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Japan news from Japan Times

• Kishida Cabinet approval edges down to 50.8% in poll

  The approval rate for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Cabinet inched down 1.8 percentage points from the previous month to 50.8% in May, a Jiji Press ...

• International Atomic Energy Agency chief inspects Fukushima nuclear plant

  International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi inspected the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant over the planned release of treated water into the ...

• Mayuko Yamashita, 26, wins new award for young female researchers

  Yamashita, who became an assistant professor in mathematics at 23, was awarded for her work on mathematical applications to particle physics.

• Kishida to give keynote address at Shangri-La security summit

  Sources said Kishida has confirmed his participation, marking the first time a Japanese prime minister will attend since Shinzo Abe’s appearance in 2014.

• COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 4,172 new cases as tally falls for sixth day

  The seven-day average of new cases stood at 3,689.0, compared with 3,949.0 a week before.

• Divers begin search operations at sunken boat site off Hokkaido

  The divers will conclude the task of searching for the 12 people still unaccounted for as early as Friday, according to the Japan Coast Guard.

• Major Japanese movie companies sue trio over ‘fast movies’

  The plaintiffs have determined that the damage amounts to about ¥2 billion based on the number of views logged by the trio's YouTube channel.

• Juntendo University ordered to pay ¥8 million over rigged entrance exams

  The medical school is to pay damages to 13 women for rigging its tests in favor of male candidates, after what is believed to be ...

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• North Korea’s Kim looks to rocket himself to top of Biden-Yoon summit agenda

  Officials in the U.S. and South Korea say that Pyongyang could stage a nuclear test, intercontinental ballistic missile launch or both around Biden’s visit.

• China’s internet censors try a new trick: Revealing users’ locations

  Authorities say the location tags, which are displayed automatically, will help unearth overseas disinformation campaigns intended to destabilize China.

• North Korea wants to follow China’s COVID ‘success.’ Its plan may backfire.

  If North Koreans were placed under the kind of extreme lockdowns seen in China, the government would be unable to provide basic needs, health experts ...

• China warns U.S. that a ‘dangerous situation’ is forming over Taiwan

  "If the U.S. side insists on playing the Taiwan card and goes further and further down the wrong road, it will certainly lead the situation ...

• China COVID cases trending down but lockdown threat remains

  The continuing flareups underscore the challenges China faces in pursuing "COVID zero," as well as the ever-present risk of disruptions that have already taken an ...

• Singapore wants to keep borders open even if variant emerges

  The island city has learned from its past experiences of dealing with COVID-19 variants, said Transport Minister S. Iswaran.

• Climate-conscious independents could determine Australian election

  Enraged by the lack of government action on climate change, the candidates are campaigning hard on environmental issues in the hope of appealing to moderate ...

• More pain in Sri Lanka before any resolution to crisis

  To bring back some stability, new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed selling the national airline, printing more money and possibly raising taxes.

Culture news from Japan Times

• Tom Cruise brings his passion for the big screen to Cannes

  Tom Cruise flew into the Cannes Film Festival after a 30-year absence from the event. Elsewhere, a Russian director made a plea for peace.

• Li Kotomi’s ‘Solo Dance’ flows across prose and borders

  A beautiful translation by Arthur Reiji Morris of "Solo Dance" will solidify Li Kotomi’s place in the next generation of Japanese writers.

• ‘Wandering’: Questionable subject matter, handled with care

  Zainichi Korean filmmaker Sang-il Lee’s drama about the lasting effects of an unconventional attachment between a child and a grown adult reveals the brutal realities ...

• ‘Shin Ultraman’: No deeper messages, just a lot of fun

  Otaku "dream team" duo Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi join forces once again to revive another special-effects classic that’s fun and camp but lacks some ...

• Ukraine folk rappers boost war morale with Eurovision triumph

  Kalush Orchestra received special authorization from Ukraine's government to attend Eurovision, since men of fighting age are prohibited from leaving the country.

• Drama and exhibition portray the struggles and successes of Japanese women who moved to the U.K.

  The stories document the interviewees' changing relationships with both Britain and Japan and unveil the shifting views of Japan in Britain over many decades.

• Contemporary art to the metaverse: Takashi Murakami’s poppy trip

  Artist Takashi Murakami returns to Manhattan's Gagosian Gallery for an exhibition titled "An Arrow Through History" in which he gives contemporary art a digital twist.

• ‘This Monk Wears Heels’ is a thing of beauty

  Makeup artist, Buddhist monk and LGBTQ advocate Kodo Nishimura’s memoir is a heartfelt and fun read that asks us to look inward with clear compassion ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• Takanosho survives to remain in first place at Summer Grand Sumo Tournament

  Three wrestlers, including yokozuna Terunofuji, remain one win back with three days remaining at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

• Rangers sweep Angels; Shohei Ohtani gets no decision

  Shohei Ohtani tossed his third straight quality start, but the Los Angeles Angels allowed the Texas Rangers to come back to win the game 6-5 ...

• Eintracht beats Rangers to win Europa League final and end 42-year drought

  The win marked the first time in 20 years a team consisting of one or more players from Japan won European club soccer's second-tier competition.

• Warriors too much for Mavericks to handle in Game 1

  Stephen Curry scored 21 points as the Warriors bottled up Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.

• U.S. soccer reaches deal to guarantee equal pay for men’s and women’s teams

  U.S. Soccer becomes the first federation in the world to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money awarded to both women's and men's teams for participation ...

• Frontale edges Vissel late to move into first place

  Japan defender Shogo Taniguchi headed in the injury-time winner to lift two-time defending champion Kawasaki Frontale over Vissel Kobe 1-0 on Thursday and send the ...

• Junya Nishi leads Tigers at plate and from mound in win over Swallows

  Junya Nishi returned to his slugging past as he belted his first home run while throwing his first complete game as a pro in the ...

• Takanosho takes sole lead as Terunofuji maintains pursuit

  The No. 4 maegashira improved to 9-2 on Day 11 at Ryogoku Kokugikan after the joint overnight leader, No. 15 Ichiyamamoto, dropped to 8-3 with ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• ‘Like family’: Japan’s virtual YouTubers make millions from fans

  Since emerging five years ago, the 'VTuber' world has grown to around 16,000 active streamers globally, with growing fanbases on other platforms.

• Japan’s video game makers get a wage hike, but is it enough?

  Video game developers in Japan receive a bump in pay — just not a very large one.

• Kamiwaza trio takes aim at YouTube fame

  The channel's pivot from trick shots to elaborate Nerf toy battles hits the mark with online audiences.

• Gaming companies slow to press pause on Russian business

  Western console and game makers beat their Japanese counterparts to the punch when it came to taking a stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

• Beating Japan at its own (video) game: A smash hit from China

  Genshin Impact, one of the world’s hottest mobile games, has all the characteristics of a Japanese invention: giant robots and characters with huge eyes and ...

• Facebook researchers find its apps can make us lonelier

  Facebook researchers struggle to understand why some of its app experiences cause users pleasure while the same content sometimes inflicts pain.

• Unfazed by game rivals’ acquisitions, Nintendo seeks to forge its own path to success

  The game company sees value in existing working relationships over securing short-term profit.

• Video game addiction, now a globally recognized illness, seeks a treatment

  The World Health Organization formally acknowledged the condition for the first time this year, kicking off a race to offer remedies.

American and world news from CNN

• 4chan shows how some platforms are accountable only to themselves

  The mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, has put a spotlight on 4chan, a largely unmoderated site that has been the breeding ground for several tragedies and controversies over the years and appears to have played a role in inspiring Saturday's attack.

• Biden invokes Defense Production Act to address infant formula shortage

  President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that his administration would be taking new actions to attempt to alleviate ongoing infant formula shortages in the United States, including invoking the Defense Production Act.

• Buffalo suspect's posts about attack plans could be seen online minutes before shooting

  Before an 18-year-old White man allegedly carried out a racist mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket on Saturday, he revealed his months-long plot to some people on social media about 30 minutes before he opened fire.

• Milwaukee man who threw acid in a man's face is sentenced to 10 years in prison

  Clifton Blackwell, the Milwaukee man charged with a hate crime in Wisconsin circuit court in 2019 for throwing acid on a US citizen born in Peru, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in state prison, court records show.

• Judge rejects request for mistrial from Clinton campaign lawyer charged in Durham probe

  The Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer currently on trial as part of special counsel John Durham's investigation requested a mistrial in a late-night filing Wednesday, though the judge overseeing the case has already said he is skeptical of his arguments.

• Biden turns his attention back to Asia after months focused on Russia's war in Ukraine

  President Joe Biden departs Thursday on an alliance-boosting visit to Asia, a belated first trip to a region that remains central to his foreign policy goals even as his focus has been drawn away.

• House passes $28 million in emergency funding to address baby formula shortage

  The House of Representatives is taking up a pair of bills on Wednesday aimed at addressing a nationwide baby formula shortage, an issue that has sparked outcry across the country and put pressure on lawmakers to act.

• Watchdog report says Trump and Biden administration decisions drove collapse of Afghan security forces

  The US decision to leave Afghanistan under both the Trump and Biden administrations was the driving factor behind the swift collapse of the Afghan military as the Taliban swept across the country with stunning speed last summer, according to a scathing new inspector general report released Wednesday.

Singapore news from Today:

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