News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Japan eyes upgrading Aegis ships with Tomahawk missiles by FY 2027

  The move is intended to help Japan develop capabilities that can strike targets inside an adversary's territory.

• COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo reports 863 new cases

  New fatalities totaled five among COVID-19 patients in the capital, while the number of patients with severe symptoms fell by one from Friday to one.

• Japan logs record 3,085 abuse cases against disabled in FY 2021

  The growth reflected rises in related consultations and reports on the back of increased public awareness about the law on preventing abuse against disabled people.

• Imperial Palace street opened for cherry blossom viewing

  The general public is allowed to visit the street until April 2, with no advance reservation required. It is open between 9 a.m. and 3:30 ...

• Twin toddlers die after falling from seventh-floor apartment in Nagoya

  Toya and Yuya Mabe, who lived on the seventh floor of an apartment building in Naka Ward, were discovered in a parking lot next to ...

• Japan team creates offspring using eggs from male mice cells

  The research by the team, led by Osaka University professor Katsuhiko Hayashi, was the first time in the world that eggs were produced from cells ...

• Chinese and Russian researchers barred from Japan space agency institute

  The move was made to protect sensitive technological information that could be used for military purposes.

• Foreign residents in Japan hit record 3 million at end of 2022

  The number of foreign residents in Japan at the end of 2022 rose 11.4% from a year before to hit a record high of 3,075,213, ...

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Biden-Xi call will come later than the U.S. hoped as China ties fray

  China’s leaders haven’t responded to U.S. requests to set up the call, which officials had said would take place soon after a meeting of the ...

• Fire Rites Festival offers spiritual solace and inspiration

  The world has changed in countless ways over the past 50 years. The digital revolution, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the climate change crisis, ...

• India’s shrinking coal jobs fuel ‘distress’ migration to cities

  Even in places where mining continues, local residents are being alienated and pushed out, turning them into "energy migrants" struggling to find jobs.

• After cyclones leave many homeless, Vanuatu takes climate plea to world stage

  More than 3,000 people are still in evacuation centers three weeks after two category-four cyclones hit Vanuatu, which has a population of 319,000 spread across ...

• North Korea says it tested new nuclear-capable underwater attack drone

  During the drill, the new North Korean drone cruised underwater at a depth of 80 to 150 meters for over 59 hours and detonated in ...

• To ‘stand on Taiwanese soil’: An interview with Taiwan’s top diplomat

  Joseph Wu shares his thoughts on Tokyo-Taipei cooperation, TSMC semiconductors, Japan's new defense posture and the future of relations with Beijing.

• Taiwan foreign minister sees growing engagement through unofficial diplomacy

  In an exclusive interview, Taipei's top diplomat says he expects a growing number of representatives from world democracies to visit the island.

• China’s Mekong dams turn Thai fishing villages into ‘ghost towns’

  Local fishing communities who live by the river have seen their harvest fall since China built nearly a dozen dams upstream.

Culture news from Japan Times

• ‘Baby Assassins 2 Babies’: Flying fists with a side of social commentary

  Yugo Sakamoto channels Quentin Tarantino in comedy style and verbosity in his action film about a pair of bickering hitwomen who find themselves on the ...

• Le Makeup gives himself a sonic glow up on ‘Odorata’

  The Kansai-based artist digs deep on his latest album, using sensory details as the backdrop for his self-reflection and exploring new sounds through rap collaborations.

• ‘Shin Kamen Rider’: Superhero romp is fun but not much else

  While Hideaki Anno’s third installment in his “Shin” series lacks substance, it packs in the camp and energy of its 1970s source material.

• New Japanese playwrights shine on the London stage

  A joint collaboration between the Royal Court Theatre and New National Theatre, Tokyo, brought the works of three up-and-coming dramatists to British audiences in January.

• ‘The Flowers of Buffoonery’: Osamu Dazai’s unexpected portrait of camaraderie

  The novel adds new texture to the author's classic "No Longer Human," while bringing levity to a somewhat dire thesis: The world is full of ...

• ‘Do Unto Others’ makes an unconvincing case for euthanasia

  Part whodunit, part tearjerker, Tetsu Maeda’s film frames its protagonist as a noble caregiver in favor of dispatching the elderly.

• ‘Gridman Universe’: Multiverse monster mash falls flat

  The recent revamp of the 1990s anime character Gridman delivered two entertaining series, but the theatrical follow-up fails to capture the fun and pacing of ...

• Memories, melancholy and all that jazz

  Jazz enthusiasts James Catchpole and Philip Arneill set out to capture a time capsule of Japan's fading haunts with "Tokyo Jazz Joints," a photobook featuring ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• Beijing 2022 team skaters remain frustrated at lack of medals

  The official results of the event remain in limbo due to the ongoing legal case involving Russian skater Kamina Valieva's infamous December 2021 doping test.

• Takuma Nishimura goal gives Japan friendly draw with Uruguay

  Uruguay captain Federico Valverde headed in the 38th-minute opener in front of 61,855 on a rainy night in the Japanese capital before the F. Marinos ...

• Daieisho grabs outright lead after Midorifuji’s third loss in a row

  Sekiwake Kiribayama and komusubi Wakamotoharu racked up wins to stay in the title race, joining Midorifuji on the second rung of the leaderboard at 10-3.

• Kaori Sakamoto defends world title to end Saitama jinx

  Four years after stumbling to disappointment at the same venue in her worlds debut, the Kobe native outlasted South Korea's Lee Hae-in to retain the ...

• Figure skating fans’ passion remains strong at Saitama-hosted worlds

  Officials expressed satisfaction toward ticket sales over the first two days of competition, while skaters and media representatives reveled in the atmosphere.

• Trevor Bauer arrives in Yokohama with goal of winning championship with BayStars

  Bauer has expressed an interest in Japan in the past, including during a visit to the country in 2019 when he toured the BayStars' facility.

• Messi goal tops off Argentina’s homecoming celebration

  "They leave every last drop of sweat and sometimes the result doesn't follow. This time it did and it's amazing."

• ‘Rikuryu’ coach Bruno Marcotte has Olympic hopes after Grand Slam

  As they aim for Olympic success, Marcotte hopes that Miura and Kihara’s success will encourage more Japanese skaters and coaches to get involved in the ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• Tokyo gets on board the virtual YouTuber hype train

  The local government's move to recruit Gawr Gura, Mori Calliope and Miko Sakura to help promote tourism speaks to just how big the VTuber industry ...

• Japan’s first AI manga has people asking: Is it machine magic or art menace?

  The creator of "Cyberpunk: Peach John" says he isn't good at drawing, but he didn't let that stop him from illustrating a manga.

• We hardly played ye: A bittersweet eulogy to E3

  Once the Super Bowl of the gaming world, it’s time to remember E3 for what it once was instead of what it now unfortunately has ...

• Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer

  One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.

• Hogwarts versus transgender rights, Blizzard versus Beijing

  Can you truly separate the art from the artist? For many gamers, Hogwarts Legacy is their first such test.

• ‘Sushi terrorism’ chips away at Japan’s harmonious reputation

  It may have taken longer than other countries, but it turns out Japan is just as susceptible to the spread of social media-induced clout-chasing behavior ...

• Why Kyoto’s 8-bit music artists call this humble cafe ‘home’

  It may look like any other retro arcade bar, but Cafe La Siesta means so much more to the artists who got their starts there.

• Business is booming for TikTok tutors

  Want to be a social media star? There are plenty of online teachers willing to teach you how — for a price.

American and world news from CNN

• Los Angeles Unified School District has reached an agreement in negotiations with workers union

  The Los Angeles Unified School District and Service Employees International Union Local 99 have reached a deal following a three-day strike, officials said in a news conference Friday evening.

• Student-led LGBT+ organization sues West Texas A&M president after he canceled student charity drag show

  A West Texas A&M student-led LGBT+ organization and its leaders have filed a federal lawsuit after a student drag show was canceled Monday by the university's president, who called such shows "derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny," drawing backlash from students and free speech advocates.

• Tennessee commission recommends decertification of former Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols' death

  A Tennessee commission is recommending that three former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers involved in the death of Tyre Nichols be decertified from working in law enforcement in the state.

• US immigration authorities have transferred 34 migrants from border with Canada to Texas for processing

  US Customs and Border Protection recently transferred 34 Mexican nationals from the Swanton Border Patrol Sector on the US border with Canada, to El Paso, Texas, for immigration processing at a southern border facility, according to a federal law enforcement source familiar with operations.

• Kentucky governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for youth

  Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday vetoed a Republican-led bill that would prohibit transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming care, such as surgical procedures or the use of certain hormones, bucking a growing trend of states restricting access to the treatments.

• Judge says several Trump aides, including former chief of staff, must testify to Jan. 6 grand jury

  • Opinion: Trump's visit to Waco is a provocation of historic significance

• Prosecutors accept deal with George Santos in Brazilian fraud case

  Prosecutors in Brazil have agreed to a deal with Rep. George Santos in a case in which he is accused of defrauding a Rio de Janeiro area clerk of $1,300 over clothes and shoes in 2008, documents obtained by CNN show.

• FBI takes down cybercrime forum that touted data connected to breach affecting US lawmakers

  The FBI has arrested the alleged founder of a popular cybercriminal forum that touted data stolen in a hack affecting members of Congress and thousands of other people and taken the website down, the Justice Department said Friday.

Singapore news from Today:

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