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Reports about fraudulent online rice shops to consumer affairs centers around the country spiked to 335 cases in April and May alone.
JAPAN
Jun 14, 2025

Reports of online rice scams surging in Japan

Reports about fraudulent online rice shops to consumer affairs centers around the country spiked to 335 cases in April and May alone, as much as is normally seen in a year.
The wreckage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India, which crashed on Thursday in Ahmedabad, India.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 14, 2025

India launches inspection of Boeing 787s after Air India crash

Authorities were looking at several aspects of the crash including issues linked to its engine thrust and why the landing gear remained open.
A vehicle believed to belong the suspected gunman, who was impersonating law enforcement, is towed away from the home of the late State Rep. Melissa Hortman in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 15, 2025

Authorities hunt suspect in deadly shooting of Minnesota Democratic lawmakers

The shootings by a gunman posing as a police officer killed a senior Democratic state assemblywoman and her husband and wounded a second lawmaker and his spouse.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on April 7. Netanyahu is playing a risky game by launching a war against Iran that may not stop its nuclear program and could trigger a wider conflict beyond Israel’s control.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 15, 2025

Netanyahu’s big gamble risks a quicker Iranian bomb

Whether the air strikes can indeed succeed is a very big "if.” It’s more likely that Israel can do no more than delay Iran’s nuclear program.
A registration system linking local governments with the so-called connected population — nonresidents who regularly interact with regional areas — is designed to encourage people living in urban areas to play active roles in rural communities amid their shrinking populations.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 15, 2025

Japan considers new system to connect urban and rural populations

The system aims to help those in overpopulated cities to play more active roles in rural communities with shrinking populations.
The classic red brick arches of Tokyo’s first “gādo-shita,” built in 1910, are what most Japanese people think of when they think about commercial spaces under elevated railways.
LIFE / Style & Design / Longform
Jun 16, 2025

Revitalizing the space under Tokyo’s train tracks

Rail underpasses in big cities are being transformed into vibrant spaces for artisans, foodies and travelers — without erasing their past.
The Fair Trade Commission is investigating supermarket operator Lopia for unfair trade practices involving its suppliers.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 16, 2025

Supermarket operator Lopia probed over unfair trade

The company is alleged to have had suppliers dispatch workers to its stores to perform tasks for store openings and refurbishment without compensation.
People walk under the scorching sun in Tokyo's Omotesando area on Tuesday as temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius in much of eastern Japan.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 17, 2025

Japan sweats under extreme heat despite ongoing rainy season

The weather agency warned of heat waves throughout the week as a high-pressure system stretches across eastern and northern Japan.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (left) and his Canadian counterpart, Mark Carney, hold talks on Monday in Kananaskis, Canada.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 17, 2025

Japanese and Canadian leaders agree to enhance security ties

The prime ministers confirmed that their countries will sign early an agreement to share classified information.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei listens to the national anthem as Air Force officers salute during a meeting in Tehran in February.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 18, 2025

Iran supreme leader sees his inner circle hollowed out by Israel

The killings of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's main military and security advisers has left major holes in his inner circle, raising the risk of strategic errors.
A dead sea star in 2015. About 5 billion sea stars died from a disease outbreak, likely including this one.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 18, 2025

Marine heat waves are spreading around the world

Some unusual ocean events have become so intense that scientists have coined a new term: super marine heat waves.
A video from the National Police Agency aimed at educating people about the illegality of online casinos is shown at a movie theater in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 18, 2025

Japan revises law to ban online casino ads as it cracks down on offshore gambling

The revised law makes gambling on overseas sites explicitly illegal, allowing internet service providers and social media platforms to remove content more proactively.
A man watches the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki as seen from East Nusa Tenggara, Bali, Indonesia, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 18, 2025

Dozens of Bali flights canceled following volcanic eruption

At least 30 flights were canceled due to Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in the east of Indonesia’s Flores island erupting.
Israeli air defense systems intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 19, 2025

Trump wraps situation room meeting as Iran plan remains mystery

The White House offered few clues about whether Trump had decided to join Israel's offensive aimed at destroying Tehran’s nuclear program.
Valiant, a Hokkaido dog, was rescued from a temple in Gifu Prefecture along with a pack of others.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / ADOPT ME!
Jun 19, 2025

Valiant is a playful, princely Hokkaido dog

Hesitant though he may be, this handsome 9-year-old has a heart of gold.
Protesters from the Socialista National Confederation of Labor, angered by China's actions in the South China Sea, hold a rally outside the Chinese Consulate in Makati City, Metro Manila, in June 2015.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 19, 2025

Beijing's peace message on South China Sea contradicts its actions

The four principles articulated in a recent Chinese paper are propaganda and concocted realities of communist thinking.
Science suggests that three days of “shinrin-yoku” (forest bathing) is enough to boost immunity for an entire month.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 21, 2025

The science of shinrin-yoku: Why forest bathing feels good

Science suggests that three days of “shinrin-yoku” forest bathing is enough to boost immunity for an entire month.
A satellite image shows the damaged Arak heavy water reactor facilities, following Israeli airstrikes, in Iran, on Thursday.
WORLD / EXPLAINER
Jun 20, 2025

What are the nuclear contamination risks from Israel's attacks on Iran?

The major concern would be a strike on Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr.
Forged My Number cards and other ID cards seized by police are shown at a police station in Tokyo in December 2023.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 20, 2025

Japan to require IC chip ID verification for online bank accounts in 2027

The new rule is designed to prevent fraudulent accounts from being opened under stolen identities.
At Mount Zine’s gallery in Komazawa, Setagaya Ward, one wall is for exhibiting, while another is for zines for sale.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 21, 2025

A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats

In a world now dominated by digital media, small handmade books are a return to analog media and offline connection.
A model of a next-generation fighter jet that is being developed by Japan, Italy and the U.K. is displayed at the DSEI Japan defense exhibition in Chiba in May.
JAPAN
Jun 20, 2025

GCAP industry partners launch joint venture for trilateral fighter project

Named Edgewing, the new firm will be responsible for the fighter’s design and development and will remain the design authority for the life of the product.
Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil speaks to reporters after being released from immigration custody in Jena, Louisiana, on Friday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2025

Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil walks free after U.S. judge orders release

President Donald Trump has called protests against Israel's Gaza war antisemitic and vowed to deport foreign students who took part. Khalil became the first target of this policy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi steps off the plane upon his arrival at OFranjo Tudjmano airport in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health / FOCUS
Jun 21, 2025

Modi's ambitious water plan fails to quench India's thirst

On paper, the water initiative is a success. But unconnected water tanks and broken taps point to a very different reality on the ground.
Candles and flowers adorn a memorial outside the Minnesota State Capitol following the killing of Democratic state assemblywoman Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, in St. Paul on Wednesday.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jun 21, 2025

Two days of terror: How the Minnesota shooter evaded police and got caught

The suspect had an imperfect disguise, but it was enough to evade police for two days in the state's largest-ever manhunt.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance (left), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (second right) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House in Washington on Saturday, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 22, 2025

U.S. attacks three nuclear sites in Iran, widening Mideast conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened more attacks if Tehran doesn’t capitulate, pulling the U.S. directly into the conflict despite promises to avoid new wars.
Israeli and U.S. air strikes on Iranian targets have heightened regional tensions, leading airlines to avoid Middle Eastern airspace and suspend flights across multiple countries.
WORLD
Jun 22, 2025

Airlines avoid Middle East airspace after U.S. attack on Iran

Japan's foreign ministry said on Sunday it had evacuated 21 people, including 16 Japanese nationals, from Iran overland to Azerbaijan
A worker checks sunscreen products during the final manufacturing process at a factory for the Japanese chemical and cosmetics company Kao in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 23, 2025

Why Japanese sunscreen is going viral — and selling out

Japanese skincare is getting its moment in the sun thanks to the help of beauty influencers on YouTube and other social media platforms.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 23, 2025

Israel hits Iran's Evin prison, says strikes on Tehran are biggest yet

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that Israel was no longer limiting its attacks and would go after the Tehran government's ability to maintain power.
Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is treated on the floor after injuring his leg during Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 23, 2025

Pacers' 'hearts dropped' after Tyrese Haliburton's injury in Game 7

Haliburton — the pivotal figure in Indiana's run through the playoffs — collapsed to the hardwood in agony early in the first quarter and did not return.
A screenshot of the Meteorological Agency's earthquake website shows numerous seismic activities in the 24 hours through 11:18 a.m. on Monday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 23, 2025

Over 200 earthquakes have shaken Tokara islands since Saturday

As of 2 p.m. on Monday, more than 200 earthquakes registering shindo 1 or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale had been observed.

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