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Japan reaches its lowest-ever ranking on Education First’s 2024 English Proficiency Index
Every year since 2011, Switzerland-based international education company Education First (EF) has released an English Proficiency Index (EPI), the largest of its kind throughout the world. EF’s recently released 2024 EPI compiles the testing results of 2.1 million people from 116 countries and regions for which English is not considered the mother tongue. Exams were scored out of 800 points and… Read
Lawmakers concerned about background checks of Trump's cabinet picks as red flags surface
As senators prepare to consider President-elect Donald Trump's picks for his cabinet, they will likely be doing so without a well-established staple of the confirmation process: an FBI background check. The Trump transition team has so far not signed the requisite agreements with the White House or the Justice Department… Read
Ishiba criticized in Japan for 'bad manners' at APEC summit
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is being criticized online by people in Japan for his "bad manners" after footage of the APEC forum summit in Peru showed him greeting other leaders while remaining seated. Footage showed Ishiba checking his smartphone while seated as leaders including Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and Malaysia's… Read
Putin lowers threshold for using his nuclear arsenal after Biden's arms decision for Ukraine
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday formally lowered the threshold for Russia’s use of its nuclear weapons, a move that follows U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russian territory with American-supplied longer-range missiles. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Moscow even to… Read
Rising pit bull attacks in Japan put spotlight on negligent owners
A Japanese octogenarian, who had part of her ear bitten off when she was mauled by a pit bull on a street corner nearly two years ago, has suffered ongoing trauma and is unable to live an ordinary life. The same dog later attacked and injured another passerby, and a… Read
Australian woman accused of drug smuggling says she was victim of online romance scam
An Australian woman accused of smuggling amphetamines in a suitcase appeared in a Japanese court on Monday nearly two years after her arrest, saying she is innocent and that she was tricked into carrying them as part of an online romance scam. Donna Nelson from Perth, Australia, was arrested at… Read
Japan sets monthly record with 3.31 million visitors in October
Japan welcomed a record 3.31 million visitors last month, official data showed on Wednesday, as the weak yen propelled a tourism boom that is pouring money into the nation's coffers. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure rose from 2.87 million in September and exceeded the previous monthly… Read
Musk outlines plans for mass cuts as Trump 'efficiency' czar
Elon Musk outlined plans Wednesday for his new role as "efficiency" czar -- signaling an assault on federal spending and staffing that would be backed by President-elect Donald Trump's executive powers and a conservative Supreme Court. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, the world's richest man said he was taking… Read
Moscow warns U.S. over allowing Ukraine to hit Russian soil with longer-range weapons
The Kremlin warned Monday that President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher. Biden’s shift in policy added an uncertain, new factor to the conflict on the eve… Read
Biden authorizes Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia
U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. The decision allowing Kyiv to use… Read
