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Thousands gather for Anzac Day in Australia, New Zealand amid heightened security
Tens of thousands gathered in Australia and New Zealand at Anzac Day memorials on Thursday amid heightened security following the shooting massacre at Christchurch mosques and deadly suicide bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. A Sri Lankan government minister says the bombings on Easter Sunday were retaliation for… Read
Ghosn granted release on ¥500 mil bail by Tokyo District Court
Detained former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn paid 500 million yen ($4.5 million) in bail, the Tokyo District court said Thursday, signaling he would likely soon be released. Ghosn was arrested in November, released on bail in March but re-arrested in April on new allegations and taken to the Tokyo Detention… Read
Memorial service held for 107 victims of 2005 fatal train derailment in Hyogo
About 500 relatives of 107 victims of a train derailment in 2005 and JR West officials attended a memorial service on Thursday at the site of the crash in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture. A moment of silence was observed at 9:18 a.m., the exact moment the crash occurred 13 years ago.… Read
Man whose wife, 3-year-old daughter were killed by speeding car, puts focus on issue of elderly driving
A man who lost his wife and daughter in a Tokyo car crash involving an elderly driver expressed his deep sorrow Wednesday for being deprived of the family's future and called on people to reconsider driving if safety cannot be ensured. "I had believed I would watch my (3-year-old) daughter… Read
Japan eyes preventing convenience store chains from forcing 24-hour operations
Japan's antitrust watchdog is considering preventing convenience store operators from forcing franchise owners to open their outlets 24 hours a day, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. Cases such as when operators unilaterally reject requests from franchise holders to review their business hours to cope with severe labor shortages,… Read
Reporter sues government after his passport invalidated
A Japanese journalist known for covering war zones sued the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday after it invalidated his passport and demanded he surrender it, saying it deprived him of his right to travel and restricted press freedom. Kosuke Tsuneoka was stopped at Tokyo's Haneda airport in February on his way… Read
House panel chair accuses Trump of 'massive, unprecedented' obstruction
The Democratic chairman of the U.S. House Oversight Committee on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of a "massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction" after he ordered federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations. The Republican president ordered officials not to obey legal requests from the Democratic-led House of… Read
U.S. eases effects of sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard
The Trump administration on Wednesday granted important exemptions to new sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guard, watering down the effects of the measures while also eliminating an aspect that would have complicated U.S. foreign policy efforts. Foreign governments and businesses that have dealings with the Revolutionary Guard and its affiliates will… Read
Democrats voice horror over Saudi mass executions
Leading Democrats voiced horror and called for a rethink of the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after mass executions, while President Donald Trump's administration expressed only indirect concern. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday beheaded 37 citizens, nearly all from its Shiite minority, with one crucified after death and the… Read
Smiling Kim arrives by train in Russia for his Putin summit
A smiling and upbeat Kim Jong Un arrived Wednesday in far-eastern Russia aboard an armored train for a much-anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that comes amid deadlocked global diplomacy over the North Korean leader's nuclear program. Both leaders have high hopes for their first one-on-one meeting: Kim for… Read
