South Korea fires at suspected drone at border with North amid missile crisis

South Korea's military fired warning shots at a suspected drone from North Korea on Tuesday amid tension over Pyongyang's latest missile test which drew international condemnation and a warning from China.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 22, 2017

North Korea declares medium-range missile ready 'for action,' shows off apparent photos from space

North Korea said Monday that its test-firing a day earlier of a solid-fuel, medium-range missile capable of striking most of Japan was "perfect" and that the weapon was ready to be deployed "for action."
JAPAN / KANSAI PERSPECTIVE
May 21, 2017

Kansai gropes for missile response as Korean war hype builds

With North Korea test-launching missiles on a regular basis toward Japan, towns, cities and prefectures are getting more serious about how best to respond if and when one approaches.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL
May 19, 2017

Hachimura hopes to get game back for Under-19 World Cup

Just listening to how he talks and reacts, he just seems the same kid that we came to know from his high school days in Japan.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
May 18, 2017

Murata, N'Dam primed for middleweight title showdown

It's time. Well, almost.
COMMENTARY / World
May 16, 2017

Threats to liberal democracy

Benjamin Franklin's declaration 'the price of liberty is eternal vigilance' matters now more than ever in the age of Donald Trump.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
May 16, 2017

Japan, U.S. agree to keep up pressure on Pyongyang, say dialogue off table for now

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also agreed to call on China to play a greater role in dealing with Pyongyang.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
May 13, 2017

Japan's fisheries still swimming upstream

In March, the internet news site Videonews.com posted a conversation between environmental journalist Tetsuji Ida and Waseda University researcher Yasuhiro Sanada, who writes about fisheries. During the talk, Sanada said that whaling is a "dead industry," and seemed to think that the ongoing controversy...
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 13, 2017

Actress Melissa McCarthy motors through New York dressed as White House spokesman Sean Spicer

Actress Melissa McCarthy took her impersonation of White House press secretary Sean Spicer to the streets of New York City on Friday, rolling through midtown traffic on a motorized lectern in an apparent shoot for "Saturday Night Live."

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