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Music designer Linda Feki in Naples, Italy, on July 12
WORLD / Society
Aug 7, 2024

Italy's abortion divisions sharpen under Meloni's leadership

A musician from Naples, Italy, recalls her experience seeking an abortion after her online post about it drew support and criticism.
Fukinagashi streamers are displayed in Sendai on Tuesday as the Sendai Tanabata Festival began in the city.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 7, 2024

Sendai Tanabata Festival begins with prayers for Noto on display

The festival, known as one of the three largest in the Tohoku region, features ornaments decorated with wishes for the return of daily life in the quake-hit Noto area.
Visitors enter a haunted house at the Namjatown indoor theme park in Tokyo on July 30.
LIFE / Travel
Aug 7, 2024

Japanese beat the heat in 'liver-chilling' haunted houses

A visit to a haunted house is seen as a refreshing respite in Japan from the summer's heat and humidity.
A lot of female fans of Japan's men's team caught volleyball fever at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where Japan qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time in 29 years.
OLYMPICS / Volleyball
Aug 7, 2024

Tears and broken hearts: Japan's female volleyball fans react to tough Olympic loss

Japan’s fierce love for volleyball has been on display for all the world to see in Paris, but it was not meant to be for the men's team in 2024.
As investors look for opportunities in the new environment created by the Bank of Japan and the resulting market turmoil, there is broad consensus that they will have to reevaluate what they thought they knew about the country.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 7, 2024

Japan morphs into the center of worry for global investors

In less than a week, Japan has completely upended the world’s expectations for its markets and economy.
Shigeru Ishiba speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 7, 2024

LDP bigwig Ishiba endorses BOJ's rate hikes

"The Bank of Japan is on the right policy track" in raising interest rates, Shigeru Ishiba said.
Passengers enter Yurakucho station in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 7, 2024

JR East to resume production of Suica cards as early as fall

Now that JR East has enough chips in stock, they are preparing to resume selling name-registered Suica cards.
Shigekix, whose real name is Shigeyuki Nakarai, in action during the world championships in Leuven, Belgium, in September
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 7, 2024

From the Bronx to Paris: Breaking set for its Olympic close-up

B-boys and B-girls from across the globe will soon compete in Olympic dance battles that feature intricate steps, acrobatic moves and plenty of flair.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate, speaks as Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris looks on at Temple University in Philadelphia on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Aug 7, 2024

New Democratic VP pick Walz adds deep China experience to ticket

The Minnesota governor’s focus on China issues include a foray there as a teacher and a role on a key human rights panel as a congressman.
The Japanese figure skaters who competed in the team event at the Beijing Olympics pose for a photo during a ceremony at the Paris Games on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS / Figure skating
Aug 8, 2024

Japan figure skaters finally get medals two years after team event at Beijing Olympics

Japan earned silver in the team competition in Beijing.
South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik on during an interview in Seoul on Wednesday
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

South Korean nuclear weapons would break U.S. ties, defense chief says

The idea of another term for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who complained about the cost of the U.S. military presence in South Korea, has fueled the debate.
Masahiro Nimura’s “Mommy” features interviews with family members of Masumi Hayashi (right), who was convicted of killing four people and poisoning over 60 others with arsenic-laced curry.
CULTURE / Film
Aug 8, 2024

‘Mommy’: A flawed but fascinating dive into a notorious murder case

Masahiro Nimura’s documentary raises reasonable doubts about a crime that gripped the nation over 20 years ago.
Yahya Sinwar, head of the political wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City in April 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

Israel vows to eliminate new Hamas leader as Gaza war drags on

Israel's army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said they would "find him (Yahya Sinwar), attack him" and force Hamas to find another leader.
An employee of Luxor's International Airport stands near an EgyptAir plane in Luxor, Egypt, in 2021.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

U.K. and Egypt issue alerts for Iran and Lebanon airspace amid growing risk

Many airlines are revising their schedules to avoid Iranian and Lebanese airspace while also calling off flights to Israel and Lebanon.
Wrestlers battle during the national women's championships in Osaka in 2018. Amateur sumo is a great way to experience the sport for tourists who are unable to get tickets to professional tournaments.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Aug 8, 2024

No sumo tickets? No problem. Here are some other ways to take in the sport.

Japan’s ongoing tourism boom has resulted in a year-round influx of people interested in experiencing the country’s national sport.
Fans wave French flags at Champions Park in Paris on Aug. 1. Olympic fever has swept through the city during the Games and some Parisians who went on vacation to avoid the hoopla are now expressing some jealousy over those who stayed.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024

Parisians who left during Olympics are now 'a little jealous' of those who stayed

Olympic fever has taken over the French capital, leaving some of the Paris residents who fled feeling a tinge of jealousy.
A demonstrator carries a cross during the annual "March for Life" in Washington on Jan. 19.
WORLD / Society
Aug 8, 2024

U.S. public schools are becoming the new religious battleground

The religious movement is fueled by opposition to what conservatives call liberal curricula in school, including a focus on diversity and LGBTQ rights.
Hideki Ito, commissioner of the Financial Services Agency, says Japan needs to be cautious about approving crypto-linked exchange-traded funds.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 8, 2024

Japan’s top finance regulator hesitant on crypto ETF approvals

Whether to follow the likes of Hong Kong and the U.S. by approving crypto-linked exchange-traded funds requires "cautious consideration,” he said.
What is known as real money trading in online games is rife with issues, including account hijacking and fraud.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 8, 2024

Man arrested over alleged fraud involving Sega's in-game money

The suspect allegedly collected money by offering to sell the in-game currency at one-twentieth of the listed price on "real money trading" websites.
Cocona Hiraki during a medal celebration at Champions Park in Paris on Wednesday, a day after she earned silver in the women's park skateboarding competition.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
Aug 8, 2024

At 15, skateboarder Cocona Hiraki is already a two-time Olympic medalist

Skateboarder Cocona Hiraki has already bagged a couple of Olympic medals while still in the middle of her teenage years.
The shadows of workers from EKI Energy Services at a ReGen Powertech wind farm in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, India, in 2022
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Aug 8, 2024

Climate crisis hinges on green power for those in need, study shows

Some of the poorest nations also have the world’s best solar energy potential, the report stated.
A charging cable is connected to a Hyundai electric vehicle at the 2022 Busan International Motor Show in Busan, South Korea, on July 14, 2022.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 8, 2024

Seoul EV explosion sparks safety fears, prompting charging rethink

Over 700 people were evacuated and 23 hospitalized after an unplugged electric Mercedes-Benz sedan caught fire in a Seoul underground parking lot.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan decides the schedule of its presidential race, in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 8, 2024

CDP presidential election in September puts party future in focus

Key questions surrounding the election start with the issue of what the CDP's relationship should be with the Japanese Communist Party.
Utagawa Hiroshige produced several highly successful series of landscape prints over the course of his career, including “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” — the largest collection of his career.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 8, 2024

The definitive guide to Utagawa Hiroshige's masterwork is a feast for the eyes

Ukiyo-e expert Andreas Marks' new book is a rare compendium of the Japanese artist’s landscapes, even by local standards.  
Japan’s civil servants will likely see the biggest salary increases in over three decades in the current fiscal year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2024

Japan’s public servants may see biggest pay hike in 32 years

The Finance Ministry estimates that implementing these recommendations could increase the financial burden of sustain services by roughly ¥382 billion ($2.6 billion).
Former Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi (right) and Satoshi Yamane, the new president, bow in apology over health problems caused by its beni kōji products, during a news conference in the city of Osaka on Thursday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 8, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma to withdraw from beni kōji product segment

The firm said it would offer compensation to those who suffered health problems linked to their products and prevent a recurrence of the incident.
New Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar's ascension to power, combined with Netanyahu’s refusal to agree to a cease-fire unless the group capitulates, makes finding a resolution in Gaza difficult.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 8, 2024

New Hamas chief is an arsonist in a desert tinderbox

Yahya Sinwar fills a post that opened with the July 31 killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s politburo chairman, while on a visit to Tehran.
Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba answers reporters' questions at parliament on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024

Shigeru Ishiba remains public's favorite for next LDP leader, poll shows

In the August poll, Shigeru Ishiba was backed by 18.7% of respondents, followed by former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi with 12.5%.
Botswana's Letsile Tebogo displays his shoe, with the birthdate of his late mother written on the side, after he won the men's 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 9, 2024

Letsile Tebogo delivers Olympic glory for Africa and late mother

Tebogo became the first African to win the event when he ran 19.46 seconds to beat Americans Kenny Bednarek and a COVID-hit Noah Lyles.
Cindy Ngamba (left) throws a punch at Panama's Atheyna Bylon during their semifinal bout of the women's 75-kg category at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
OLYMPICS / Boxing
Aug 9, 2024

Boxer Ngamba settles for bronze as Refugee Olympic Team celebrates first medal

Ngamba, who was born in Cameroon but sought safe haven in Britain at age 11, was beaten by split decision in the semifinals of the women's 75-kg category.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan