News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Low-cost coronavirus tests spreading in Japan in bid to boost travel

  An increasing number of companies in Japan are providing polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests for the novel coronavirus at low cost, an effort to ...

• Emperor and empress send condolences over death of Prince Philip

  Japan's imperial couple sent messages of condolence to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II following the death of her husband Prince Philip last week, the Imperial Household ...

• Osaka reports Monday record 603 new COVID-19 cases

  Tokyo recorded the highest number of cases on a Monday since Feb. 1 as the bulk of the capital and several urban centers began imposing ...

• 60% dissatisfied with Japan’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, poll shows

  In the poll, 92.6% said they felt anxious about a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, with 56.5% disapproving of the government's handling of the pandemic.

• 6% of Japan’s second-year junior high students are ‘young carers’

  The results of the survey on young carers will be used to draw up detailed measures for inclusion in the government's basic economic and fiscal ...

• For Suga and LDP, worries build over Hiroshima poll in election year

  A vote-buying scandal that forced the resignation of the previous representative has rocked the local political establishment and sparked voter anger.

• Virus variants could propel fourth wave to new heights as Japan’s cities clamp down

  A significant increase in testing and genomic screening would better reveal the spread of virus variants, but experts question the country’s ability and willingness to ...

• Japanese group calls out online abusers to tackle hurtful posts

  The group says it has worked on about 1,500 cases over the past 15 years, with about 1,300 of them leading to the deletion of ...

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Singapore faces biggest-ever challenge to succession planning

  The rumblings started shortly after Singapore’s ruling party won 89% of seats in last year’s election.What would be hailed as a fantastic outcome in most ...

• Asian nations scale back AstraZeneca rollout amid safety woes

  The moves may delay protection for the region amid concerns that the shot could trigger a rare and potentially deadly blood clotting condition.

• After outcry, VICE removes images adding smiles to Khmer Rouge victims

  Cambodia condemned images published by U.S. media group VICE featuring newly colourized photographs of the Khmer Rouge "killing fields" victims.

• ‘Forced confession’ victims urge Chinese TV channels ban

  Thirteen "victims of forced confessions broadcast on Chinese television" are urging European satellite operator Eutelsat to reconsider carrying Chinese channels CGTN and CCTV4.

• China’s shadow hangs over private preparations for Boris Johnson’s G7

  When the diplomatic emissaries of the G7 nations met virtually late last month to prepare for the leaders summit in June, one problem cropped up ...

• Chinese shows blur Western brands over Xinjiang cotton dispute

  The censorship has exposed the unexpected political tripwires confronting apolitical entertainment platforms.

• Drought in Taiwan pits chipmakers against farmers

  The island nation is going to great lengths to keep water flowing to its all-important semiconductor industry, including shutting off irrigation to legions of rice ...

• China considering mixing COVID-19 vaccines to boost protection rate

  The move comes after Beijing's top disease official said the country's available vaccines "don't have very high rates of protection."

Culture news from Japan Times

• ‘Terminal Boredom’ is a treasure trove of Izumi Suzuki’s subversive science fiction

  Izumi Suzuki, a prolific writer of speculative science fiction and a counterculture figure in the 1970s and ’80s, has gone largely overlooked by modern readers ...

• Rapper and actor DMX, five-time Billboard chart topper, dead at 50

  American rapper and actor Earl Simmons, known by the stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on Friday, his record label said, after he ...

• Leo Konno expresses his biracial heritage through the melodies of a koto

  The koto player's cross-cultural approach to the traditional Japanese instrument reflects his biracial identity.

• ‘Attack on Titan’ manga series concludes run of almost 12 years

  The series is popular in Japan and abroad, and is set to be made into a Hollywood film.

• Sex, murder and a getaway car: ‘Ride or Die’ stars go on the trip of a lifetime

  Kiko Mizuhara and Honami Sato discuss the challenges of bringing Ching Nakamura’s harrowing, sexually explicit manga to the screen in a provocative new Netflix movie.

• Rihito Itagaki brings a splash of color to Japanese television

  Actor Rihito Itagaki takes on his first lead role, playing a gender-fluid character in Yomiuri TV’s new series “Colorful Love: My Androgynous Boyfriend.”

• ‘Zokki’: Five stories, three directors, one goofy time

  Actors Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada and Takumi Saitoh joined forces to direct a clever offbeat comedy containing interconnected stories based on Hiroyuki Ohashi’s manga.

• ‘Homunculus’: You need to see this like you need a hole in the head

  Takashi Shimizu’s adaptation of a manga series about a man who gains psychic powers after having a hole drilled in his head manages to be ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• Masters champ Matsuyama open to lighting Tokyo Olympic cauldron

  "If the schedule works out and I am in Japan when that happens and they ask me, what an honor that would be," he said.

• Hideki Matsuyama: A quiet Masters winner long lionized in Japan

  In 2017, his penchant for privacy became clear: He announced that he'd married months earlier and that he and his wife had had a child.

• Japan celebrates after Hideki Matsuyama’s historic Masters triumph

  Even Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga weighed in, telling reporters the performance had been "really wonderful."

• Tigers hit ground running as Teruaki Sato continues to excite

  Let’s all stand back for a minute and marvel at Teruaki Sato.The Hanshin Tigers rookie is just 15 games into his career and already among ...

• Japan names swimming team for Tokyo Olympics

  While the squad features a number of fresh faces, there are also veterans who have already achieved global success, such as Daiya Seto, Kosuke Hagino ...

• Hideki Matsuyama wins Masters to become first Japanese man to claim major title

  Matsuyama survived some late slip-ups, and a determined challenge down the back nine from Xander Schauffele, who finished 7-under, to claim the iconic green jacket ...

• Henrik Lundqvist not expecting to play in NHL this season following open-heart surgery

  Henrik Lundqvist announced over social media Sunday that he is not expecting to play in the NHL this season.The veteran goaltender underwent open-heart surgery in ...

• Rafael Nadal shrugs off fitness concerns ahead of return at Monte Carlo Masters

  World No. 3 Rafael Nadal says he is fully fit and confident about his preparations as he begins his claycourt season at the Monte Carlo ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• 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.

• Handy gadgets and apps for at-home life during Japan’s current state of emergency

  What’s new in the “new normal”? Pop-up teleworking modules, toilet paper tech and pocket-sized painting studios.

• Geisha-turned-YouTuber Kimono Mom taps into the heart of parenting

  The life of a geisha in Japan is often perceived as being shrouded in mystery, the exact opposite of what you’d imagine life is like ...

• Plant a garden, solve puzzles and save the world in these video games

  Three well-known gaming franchises — PixelJunk, Puyo Puyo Tetris and Earth Defense Force — get sequels.

• Roleplaying takes center stage with these three games

  The year closes with a flurry of new games including Cyberpunk 2077, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend and Densha de Go!! Hashiro Yamanote Sen.

• Tech to improve your at-home concerts and beat the winter blues

  It still pays to be cautious about COVID-19, but the development of interesting and useful gadgets to improve our “with corona” life never stops.

American and world news from CNN

• How a Georgia pastor practiced what he preached by accepting LGBTQ members into his Southern Baptist church

  During his Easter sermon last weekend, Pastor Jim Conrad preached a message of love and acceptance from the pulpit of his church.

• Boston's mayor sees a mandate for racial equity in post-Covid era

  For 200 years, Boston has been led by an unbroken string of White men -- until now. Kim Janey, a Black woman who traces her roots in the city back generations, and even further to ancestors who fled slavery in the South, is now the city's mayor.

• Arkansas' GOP governor says Trump's attacks on party leaders are 'divisive' and 'not helpful'

  Arkansas' Republican governor on Sunday knocked former President Donald Trump's recent attacks on top party leaders as "divisive" and unhelpful for elected GOP officials around the country.

• I-75 bridge is a reminder of the hurdle Biden faces as infrastructure negotiations begin

  The Brent Spence Bridge, which spans the Ohio River, has long been a political football and a symbol of government dysfunction.

• Biden starts infrastructure push by meeting bipartisan group of lawmakers

  President Joe Biden is set to meet with a group of lesser-known but influential lawmakers from both parties as he begins his push to get Capitol Hill on board with his infrastructure proposal.

• 'Existential threat': Republicans calling for the GOP to reject QAnon conspiracy theories

  Republican Rep. Peter Meijer has a warning for his party: He fears baseless conspiracy theories like QAnon will destroy the GOP from within if Republicans don't decisively and unequivocally condemn the false and dangerous beliefs and take action to stop their spread.

• Supreme Court blocks Covid restriction on religious activities in 5-4 vote

  The Supreme Court by a 5-4 vote on Friday blocked another state Covid-19 restriction on religious services, with another late-night order, over protests from California officials that the limits affecting some Bible study sessions did not impinge on religious rights and were to be lifted within days.

• Texas GOP chairman Allen West falsely says Texas could secede from the US: 'We could go back to being our own Republic'

  Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West falsely suggested that Texas could secede from the United States and become an independent country, a CNN KFile review of his comments in recent months shows.

Singapore news from Today:

• Explainer: Why a person fully vaccinated against Covid-19 can still get infected and what it means

• Engineer paid 13-year-old girl for sex for over a year, gets 34 months’ jail

• Road cyclists: Govt studying laws, including licensing and theory tests, as part of safety review

• Worker on ladder falls 7 storeys to death while moving items at residential unit

• Covid-19: Tour group limit to be raised from 20 to 50, 8-hour restriction on tours scrapped, says STB

• Missing S$33m case: Lawyer Jeffrey Ong denied bail again as judge calls defence arguments a ‘red herring’

• HDB suspends late payment charges on mortgage, public rental arrears to Sept 30

• French firm Sanofi invests S$638 million to build vaccine production facility in Tuas South