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Japan news from Japan Times

• Micronesia president says ‘transparency’ has eased Fukushima water concerns

  David Panuelo's remarks stood in contrast to those he gave the U.N. General Assembly in September of his "gravest concern" regarding Tokyo's plans.

• Record 94% of Japanese ‘do not feel friendly’ toward Russia

  The figure was up from 86.4% in the previous survey a year earlier, and the highest since the question was added to the annual survey ...

• Ex-Japan defense chief Kishi to resign as lawmaker over health issues

  Kishi, the younger brother of late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, previously faced concerns over his health when he held the defense portfolio between September ...

• Japanese government panel calls for raising age of consent to 16

  A government panel proposed Friday that the age of consent for sexual intercourse be raised from 13 to 16.

• COVID-19 tracker: Tokyo confirms 2,941 new cases

  A total of 17 deaths among COVID-19 patients were also reported in the capital.

• The risks, and safety measures to take, for backcountry skiers in Japan

  The deaths of two men in Nagano Prefecture, including an American champion skier, was a tragic reminder of the risks involved in backcountry ski trips, ...

• Government considering mask-free school graduation ceremonies

  A decision will likely be made early this month based on an assessment by experts.

• Japan to be more proactive in selecting disposal sites for nuclear waste

  The basic policy on the handling of highly radioactive waste from nuclear power plants is to be revised for the first time since 2015.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Malaysia faces ‘inconvenient truth’ on clean energy goals

  With renewables today accounting only for about 9% of Malaysia's electricity generation capacity, the government targets seem "highly unrealistic."

• With Beijing trip, Blinken aims to set guardrails as China-U.S. ties worsen

  The key question is whether the visit shows moves toward improving ties are temporary or instead marks the beginning of a sustained effort on cooperation.

• TEDx star hopes to turn message into Disney film

  Japanese entrepreneur, educator and consultant Kunio Hara garnered the greatest number of views on TEDx Talks in 2022, out of a total of 15,900 speakers ...

• Widodo’s dynasty takes shape with another son entering politics

  The president’s popularity can bolster his family members in the polls and a political dynasty may give him leverage to decide on future candidates in ...

• Can Pakistan break the cycle of destruction in flood rebuilding?

  More than 1,700 people were killed and 8 million were displaced by recent flooding, which also destroyed about a million homes and businesses across the ...

• Asia is loosening rules on masks. Here’s why people still wear them.

  Many other countries dropped pandemic mask requirements months ago. But in places like South Korea, which got rid of its rule this week, masks remain ...

• Philippines agrees to larger U.S. military presence as allies seek to deter China

  The pact will grant U.S. forces access to four more military sites, providing Washington with a strategic footing on the southeastern edge of the disputed ...

• Myanmar junta extends state of emergency, delaying elections

  The country has been in turmoil since the army's power grab in 2021, and a subsequent crackdown on dissent has sparked fighting across swathes of ...

Culture news from Japan Times

• Lizzo, Foo Fighters and The Strokes top Fuji Rock’s 2023 lineup

  The premier summer festival will also feature names such as Weezer, Yo La Tengo and Denzel Curry, underlining the event’s return to showcasing non-Japanese acts.

• Asian writers collaborate on anthology about modern disconnect

  Sayaka Murata, Chung Se Rang and seven other authors from across Asia lend their talents to a new collection of stories themed on the stresses ...

• ‘Tea Friends’: Sex positivity for the older crowd

  Bunji Sotoyama’s film about a call girl service for senior citizens is elevated by its frank depictions of elder sex.

• ‘Baian the Assassin M.D.’: Lead actor brings gravitas to killer role

  While Etsushi Toyokawa portrays the film's murderous hero with nuance and depth, the period drama's storyline creaks with age.

• ‘From this day forward, I will always be “Oscar-nominated actor Ke Huy Quan”!’

  After mounting a major career comeback and losing his health insurance, the “Everything Everywhere All at Once” actor says the news was surreal.

• Haruki Murakami to release first novel in six years in April

  There was little detail given about the new work, which will be Murakami's first novel since "Killing Commendatore" was published in February 2017.

• Barrett Strong, whose ‘Money’ helped launch Motown, dies at 81

  As a singer he was a one-hit wonder. But teaming with Norman Whitfield, he wrote a string of hits for others, including “I Heard It ...

• ‘Attack on Titan’ creator honored at French comics festival

  Hajime Isayama, creator of the popular Japanese manga series was given a special award at the International Comics Festival in Angouleme, France.

Sports news from Japan Times

• Government considers honoring wheelchair tennis great Shingo Kunieda with People’s Honor Award

  In January, Kunieda, a winner of 28 Grand Slam titles and three Paralympic gold medals in the men's singles, retired while at the top of ...

• Nick Kyrgios avoids conviction despite pleading guilty to assaulting former girlfriend

  The 2022 Wimbledon finalist admitted assaulting then-girlfriend Chiara Passari on Jan. 10, 2021, by pushing her to the ground after a heated argument.

• Japan set for Davis Cup tie against Poland

  World No. 33 Yoshihito Nishioka will lead off for Japan when it hosts Poland in a Davis Cup World Group I playoff tie from Saturday.The ...

• 2023 Rugby World Cup organizers expect to reap record profits

  "All the signals are green" for the Rugby World Cup in France said Jacques Rivoal, president of the organizing committee, who added he anticipated record ...

• Yuto Horigome makes early exit from world championships

  Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome crashed out in the men's open qualifier at the world street skateboarding championships Thursday.The Japanese star could only manage ...

• U.S. supports allowing Russian athletes to compete at 2024 Olympics as neutrals

  The IOC's willingness to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes in Paris has divided the sporting and diplomatic world.

• U.S. team frustrated by delay in awarding Olympic figure skating medals

  U.S. Figure Skating on Thursday said it was "deeply frustrated" by the nearly one-year delay in its athletes receiving the medals they won in the ...

• Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts recognize significance of first meeting between two Black starting QBs in Super Bowl

  "To be on the world stage and have two Black quarterbacks starting in the Super Bowl, I think it's special," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• ‘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.

• Elden Ring’s artful cruelty set the bar for gaming in 2022

  FromSoftware’s ambitious, brutal high fantasy RPG was by far the best game to come out of Japan in the last five years.

• Kizuna AI’s departure marked a new era for virtual stars in 2022

  Fans were shocked when the pioneering digital character stepped down in February, but virtual YouTubers are still proving to be one of Japan's strongest pop ...

• YouTubers eye online success with renewed Japan travels

  As incoming influencers revisit tried and true topics now that the government has eased border restrictions, some are taking this inclination to cater to viewers ...

• To bestselling gaming franchises, what are voice actors worth?

  When a voice actor took to Twitter to complain about low wages, it was only the beginning of a drawn-out controversy.

• 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.

American and world news from CNN

• Suspect arrested in case of tamarin monkeys missing from Dallas Zoo, police say

  A 24-year-old man has been arrested in Dallas and charged in connection with the suspected theft of a pair of emperor tamarin monkeys that were recovered unharmed this week in an abandoned home a day after they vanished from the Dallas Zoo, police said.

• San Francisco police are looking for a man who fired 'possible blanks' inside a synagogue

  Police are looking for a man they say entered a San Francisco synagogue and fired several apparently blank rounds before running away.

• Bodies found in apartment building believed to be those of 3 Michigan rappers missing almost two weeks, city official says

  Three bodies found Thursday in the Detroit area are believed to be those of three rappers missing for almost two weeks, a municipal spokesperson said.

• 'Don't take the chance': DEA official says they are constantly finding things they've never seen before in pills bought on the street

  Sitting among the warehouses of Dulles, Virginia, is one of the US Drug Enforcement Administration's forensic labs. It's one of eight across the country where scientists analyze illegal drugs and try to stay ahead of what's driving deadly overdoses.

• House Republicans kicked off 'weaponization' probe by interviewing a little-known retired FBI official

  • Opinion: Trump's first challenger is the one GOP needs

• House Foreign Affairs chair to highlight plight of Afghan women by bringing former ambassador to SOTU

  House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul has invited former Afghanistan Ambassador to the US Roya Rahmani to be his guest for President Joe Biden's State of the Union address next week, CNN has learned exclusively.

• Biden administration makes it easier for borrowers misled by for-profit colleges to apply for student loan forgiveness

  The Biden administration is making it a little easier for borrowers who were misled by their for-profit college to apply for student loan forgiveness. This comes as the president's broader, separate plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt is held up in the courts.

• Connecticut Democratic lawmakers call for agency ban on 'Latinx'

Singapore news from Today:

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