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Japan news from Japan Times

• Iran takes more robust military stance amid frozen U.S. talks

  The move is a sign that Tehran is preparing for a protracted era of regional conflict.

• Closer ties with Japan an ‘imperative of our time,’ South Korea’s envoy says

  Ambassador Lee Hyuk underlines the need for Seoul and Tokyo to boost ties in view of the commonalities they face in terms of the security situation.

• Josh Kushner, Bob Iger buy LA Lakers for $12.5 billion

  The sale price is the highest ever for a sports franchise, exceeding the $9.6 billion for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in July.

• Xi’s secretive graft purges spawn underground market for leaks

  The groups are flourishing a year before the leadership congress where Xi could secure a precedent-defying fourth term.

• Credible missile threat led to secret aircraft switch for Trump, source says

  The threat emerged on the final day ‌of U.S. President Donald Trump's ‌visit to Ankara for the NATO summit amid heightened tensions with Iran, a source has said.

• Trump reverts to economic squeeze of ‘entrenched’ Iranian regime

  It marks a return to familiar playbook with Tehran: a steady increase in economic sanctions and a naval blockade to stifle oil exports.

• Wagner Moura and Greta Lee fight for survival in new thriller ‘The Last House’

  A family's refuge becomes a prison as resources run low and an unexplained threat keeps them confined.

• Western allies are about to fail Ukraine, again

  The lack of Western support is giving Putin reason to fight on, and Russia is acquiring a significant new advantage in being able to strike any Ukrainian target.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Xi’s secretive graft purges spawn underground market for leaks

  The groups are flourishing a year before the leadership congress where Xi could secure a precedent-defying fourth term.

• Zhu Rongji, Chinese premier who cajoled economy into modern era, dies at 97

  Zhu Rongji helped push reforms that transformed China from a beleaguered hold-out against the collapse of Soviet-style Communism in the early 1990s to an emerging superpower.

• Parkour helps Singapore’s elderly boost agility and strength

  A coach has gotten millions of views on social media by using parkour techniques to teach the elderly things such as better balance.

• Myanmar ramps up civilian attacks with airborne weapons, U.N. says

  The military increasingly relies on motorized paragliders, gyrocopters and drones for low-altitude strikes using unguided explosives, according to U.N. investigators.

• Taiwan condemns ‘dangerous’ planned Chinese navy drill with Indonesia

  Taipei says Beijing was trying to create a false impression that it controls waters east of Taiwan, where the drills were conducted.

• India warns incidents on disputed border will affect China relations

  During the foreign ministry's biweekly briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal did not deny that a fresh border incident had occurred.

• North Korea fires off second missile in less than a week

  The missile was believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Defense Ministry in Tokyo said.

• China missile test deepens Pacific divide over growing militarization

  Pacific Islands ​foreign ministers have been unable to agree on a collective statement condemning Beijing's missile test, despite individual leaders expressing alarm.

Culture news from Japan Times

• Wagner Moura and Greta Lee fight for survival in new thriller ‘The Last House’

  A family's refuge becomes a prison as resources run low and an unexplained threat keeps them confined.

• How war shaped the manga of Tadao Tsuge

  The "gekiga" pioneer drew on memories of war, hunger and poverty to chronicle Japan's overlooked lives.

• Too much music, not enough weekend: A guide to Summer Sonic 2026

  From metal to 1990s dance nostalgia, this year's event packs an absurd amount of music into one long weekend.

• A Yukio Mishima stage adaptation pulls genre-bending strings

  A cross-cultural collaboration mixing bunraku puppetry, kabuki and literature is creating a new take on Yukio Mishima's novel.

• ‘Till We Meet Again on the Starry Hill’: Time-travel kamikaze romance gets a pointless sequel

  Takehiko Shinjo's follow-up to a 2023 hit film is even more muddled than its predecessor.

• ‘Ghost of Ueno’: A human drama about the invisible among us

  Chinese director Qi Wang's film examines the plight of the homeless and disenfranchised in Japan with a humanist lens.

• ‘The Man Who Carries the Voice of August’ explores the fragile legacy of the hibakusha

  A journalist's effort to record hibakusha testimonies raises questions about memory, truth and survival.

• Fans rush to buy copy of Keigo Higashino’s final work

  The release of "Eternal Memory" comes after the acclaimed mystery author died of colorectal cancer last month.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Josh Kushner, Bob Iger buy LA Lakers for $12.5 billion

  The sale price is the highest ever for a sports franchise, exceeding the $9.6 billion for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks in July.

• Ikarigata closer to emulating older brother Fujinokawa than many think

  While many expect Ikarigata to reach juryo in the near future, there's less confidence in his ability to match his older brother's achievements, which could be a mistake.

• Warriors planning for star guard Stephen Curry to finish career with team

  Both sides have previously expressed interest in Curry finishing his career in San Francisco, and little has happened to indicate either party has had a change of ​heart.

• Naomi Osaka falls against Elena Rybakina in Toronto

  Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion from Kazakhstan, fired 13 aces in a 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory.

• LeBron to make Sixers debut against defending champion Knicks on opening night

  The NBA announced several key games on Tuesday ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, which begins with a three-game slate featuring James with his new club.

• White Sox celebrate ‘Pope Night’ with holy hat giveaway

  The team has not shied away from the connection since it was revealed the pope was a White Sox fan following his elevation to ​the highest seat in the Catholic Church in 2025.

• Veteran Justin Rose pushing to remain among golf’s elite well into 40s

  The ⁠Englishman arrives at the FedEx Cup playoff opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship, as the defending champion after defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff last year.

• ‘Flawed’ funding system keeping smaller nations on sidelines of FIFA civil war

  Smaller nations are wary to taking a side and putting their funding at risk, according to former Papua New Guinea international Alex Davani.

Life news from Japan Times

• Japan’s brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music

  It might sound like pseudoscience, but there could be more to the idea of brewing with music than meets the ear.

• ¥6,000 for shaved ice: Is luxury ‘kakigōri’ worth it?

  The summer staple is being elevated into an extravagant treat by dessert purveyors — with varying results.

• Locked up in luxury at the new Hoshinoya Nara Prison hotel

  Open from July, the lodging occupying an Important Cultural Property prompts guests to reflect on societal progress and the role of prisons.

• How Japan’s racehorses find second careers away from the track

  After their racing careers are over, only a lucky few of Japan's nearly 9,000 racehorses end up at TCC Therapy Park for rehabilitation.

• Speaking Japanese at the movies with ‘Chiikawa’

  Explore the vocabulary behind horror, spoilers, happy endings and the surprising reactions to this summer's biggest anime.

• How one Japanese couple made the 1920s and ’30s into a way of life

  No refrigerator. No microwave. Just blocks of ice, records and a home built for another age.

• At Nonna Nietta, Italian magic in suburban Tsukuba

  Chef Kenji Kawamura spent six formative years training as a chef in Italy. That dedication shows in the deep, authentic flavors up and down the menu at his Ibaraki restaurant.

• A sushi rice pocket by any other name

  Japan's "inari-zushi" sushi pockets are normally plain compared to their Korean counterparts, but a blend of the two makes for a delectable treat.

 

 Singapore news from Today:

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