News

Japan news from Japan Times

• State of emergency to be lifted for nine prefectures

  All prefectures under the declaration except Okayama and Hiroshima will shift to a quasi-state of emergency until July 11.

• Some COVID-19 patients had symptoms six months after diagnosis, Japanese survey shows

  Headaches and hair loss were some of the ailments plaguing people who had suffered with the coronavirus, according to the study.

• Officials from Japan, U.S. and South Korea to meet on North Korea issues

  Sung Kim, who was named U.S. special envoy for North Korea last month, is expected to attend the meeting to be held in South Korea.

• Giant Buddhist goddess gets face mask to pray for end of COVID-19

  It took four workers three hours to carry the massive mask on ropes up the 57-meter-high statue of Kannon in Fukushima Prefecture.

• Japan to cap big event audiences at 10,000 after COVID-19 emergency

  The announcement — made less than five weeks before the opening ceremony of the Olympics — effectively determines how many local fans will be able ...

• Tokyo reports 501 new COVID-19 cases amid warning of resurgence

  Cases in the capital rose above 500 for the first time in nearly two weeks as a health ministry advisory board warned of a possible ...

• ‘No time to waste’ warns Kimiko Hirata, prize-winning Japanese climate activist

  The panel behind the Goldman Environmental Prize said work by Hirata's NGO had prevented the emission of 42 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

• Suga’s policy wins overshadowed by COVID-19 as Diet session wraps up

  Without the pandemic, the prime minister would have enough achievements under his belt to be untroubled by a forthcoming LDP leadership contest and general election.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• Issue at Chinese nuclear plant may be less alarming than the politics around it

  China’s nuclear regulator said Wednesday there was increased radiation in the primary loop of the reactor because of a small amount of fuel rod damage.

• With record warplane incursion near Taiwan, China has a message: We won’t be cowed

  The mission comes as Beijing faces international calls to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and as the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary fast approaches.

• Half of China-backed overseas coal projects shelved

  Over half of Chinese-backed overseas coal-fired power plant projects have been shelved or canceled over the past six years, underscoring the rising forces against coal ...

• Proposed changes to South Korea citizenship law face anti-China headwinds

  The controversy highlights the challenges South Korea faces as it seeks to ensure a robust population in the face of declining birthrates and rapidly aging ...

• Kim says North Korea’s food situation is ‘getting tense’

  The country's leader also said the economy "has shown improvement as a whole,” on the back of increased industrial output.

• Why Asia, the pandemic champion, remains miles away from the finish line

  All across the Asia-Pacific region, the countries that led the world in containing the coronavirus are now languishing in the race to put it behind ...

• Fear of ‘pervasive’ digital sex crime affecting life for South Korean women

  Many victims have said they have considered suicide or leaving the country, Human Rights Watch said in a report.

• Phuket reopening plan offers model for Asia as travel bubbles burst

  Tourism-reliant Thailand aims to allow quarantine-free entry for vaccinated travelers to its prime destination from July 1.

Culture news from Japan Times

• ‘The Party and the People’ shows Chinese leadership as responsive but unaccountable to the public

  In his new book, Bruce J. Dickson refers to contemporary Chinese politics as a study in nuanced contrasts: authoritarian yet cooperative; repressive yet responsive to ...

• Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia delivers more than A-list talent

  Since its start in 1999, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & Asia) has become the largest festival of its kind in Asia. This ...

• Detained but not silent: Stories from inside Japan’s immigration centers

  Thomas Ash’s documentary “Ushiku” brings to the light the experiences of detainees at Japan’s immigration facilities and the harsh conditions they face.

• ‘Colorless’: A layered love affair with an enigmatic woman

  Despite its theme of duplicity in love, the film is not an exercise in black-comic cynicism.

• ‘Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko’: What it lacks in conflict, it makes up for with heart

  Ayumu Watanabe’s latest anime feature employs some stereotypes, but the supportive and heartwarming relationship between its central mother-daughter pair forms the backbone of the film.

• A Chinese American gunslinger challenges the whiteness of Westerns

  Tom Lin’s debut novel explores the lives of Chinese Americans and immigrants who have largely been omitted from the cultural history of the West.

• ‘Prelude to Pearl Harbor’: With diplomatic lines drawn and soft power spent, a standoff emerges

  Author John Gripentrog looks at the events and attitudes that paved the way to the Second World War in “Prelude to Pearl Harbor: Ideology and ...

• A decade in the game, LiSA continues to slay

  The singer-songwriter, who has written opening tracks for the “Demon Slayer” franchise, marks 10 years in the music industry as a solo artist with a ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• ‘Twist Prince’ Kenzo Shirai retires to focus on coaching

  The 24-year-old, who has several original skills named after him in the vault and floor exercise, failed to qualify for the Tokyo Games during April's ...

• Masahiro Tanaka and Tomoyuki Sugano highlight Samurai Japan squad for Tokyo Games

  Manager Atsunori Inaba will be calling upon NPB's top players to deliver gold for the host nation when the Olympic baseball tournament begins on July ...

• Antagonism and conflict fuel England’s rivalry with Scotland

  First officially played in Glasgow in 1872, the clash is international soccer's oldest fixture, but meetings between the neighboring nations have always been more than ...

• Ryo Ishikawa has one last chance to qualify for Tokyo Olympics

  Only a very high finish at this week's U.S. Open can earn Ishikawa the second spot on the Japan team alongside Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.

• Former world champion says Australia’s Olympic hopes boosted by schedule shift

  The country is looking to reverse a trend of disappointing performances at the games after winning just one gold medal in London and three in ...

• Yuka Saso gets dream meeting with idol Rory McIlroy

  Videos comparing the two golfers' swings went viral online as the 19-year-old captured her first major at the U.S. Women's Open on June 6.

• Carp stop Lions to put Central League on top in interleague

  The result ensured that the CL would beat the rival Pacific League in the annual interleague standings for the first time since 2009.

• Ado Onaiwu hat trick propels Japan’s win over Kyrgyzstan

  The 25-year-old, who leads Japanese players in the J. League with 10 goals this season for Yokohama F. Marinos, scored three goals in a six-minute ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• Japanese gaming arcades are on their last life

  Already on a downward trend, COVID-19-mandated closures are slashing profits and forcing closures of many of the country’s iconic locations.

• A shaky future for Sony’s Japan Studio after mass staff exodus

  A slew of veteran game developers and producers announced their departure from the studio in advance of its April 1 restructuring.

• Tokyo-born artist and activist Drue Kataoka becomes the new face of Clubhouse

  Asian American artist Drue Kataoka uses the Clubhouse platform to discuss art and politics, and has raised more than $88,000 for the Asian American Foundation.

• 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 ...

American and world news from CNN

• Texas GOP governor signs permit-free gun carrying legislation

  Texans will soon be able to carry handguns in public without obtaining licenses or training after the state's Republican governor on Wednesday signed a permitless carry gun bill into law.

• Three weeks after a mass shooting, San Jose leaders unanimously pass new gun law

  Three weeks after a gunman opened fire at a San Jose public transit rail yard and killed nine people, officials in the Northern California city passed a law requiring retailers to videotape all gun purchases.

• Microsoft shareholder pushes company to address sexual harassment after Bill Gates misconduct allegations

  An activist investor is urging Microsoft to do more to combat sexual harassment following misconduct allegations against its founder Bill Gates.

• Trump-era limits on asylum claims for victims of domestic and gang violence removed

  The Justice Department on Wednesday reversed two Trump-era immigration decisions that narrowed who could qualify for asylum, including an opinion that removed some protections for victims of domestic violence and gang violence.

• New Yorker, Ars Technica and Pitchfork reach agreement on union contracts after contentious battle with Condé Nast

  After a protracted battle that nearly led to a workers strike, the staffers at three Condé Nast publications — The New Yorker, Ars Technica and Pitchfork — have come to an agreement on their first union contracts

• Biden cancels $500 million in student debt for victims of for-profit school fraud

  The Department of Education is canceling $500 million in student loan debt for 18,000 former ITT Tech students defrauded by the now defunct for-profit college, another step the Biden administration is taking to address a backlog of more than 100,000 forgiveness claims left over from the Trump administration.

• Chaotic scene between press corps and security unfolds at start of Geneva summit

  A physical altercation broke out Wednesday at the start of President Joe Biden's first summit with his Russian counterpart as reporters from each country shoved each other, and security, in their attempts to access the sole joint photo-op of the talks.

• Education Department says Title IX protections apply to LGBTQ students

  The Education Department on Wednesday issued guidance that Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, a reversal of the Trump administration's stance that gay and transgender students are not protected by the law.

Singapore news from Today:

• Some residents and hawkers anxious as Covid-19 cases surface in Bukit Merah, Redhill and Telok Blangah

• 24 clinics selected to administer Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine; S$10 to S$25 for single dose

• Night Safari, Chinatown Complex among places visited by Covid-19 cases while infectious

• 5 visitors to Bukit Merah View market and nearby block test positive for Covid-19: MOH

• 20 massage parlours ordered to close temporarily due to breaches of Covid-19 safe management measures

• Store assistant injured after glass panel at Bobbi Brown in Ion Orchard shatters on first day of reopening

• Warm and humid weather set to continue for the rest of June: Met Service

• 2 shipwrecks — dating as far back as 600 years — found in Singapore waters, yielding trove of artefacts