News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Mixed messages: What the Tokyo Court’s same-sex marriage ruling really means

  In saying the prohibition of same-sex marriage is both constitutional and in a “state of violating” the Constitution, the court was signaling that it wants ...

• No abnormalities found in emperor’s prostate tissue sample

  The Imperial Household Agency said the emperor has no symptoms and is spending his days as usual.

• The Tokyo Games bribery and bid-rigging scandals: What you need to know

  Allegations of bid-rigging by leading advertising firms for Games test events have recently surfaced, adding to a scandal over suspected bribes paid for sponsorship contracts.

• Japan ruling bloc agrees on acquiring ‘counterstrike capability’

  The capability, which would allow Japan to fire upon and disable enemy missiles before they are launched from foreign territory, remains controversial among legal experts.

• Is JLPT language test best the metric for hiring foreigners in Japan?

  The exam's multiple-choice format of passive reading and listening skills, with no sections for speaking or writing, casts doubt over its suitability.

• Japanese cannibal who walked free dies at 73

  Iseei Sagawa made no secret of his crime and capitalized on his notoriety, including with a novel-like memoir in which he reminisced about the murder ...

• Samurai spirit: Japan explodes with World Cup joy

  Dressed in their team's blue jersey, the revelers mingled with commuters in suits on their way to work.

• Japanese lawmaker retracts past remarks on LGBTQ and other minorities

  The member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had been facing fresh scrutiny for the comments she made several years ago.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Scattered easing of COVID-19 curbs across China after week of unrest

  China is set to announce an easing of its COVID quarantine rules in the coming days and a reduction in mass testing, sources have said.

• Heat-hit Indian farmers use solar-powered fridges to keep food fresh

  Although India has thousands of cold storage facilities for produce, these units are largely connected to the electricity grid rather than powered by solar.

• Jiang Zemin death injects uncertainty for Xi at fraught time in China

  Jiang’s death at the age of 96 comes days after people took to the streets to challenge virus curbs in China’s most widespread protests in ...

• U.S. and Asian allies impose new sanctions on North Korea after ICBM test

  Japan designated three entities and an individual for new sanctions, the Foreign Ministry said, including the Lazarus Group suspected of carrying out cyberattacks.

• As economy stutters, China’s youth seek safety of civil service

  Civil servant jobs in China have been in high demand for thousands of years as a sure way for those with high scores at the ...

• Only hard options: How China could navigate its way out of ‘COVID-zero’

  Beijing recognizes the damaging impact of quarantines and lockdowns, but it also understands that ceasing efforts to contain the virus would rapidly overwhelm the health ...

• For China’s leader, another dilemma: How to mourn Jiang Zemin

  Paying tribute to Jiang while preventing him from becoming a symbolic cudgel against the current regime will be a challenge for Xi Jinping in the ...

• South Korea scrambles jets after Chinese and Russian warplanes approach

  Japan's military also said it had scrambled jets in response to flights over the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, by Russian ...

Culture news from Japan Times

• ‘First Love’: More of a fling than a true romance

  A Netflix series inspired by two Hikaru Utada pop songs is frivolously entertaining but doesn’t carry much weight.

• ‘Phases of the Moon’: A thoughtful yet unconvincing tale of rebirth

  Ryuichi Hiroki’s melodrama about reincarnation adeptly navigates multiple timelines with a sensitive touch while revealing unspoken Japanese beliefs.

• New Monkey imprint broadens the reach of contemporary Japanese literature

  Stone Bridge Press and Monkey magazine have joined forces to expand the literary landscape of Asian writings in translation.

• Christine McVie, hit-maker for Fleetwood Mac, dies at 79

  As a singer, songwriter and keyboardist, she was a prolific force behind one of the most popular rock bands of the last 50 years.

• ’90s Japanese film ‘All Under the Moon’ director Yoichi Sai dies

  In January, Yoichi Sai announced that he was battling bladder cancer.

• ‘Gangnam Style’ brought K-pop to the world, but haunted its creator

  In 2012, the song took over the internet, and it helped pave the way for the global success of Korean pop. But Psy spent years ...

• ‘I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki’: Compelling confessions of an exhausted millennial

  South Korean author Baek Sehee’s bestselling mental health memoir is uncomfortably vulnerable and compulsively readable.

• Kah Wai Lim’s ode to Japanese mini-theaters gets meta

  The director's new film, 'Your Lovely Smile,' is a love letter to indie cinema that doubles as a plea for help to keep struggling theaters ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• Tigers make Shintaro Fujinami available to MLB teams via posting system

  Major League Baseball has accepted the Hanshin Tigers' application to post right-handed pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, the Japanese club said Thursday.Fujinami, who was two-way star Shohei ...

• Germany suffers another early World Cup exit after ‘absolute catastrophe’ in Qatar

  Kai Havertz said Germany's final day at the World Cup was "like watching a horror movie."

• Morocco aiming even higher after advancing to knockout round at World Cup

  Morocco coach Walid Regragui said the Atlas Lions are ready to "aim for the sky" after reaching the World Cup knockout round for the first ...

• Japan’s current generation of players not haunted by ‘Tragedy of Doha’

  Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said he had flashbacks to the infamous "Tragedy of Doha" in the final minutes of his team's dramatic 2-1 World Cup ...

• Japan adds another thrilling chapter to World Cup story with improbable victory over Spain

  Japan's win sends the Samurai Blue into the round of 16 as the Group E winner. The team's next challenge is a showdown with Group ...

• Stephanie Frappart makes history as first female referee for match at men’s World Cup

  Frappart's achievement was met with recognition, with Costa Rica manager Luis Fernando Suarez describing it as a step forward for women in a "sexist sport."

• Spain coach Luis Enrique bemoans 5-minute ‘total loss of control’ against Japan

  "They scored two goals against us, and if they had needed to score two more, then they would have scored them too, I'm sure," Spain ...

• Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ reaches the end as Croatia and Morocco move on

  The Belgians had chance after chance to win, but never scored against Croatia, which advanced. Morocco cruised past Canada to win the group.

Tech news from Japan Times

• Chuhai Labs takes a democratic approach to running its game studio

  A former Nintendo employee takes what he learned from the gaming behemoth and aims to improve upon it at his own game studio.

• Leg booty? Panoramic? How TikTok is changing language

  A new vocabulary — a little fun, a little dystopian — has emerged on the social video platform, as creators try to get around algorithms ...

• China’s grandparents are done babysitting and ready to go viral

  Rapping grannies, crooning 70-year-olds and gamers in their 80s are challenging traditional Chinese views about aging and what it means to have a long and ...

• Celebrities give a needed boost to Japan’s podcast industry

  Companies are putting in greater efforts to make the podcast medium mainstream by teaming up with high-profile names such as Hideo Kojima to drive a ...

• How to prepare for life after Twitter

  Don’t delete your Twitter account just yet. Elon Musk’s takeover can teach us valuable lessons about our relationship with social networks.

• This Halloween, play dead with some made-in-Japan horror games

  You don't have to trudge to the movie theater this Halloween to get your share of screen screams.

• Grand Theft Auto suffers a stunning blow as Netflix plots an unlikely rise

  Rockstar deals with a massive theft of its own while the streaming giant announces plans for its own internal game studio.

• ‘Konbini Confessions’ captures the late-night antics of city dwellers

  Rapper Miyachi's YouTube channel taps into local nightlife with humor and humanity, revealing a side of Japan not often seen in uploads centered on the ...

American and world news from CNN

• Former San Antonio police officer who shot unarmed teen in a McDonald's parking lot has been indicted for attempted murder, prosecutor says

  A former San Antonio police officer has been indicted on attempted murder and assault charges after he shot an unarmed 17-year-old in a McDonald's parking lot in October, prosecutors announced Thursday.

• Atlanta school under federal investigation after allegations principal assigned Black students to classes based on race

  The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into an Atlanta public elementary school after allegations the principal was assigning Black students to certain classes.

• City of Uvalde sues county DA for access to Robb Elementary shooting investigation material

  The City of Uvalde has filed a lawsuit against Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell, alleging she is blocking the city's independent investigator from accessing key evidence into the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.

• Western US residents warned against traveling as a winter storm is expected to bring feet of snow

  More than 10 million people across at least nine western states are under winter alerts, including cities such as Seattle and Salt Lake City, as winter storms sweep through the region.

• Jim Jordan renews requests as House probes continue

  GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio is sending a renewed set of requests to four current and former government officials on Thursday, providing a window into how the highest-ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee is zeroing in on his first top targets ahead of the next Congress when he obtains subpoena power.

• Hillary Clinton says US should not engage in nuclear talks with Iran as protestors stand up 'to their oppressors'

  The US should not be negotiating with Iran "on anything right now," including a nuclear agreement, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday.

• US approves $380 million missile sale to Finland

  The Biden administration on Thursday approved a $380 million sale of missiles to Finland, just days after approving a separate $323.3 million arms sale to the Nordic nation.

• US sanctions three North Korean officials tied to weapons of mass destruction program

  The US Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned three North Korean officials tied to the nation's weapons of mass destruction program.

Singapore news from Today:

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