Tropical Storm Cempaka strengthened into a typhoon early Tuesday over the South China Sea. The storm had winds up to 120 kph (75 mph) and was located about 185 kilometers (115 miles) southwest of Hong Kong as of 5 a.m. (5 p.m. ET). Cempaka is not expected to intensify as it nears land. A Strong…
Two municipalities in Shimane Prefecture, western Japan, issued the highest level of the evacuation order for residents Monday after torrential rain fell in the morning. The city government of Unnan issued the level-5 emergency order throughout the city, warning of the risk of mudslides due to heavy rain since last Tuesday. The town of Iinan…
The Fukuoka Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency (Mainichi/Yusaku Yoshikawa) FUKUOKA — Localized heavy rain lashed parts of the northern Kyushu region on the morning of July 9, prompting authorities to issue a landslide warning for the city of Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The heavy rainfall, brought by a seasonal rain front, had reached…
In this May 11, 2021, file photo, athletes compete in the men’s 400-meter T20 race during an athletics test event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games at National Stadium in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) TOKYO (AP) — The pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics are shaping up as a TV-only event with few fans — if any —…
Workers compile freshly printed newspapers for their delivery at the printing facility of the Apple Daily newspaper offices in Hong Kong on June 22, 2021. (Anadolu Agency/Getty/Kyodo) Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, which has had its assets frozen and its executives indicted under a sweeping national security law, will publish its last print edition…
Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed at Tokyo Olympic events but organizers warned that the competition could move behind closed doors if coronavirus infections surge. “In light of the government’s restrictions on public events, the spectator limit for the Olympic Games will be set at 50 percent of venue capacity, up to a maximum…
The most effective weapon in America’s tussle with strategic and economic competitors maybe 100 U.S. cents. Countries like Russia and China chafe at the dollar’s dominance, but there’s little they can do other than posture and make relatively benign adjustments to their monetary arrangements. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged as much recently, telling journalists that…
TBS Radio Inc. Chairman Kiyohiko Irie is seen during a news conference in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, on June 15, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Wide FM receiver promotion liaison) TOKYO — Forty-four of the 47 commercial AM radio stations across Japan plans to switch to FM broadcasting by fall 2028 to improve business performance by…
One of the more unusual industries to appear in Japan in recent years is the rent-a-person business. There were the rent-a-middle-aged-dude and rent-a-sister services we tried out, for example, and now comes a new innovation: a company that will let you rent a “fat” person. We should point out that the “fat” designation comes from the company itself, which is called Debucari,…
Drone expo kicks off in Japan Companies are showing off the latest drone technology for a trade show near Tokyo. Over 100 firms from Japan and elsewhere are taking part. One of the drones comes with an underwater craft. The machine can fly to a location over water and drop the device, which sends…
