News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Tokyo Olympic officials report 31 new Games-linked COVID-19 cases

  Most of the daily confirmed cases in recent days involved workers living in Japan who were not residents of the Olympic Village.

• Olympic merchandise selling well as Japan’s medal haul grows

  One official shop in Tokyo's Shinjuku district was stocked with some 1,700 items, but popular goods such as pin badges and mugs quickly sold out ...

• LDP executives considering presidential election on Sept. 29

  The proposed date for the election is the latest allowed under the ruling party's presidential election rules.

• Japan fully backs appointment of ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar

  Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed full support on Wednesday for ASEAN's appointment of a special envoy to Myanmar as part of efforts to resolve ...

• Japan’s population drops by record number to 126.65 million amid pandemic

  As of Jan. 1. the number of people in the country had dropped by 483,789, or 0.38%, from the previous year.

• Suga declines to roll back controversial COVID-19 hospital policy

  The PM said he would seek public understanding that the policy, which asks patients with less serious symptoms to isolate at home, wouldn't necessarily be ...

• A hunger strike reignites conversations about parental rights in Japan

  Detractors of the country's system of sole parental authority say it promotes child "abductions," while supporters say change could exacerbate domestic abuse.

• Greece pulls out of artistic swimming over first Olympics cluster

  The exit marks the first time an entire team from any nation has pulled out of the Tokyo Olympics in the middle of a competition.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• China clampdown sparks a student exodus from Hong Kong schools

  With youths at the forefront of demonstrations, Beijing has blamed the education system for fostering unrest and ordered schools to adopt a more patriotic curriculum.

• Myanmar envoy alerts U.N. to alleged ‘massacre’

  Kyaw Moe Tun, in a letter to the U.N., said 40 bodies had been found in Kani township in July in the Sagaing area of ...

• Singapore leader urges China and U.S. to stem deteriorating ties

  The U.S. is not in terminal decline, as some in Beijing believe, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. Equally, "China is not going to disappear. ...

• ASEAN appoints Brunei diplomat as envoy to Myanmar

  Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have appointed Brunei's second minister for foreign affairs, Erywan Yusof, as special envoy to Myanmar, the ...

• Kim Jong Un’s head bandage is added to list of health mysteries

  Images of the North Korean leader at events in late July showed a bandage and later a dark greenish spot on the back of his ...

• China and India agree to pull back troops near site of deadly clash

  Soldiers will move away from the vicinity of the area where at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in June 2020.

• Harris to push back on China’s South China Sea claims during Asia trip

  Harris will be the first U.S. vice president to visit Vietnam as Washington seeks to bolster international support to counter China's growing global influence.

• North Korea wants sanctions eased to restart talks with U.S., Seoul says

  Pyongyang wants sanctions banning its metal exports and imports of refined fuel — as well as those on luxury goods — lifted before restarting talks, ...

Culture news from Japan Times

• Former AKB48 idol Miyu Takeuchi takes her musical career into her own hands

  Singer Miyu Takeuchi got her start just shy of the spotlight in Japan’s idol-pop group, but has taken her creative output into her own hands ...

• Katie Kitamura and the cognitive dissonance of being alive right now

  Her new novel, “Intimacies,” introduces readers to the perceptive, digressive mind of an interpreter at The Hague who is dealing with loss, an uncertain relationship ...

• Ex-AKB48 star Yuko Oshima and actor Kento Hayashi to tie knot

  Yuko Oshima, a former leading member of the popular Japanese all-girl idol group AKB48, and Japanese actor Kento Hayashi are set to marry, the couple ...

• Biracial representation, game soundtracks and shiny pecs: bright moments at a somber Olympic opening

  The program lacked the over-the-top glitz originally planned, but still served some memorable scenes, with pantomime performers and Naomi Osaka stealing the show.

• ‘Inubu: The Dog Club’: Puppy love with a heavy dose of advocacy

  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 ...

• Mamoru Hosoda called out Hayao Miyazaki, but was it deserved?

  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.

• The Olympic opening ceremony that wasn’t

  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 ...

• Japan’s Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe win Best Screenplay at Cannes for ‘Drive My Car’

  A brooding, melancholic drama spanning three hours, the film is based on a short story of the same name by novelist Haruki Murakami.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Olympic marathon swimmers battle heat, bacteria and each other

  For nearly two hours, swimmers knifed in a ragged line through the murky water and occasionally got hit by fish.

• Kevin Durant powers Team USA to win over Australia in semifinal

  The win was a measure of revenge against a team that had upset the United States in an exhibition game in Las Vegas last month.

• Projection mapping elevates 100-meter sprinters to rockstar status

  For the first time, an elaborately choreographed projection mapping presentation helped kick off the Olympics’ blue ribbon event, the 100 meter finals.

• Australian teen Keegan Palmer wins stunning skateboarding gold

  Palmer, 18, threw down the gauntlet with 94.04 points in his first run before incredibly bettering his score to 95.83 in his third and final ...

• Japan’s women’s basketball team not satisfied with just being Cinderella

  The Akatsuki Five are officially in uncharted territory. Can they reach the podium?

• For foreign athletes, the Tokyo Olympics present myriad challenges

  From lack of training time due to the pandemic to the intense Tokyo heat, the difficulties foreign athletes faced just to get to the Tokyo ...

• ‘Queens of kata’ vying for gold as they kick off karate’s Olympics debut

  At the conclusion of the elimination rounds, it seemed clear the contest for the gold medal would be — as widely expected — between Japan's ...

• Germany’s Florian Wellbrock wins men’s swimming marathon

  Kristof Rasovszky of Hungary took silver and Gregorio Paltrinieri of Italy claimed bronze.

Tech news from Japan Times

• A digital calico is melting hearts (and napping a lot)

  The cat has drawn crowds and sparked joy on social media.

• Video game expo E3 expands its digital presence, though Sony sits out

  With E3’s announcements and press conferences going virtual, the latest news from companies like Nintendo and Square Enix is more accessible than ever.

• Japanese gaming arcades are on their last life

  Already on a downward trend, COVID-19-mandated closures are slashing profits and forcing closures of many of the country’s iconic locations.

• A shaky future for Sony’s Japan Studio after mass staff exodus

  A slew of veteran game developers and producers announced their departure from the studio in advance of its April 1 restructuring.

• Tokyo-born artist and activist Drue Kataoka becomes the new face of Clubhouse

  Asian American artist Drue Kataoka uses the Clubhouse platform to discuss art and politics, and has raised more than $88,000 for the Asian American Foundation.

• A eulogy for the PlayStation Vita, Sony’s last portable console

  By announcing the end of the PS Vita's warranty extension, Sony is signaling that the PS Vita's era is fading to black.

• Battle fish foes, fight bravely and fly through the air with these new video game releases

  Taito is back with a collection of Darius' 3D polygon games; Bravely Default starts anew; and Monster Hunter Rise brings a new dimension to the ...

• Game consoles and famous franchises get spruced-up

  The Switch gets a Mario makeover, while Super Mario 3D World and Nioh get remastered for new consoles.

American and world news from CNN

• It'll be tough for restaurants to card for vaccines. But they're happy to do it

  One of the world's biggest food capitals just made a bold move when it comes to vaccine mandates -— and it's one that some restaurant owners say they can get behind, even though it may result in fewer customers.

• Missouri governor pardons St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters

  Missouri Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday announced pardons for Patricia and Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis homeowners who pointed guns at protesters near their home last summer.

• At least 4 New York district attorneys have requested materials from state's investigation into Cuomo

  At least four district attorneys offices in New York have requested additional investigative information from the state's probe into sexual harassment allegations against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying they need the materials to determine whether incidents that occurred in their jurisdictions amount to criminal actions.

• Opinion: The speed of the US economic recovery has been record-breaking. But don't get used to it

  Despite the continued optimism about the country reopening, US economic growth is already starting to slow.

• Joe Biden is having the worst week of his presidency so far

  Joe Biden's presidential honeymoon has officially ended, with a series of problems -- led by the ongoing surge of the Delta variant of the coronavirus -- coalescing to make the last few days some of the worst ones he has spent as president.

• A Trump endorsement and the backing of the Democratic establishment were key to Ohio primary election results

  In two Ohio congressional primaries Tuesday, Democratic voters embraced the party's establishment, delivering President Joe Biden another ally and denying the left-wing "Squad" its latest member. Republicans, meanwhile, stuck with former President Donald Trump.

• Mike Carey, endorsed by Trump, will win Ohio GOP special primary

  Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, will win the Republican special primary in Ohio's 15th Congressional District, CNN projects.

• Shontel Brown will win Ohio Democratic special primary

  Cuyahoga County Council member Shontel Brown is set to win the Democratic special primary in Ohio's 11th Congressional District after her opponent Nina Turner conceded Tuesday night.

Singapore news from Today:

• TCM practitioner gets jail for molesting patient under guise of improving her 'qi'

• Doctors to record maids’ BMI, check signs of abuse as part of routine medical check-up from Aug 29: MOM

• Over 38,400 tenants, owner-occupiers to get direct govt rental relief from Aug 6: Lawrence Wong

• Man seen without mask on train remanded at IMH after rant during first day of trial

• Covid-19: Most experts say S'pore on track to exit current phase of measures but unlinked cases still a concern

• 58-year-old Singaporean woman dies of Covid-19 complications, brings S’pore’s death toll to 39

• Briton breaks world record for longest triathlon by running, cycling and swimming 7,500km in Singapore

• Food processing company fined S$15,000 after rat droppings found in storage, processing areas