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Shizuoka Prefectural Police have put a suspect in a family murder case on their wanted list.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 30, 2024

Grandson wanted in Shizuoka triple murder case

Shizuoka police have issued an arrest warrant for Koichi Katayama, 27, in connection with the fatal stabbings of his grandparents and aunt.
Upper House lawmaker Megumi Hirose enters her house in Tokyo after it was raided on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 30, 2024

Tokyo prosecutors raid LDP lawmaker's home on suspicion of salary fraud

Megumi Hirose, 58, is suspected of providing one of her secretaries with a state-paid salary even though they reportedly did no real work.
Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, attends a swearing-in ceremony for new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the parliament in Tehran on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jul 31, 2024

Hamas says political chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in 'Zionist' strike in Tehran

The group said he was killed in a "Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran" after he joined the inauguration of the new Iranian president.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 31, 2024

Bank of Japan delivers one-two punch few were expecting

At its two-day policy meeting, the BOJ voted to increase its short-term policy rate target to 0.25% from a range of 0% to 0.1%.
The Shizuoka Prefectural Police headquarters (in background) in the city of Shizuoka
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 31, 2024

Grandson detained over Shizuoka triple murder case

Koichi Katayama, who allegedly killed his grandparents and aunt, has injuries to his abdomen, and police plan to formally arrest him once he recovers.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 31, 2024

China lodges protest with Japan over 'irresponsible remarks' in talks with U.S.

China's director-general of Asian affairs at the Foreign Ministry lodged a complaint with the Japanese Embassy, in the latest row between the Asian giants.
Kuninori Matsuda, Japanese ambassador to Ukraine, speaks during an interview in Kyiv on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 31, 2024

Japanese ambassador to Ukraine urges continuing of aid

Kuninori Matsuda said that Japan should not feel that it has no direct stake in the conflict, as Ukrainian aid helps protect the international order.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as U.S. President Joe Biden looks on alongside other members of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders week in San Francisco in November.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 31, 2024

Japan to co-lead crisis response branch of the global trade initiative IPEF

Japan will be vice chair of the Crisis Response Network, a body under the U.S.-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity.
Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence, in Moscow, on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 1, 2024

Signs of major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West multiply

Many major figures jailed in Russia have suddenly disappeared in a sign they might be being gathered for a swap.
A Samsung HBM chip
WORLD / Politics
Aug 1, 2024

U.S. weighs restrictions on China’s access to AI memory chips

The new restrictions are likely to be unveiled as soon as late August as part of a broader package that also includes sanctions against over 120 Chinese firms.
Then U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 1, 2024

North Korea wants to restart nuclear talks if Trump wins, says ex-diplomat

The former diplomat said North Korea has also set Russia, the U.S. and Japan as its top foreign policy priorities.
Hakushi Hasegawa places their emotive vocals and dexterous keyboard work at the center of the music on their latest album, “Mahogakko” – reminding listeners that there’s a very human presence at the controls.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 2, 2024

Electronic wiz Hakushi Hasegawa pulls back the curtain

The musician's latest album, “Mahogakko,” strikes a delicate balance between the dazzling and the downright baffling.
While the Pentagon dismisses UFO evidence as inconclusive, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee has pushed back and demanded further investigation.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 1, 2024

The real government conspiracy isn’t about UFOs

As the Pentagon dismisses UFO evidence, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee pushes back and demands further investigation.
Passengers exit trains at Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 1, 2024

Paternity leave uptake in Japan hits record 30%

The new record represents a 13 percentage point increase from the previous year.
Members of rescue teams cross a temporary bridge after multiple landslides in the hills in Wayanad district, in the southern state of Kerala, India, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 2, 2024

Indian soldiers building metal bridge to area affected by landslides

Landslides in the Kerala area destroyed the original bridge, then rising waters washed away a makeshift bridge.
Temperatures are soaring across Japan, making getting to sleep at night a constant battle between your body and the right setting for your air conditioner to help you nod off.
LIFE / Lifestyle / Boiling Point
Aug 2, 2024

An ideal AC temperature for sleep? Science says yes ... and no.

Keeping your room at 26 degrees Celsius can help you sleep through summer’s steamy nights — but how long should you leave the AC on?
If you’re looking for a great dog, run — don’t walk — to adopt Jasper before it’s too late.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Aug 5, 2024

Golden boy Jasper won't take long to find his new home

Affectionate, smart and super friendly, Jasper is not expected to stay at ARK long before some scoops him up.
Members of the Romanian Olympic women's gymnastics team check their smartphones during a training session early last month.
OLYMPICS
Aug 2, 2024

Social media trolls beware: Olympic athletes have had enough

Online abuse has become such an issue that the Japanese Olympic Committee released a statement asking fans to mind their manners on the internet.
A health ministry panel has approved Eli Lilly's donanemab drug for Alzheimer's patients.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Aug 2, 2024

Japan's health ministry set to approve second Alzheimer's drug

Donanemab, developed by U.S. pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, has been backed by a ministry panel.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government is working hard to enhance Japan's global and regional influence through strategic defense reforms and international partnerships.
EDITORIALS
Aug 2, 2024

Japan’s defense reforms and diplomacy boost regional security

Considerable progress was made this week in a series of meetings with Tokyo's counterparts in various endeavors, the heart of which is the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing to consider an appeal against his prison sentence, in Moscow on July 31, 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 2, 2024

Poisoned and jailed: Kremlin critic Kara-Murza

Convicted in April 2023 of treason and spreading "false information," Kara-Murza was sentenced to one of the longest prison terms ever handed down to a Putin critic.
Formula E cars race during the Portland E-Prix in Oregon in June.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Aug 1, 2024

From race to road: Is Formula E fueling the future of green transport?

Formula E has helped hasten the development of technology for electric vehicles, making them easier to sell to consumers, but hurdles for EVs remain.
Nippon Steel Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori holds a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2024

Nippon Steel raises full-year profit forecast, confident on U.S. Steel deal

Net profit in April-June, its first quarter, fell 11% from a year earlier to ¥157.6 billion, but exceeded analyst expectations of ¥108.7 billion as per LSEG data.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has said the 50-50 control of LY, the operator of the Line app, by SoftBank and Naver leaves the messaging app vulnerable to cyberattacks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2024

SoftBank and Naver to sell down stake in Japan’s Line app

The tender comes as the capital structure of the operator of Japan’s biggest messaging app Line threatens to become a diplomatic flash point with South Korea.
The dark side of artificial intelligence is that it could make deadly and low-cost bioweapons more accessible to nonstate actors.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2024

AI may save us, or may construct viruses to kill us

One reason biological weapons haven’t been much used is that they can boomerang. If Russia released a virus in Ukraine, it could spread to Russia.
Government officials are concerned that businesses are reluctant to report cyberattack damage due to fears about a possible decline in stock prices.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2024

Japan mulls requiring private sector operators to report cyberattacks on infrastructure

The move is designed to prevent cyberattack damage from spreading to other businesses by sharing information quickly.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet and his wife (both center) press a button to start the groundbreaking ceremony of the Funan Techo Canal in Kandal province on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 5, 2024

Cambodia's prime minister marks start of creating controversial canal

Cambodia's canal project is shrouded in uncertainty, including its main purpose — whether for shipping or irrigation — and who will fund it.
Yoshifumi Matsumura (second from right), head of the National Public Safety Commission, inspects Tokyo's Kabukicho entertainment district in June.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 5, 2024

Tokyo host bar worker arrested over kickbacks for brokering prostitution

It is the first time a worker at a host bar has been arrested over receiving kickbacks for brokering prostitution.
Japan's Koki Kano (right) battles Yannick Borel of France in the gold-medal bout of the men's individual epee at the Paris Olympics on July 28.
OLYMPICS / Fencing
Aug 5, 2024

How a grassroots push helped Japan's fencers become world-beaters

Japan bagged five fencing medals in Paris to put it atop the medal table in the sport, the first time a non-European nation has done so.
Fujitsu is seeking to expand its ability to prepare artificial intelligence tools that match clients’ needs, but is having trouble securing enough technology workers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 6, 2024

Fujitsu struggling to secure staff to grow IT consultancy on slim margins

Operating profit margin at Fujitsu’s service solutions segment was 7% last quarter, while the margin at one competitor was 16.4%.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years