News

Japan news from Japan Times

• Osaka reports 785 new COVID-19 cases and 42 deaths while Tokyo logs 772

  The figure in the capital was less than the 1,121 cases reported a week ago and the 1,050 on May 1.

• Japan risks multiple new states of emergency with slow vaccine pace, study shows

  Four more states of emergency are likely at a pace of 220,000 jabs per day, while only one would be needed if 880,000 shots are ...

• Okinawa marks 49th anniversary of reversion as pandemic limits base protests

  A protest march was canceled this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while the number of people joining a rally in front of the ...

• Rakuten founder Hiroshi Mikitani calls Tokyo Olympics a ‘suicide mission’

  Mikitani, who has been an outspoken critic of the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, said the sporting event, due to start in two months, ...

• More than 60% say raising children in Japan is difficult, survey finds

  The government survey highlighted a perception of insufficient support for parenting compared with other nations.

• Japan to donate $4 million in food aid for crisis-hit Myanmar

  Japan believes such punitive measures may drive Myanmar closer to China, a strategic competitor to the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific.

• Mammals can breathe through anus in emergencies, Japanese study finds

  Researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University say the finding might also apply to humans who are in respiratory distress when ventilators are not available ...

• It’s usually safe to say money talks, but is Myanmar’s junta listening?

  If the idea of economic pressure is to bend a regime to your will, then Japan should have leverage with Myanmar.

Asia/Pacific news from Japan Times

• China lands on Mars, closing gap with U.S. in space exploration

  China has now sent astronauts into space, powered probes to the moon and landed a rover on Mars, the most prestigious of all prizes in ...

• Taiwan tightens curbs after surge in domestic COVID-19 cases

  Taiwan raised its coronavirus alert level on Saturday in Taipei, bringing measures for two weeks that will shut many venues in the wake of 180 ...

• New Zealand PM vows to fight hate and study social media algorithms

  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that world leaders and tech firms looking to stamp out violent extremism online would need to ...

• Vaccine lottery: Indian states grapple with how to share COVID-19 jabs

  India is a major producer of COVID-19 vaccines, but by Monday it had fully vaccinated only 34.8 million people — about 2.5% of the population, ...

• Australia’s Scott Morrison stands by ‘one country’ remark on China and Taiwan

  Such a stance would represent a shift in the U.S. ally’s longstanding policy of "strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan’s status.

• Modi ally taps misinformation law to quash reports on India’s COVID-19 crisis

  Journalists report receiving notices stating their reports are false and demanding that they reveal sources.

• ‘COVID-Zero’ havens may find reopening harder than taming virus

  Some fear territories that prioritized safety early in the pandemic may be left behind by rivals with higher caseloads that have boosted vaccine uptake.

• Buddhist monks in Myanmar split over coup

  A hard-line, pro-military faction within the clergy has defended the new junta as a protector of a majority-Buddhist identity.

Culture news from Japan Times

• Pioneering composer Terry Riley finds himself comfortably marooned in Japan

  Performer-composer Terry Riley's 1964 piece "In C" has been compared to Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring."

• Smash-hit ‘Attack on Titan’ spoke to chaotic modern times

  As the internationally acclaimed manga series "Attack on Titan" wraps up, pop culture critics are commenting on its legacy both here and abroad.

• Director Akio Fujimoto pushes for more diversity in Japanese film

  When Akio Fujimoto cast three Vietnamese actresses in a movie about the Vietnamese experience, he was actually doing something rather rare in the Japanese film ...

• ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ manga draws fans to temple in central Japan

  Senkoji temple in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, deifies Ryomen Sukuna, one of the key antagonists in a series about a boy who joins a secret organization ...

• U.S. audiences can’t get enough of Japanese action shows and anime

  Have you seen "Yasuke" yet? How about "Alice in Borderland"? If you're in the United States, according to Netflix, it's increasingly likely that you have.

• Late designer Kenzo Takada’s art collection sells for €2.5 million at auction

  Around 550 items from his Paris apartment fetched roughly five times the expected prices, according to the auction operator.

• What will music festivals look like in the wake of the pandemic? We’ll start to find out this summer.

  Naoki Shimizu, the man behind Japan's massive Summer Sonic festival, talks about COVID-19 precautions and new ideas for moving forward.

• ‘Along the Sea’: Akio Fujimoto presents a gripping story of young Vietnamese women trying to survive Japan

  The Vietnamese technical trainees in "Along the Sea" are seldom seen or heard in Japanese society, but the actors' performances make it hard to look ...

Sports news from Japan Times

• Tokyo snaps five-game losing streak in rout of Kashiwa

  With fans increasingly calling for change after five straight losses in the J. League’s first division, FC Tokyo manager Kenta Hasegawa went into Saturday’s game ...

• Shohei Ohtani unleashed

  With the so-called Ohtani rules junked, the Angels’ “super freak” is dominating as a hitter and a pitcher. “There are things that he can do ...

• Shohei Ohtani ties AL home run lead in Angels’ loss to Red Sox

  Ohtani launched his first career home run over the famed Green Monster at Boston's Fenway Park, but the Los Angeles Angels came up short Friday.

• Rui Hachimura scores 14 as Wizards clinch play-in berth

  The second-year Japanese forward shot 7-from-15 as part of a balanced Washington offensive effort that included 21 points from Russell Westbrook and 17 from Davis ...

• Boxing nurse Arisa Tsubata’s Olympic dream crushed by COVID-19

  In order to focus on her boxing, the 27-year old quit her job at a major hospital in January to take on a less demanding ...

• Sebastian Coe says COVID-19 vaccine a big factor in making Tokyo Games happen

  The Olympics were postponed in March last year following the start of the pandemic but Coe said he believes athletes are in a different frame ...

• Competitors need decision on Olympics, Roger Federer says

  An Olympics singles gold medal is the only major honor missing from the Swiss great's collection — but the 39-year-old said he would understand if ...

• Brazil begins mass vaccination of Tokyo-bound Olympians

  Brazil began a mass vaccination program on Friday for athletes, coaches, staff and journalists heading to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July.Doctors in six ...

Tech news from Japan Times

• 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 ...

• Plant a garden, solve puzzles and save the world in these video games

  Three well-known gaming franchises — PixelJunk, Puyo Puyo Tetris and Earth Defense Force — get sequels.

American and world news from CNN

• 'No regard for human safety': Police chief says 7 people remain hospitalized from Rhode Island shooting

  Seven of the nine people who were injured in Thursday's shooting in Providence, Rhode Island, remained hospitalized Friday, the city's police chief said.

• Philadelphia discovers the cremated remains of MOVE bombing victims after a city health official's resignation

  Philadelphia's city health commissioner is resigning after news he cremated and disposed of some of the remains of the 1985 MOVE bombing victims, the mayor announced Thursday.

• Jay Barbree, space journalist and 'Moon Shot' author, dies at 87

  Pioneering space journalist Jay Barbree died Friday, according to his former employer, NBC News. He was 87.

• Three Nashville police officers are suspended without pay over botched apartment raid

  Three Nashville police officers who raided the wrong apartment last summer will be suspended without pay as well as face other disciplinary measures, the city's police chief said Friday.

• Former Gaetz associate strikes deal to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors

  An indicted close confidant of Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz has struck a deal with federal prosecutors to greatly reduce his criminal case and plans to help investigators in their sprawling investigation that includes a sex trafficking probe.

• Biden administration gives House panel documents related to Trump hotel

  The General Services Administration has provided House Democrats with documents related to former President Donald Trump's Washington hotel, in the second case this week where the Biden administration gave the House information that the Trump administration had blocked it from obtaining.

• Fact check: Stefanik wrongly says US saw 'worst jobs report in over 20 years'

  In accepting her new position to replace Liz Cheney as conference chair of the Republican party, Rep. Elise Stefanik went after President Joe Biden and what she called his "far-left radical socialist policies."

• Biden revokes Trump-era executive actions on immigration, monuments, censorship

  President Joe Biden issued executive orders on Friday revoking several executive actions taken by former President Donald Trump, including a proclamation that required that visa applicants have health insurance or the means to pay for medical care, an action related to online censorship and an order to build "the Garden of American Heroes."

Singapore news from Today:

• Tightened Covid-19 measures: What exercises and how many participants are allowed? Here's what you need to know

• 31 new Covid-19 infections in Singapore, including 19 community cases

• Covid-19: Changi Airport to segregate flight arrivals from high-risk countries, regions

• About 5,000 inmates, staff to be tested for Covid-19 after cook at Changi Prison tests positive

• Covid-19: Couples on edge as they scramble to make changes to disrupted wedding plans

• Covid-19: STB tightens rules on staycations, events and cruises

• Adulting 101: What trying to go on a run every day has taught me about achieving work-life balance

• Kopitiam Square food centre in Sengkang and eateries islandwide visited by Covid-19 cases while infectious