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August 14, 2026
 

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JAPAN

Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko are scheduled to visit Paraguay from Tuesday through Aug. 26 to mark the 90th anniversary of the first Japanese emigration to the country.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Crown prince declines to discuss revised Imperial House Law
The crown prince became the first imperial family member to speak at a news conference since its enactment.
Check-in counters at Haneda Airport
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Japan sees 60% rise in passport applications in July
There were about 3.3 times more applications in the first three days of July compared with the same period last year, a Foreign Ministry official said.
The government has adopted a plan to cut the consumption tax rate for food and beverage items to 1% for two years from April 2027.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Nearly half in Japan support plan to cut tax on food, survey shows
A total of 49.1% of respondents to the survey conducted this month expressed backing for the plan, while 31.6% opposed it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Yasny fish processing factory on Etorofu island, one of four islands in the contested chain known as the Kuril Islands in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 13, 2026
Putin visits disputed Etorofu island off Hokkaido, sparking protest from Tokyo
By Eric Johnston and Kanako Takahara
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the visit as incompatible with Â鶹´«Ã½ position on the islands, which are an inherent part of Japanese territory.
Staff members of the Vietnamese association in Kumamoto deliver relief supplies to foreign residents in the city of Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Aug. 6.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 13, 2026
Foreign nationals support one another following quake in Kumamoto
Some?residents hesitate to go to evacuation centers or struggle to obtain information on relief supplies due to language barriers and cultural differences.
Kumamoto Castle reopened on Thursday morning, with around 200 visitors lining up outside.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Kumamoto Castle reopens two weeks after massive quake
Safety checks were completed quickly following the 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 28, which registered up to 7, the highest level on Â鶹´«Ã½ seismic intensity scale.
Japan will be Pink¡¯s Hot Dogs¡¯ third Asia location.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 13, 2026
Hollywood hot dogs bound for Japan with new Pink¡¯s flagship store
By Elizabeth Beattie
With a plan to differentiate itself through its wide range of toppings and offerings, the company is aiming for 20 stores in Japan by the end of 2030.
People pray for the victims of an explosion at Aeon Mall shopping complex in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Aeon considering compensation over fatal blast after Kumamoto quake
The explosion, likely to have been caused by liquefied petroleum gas, killed seven employees.
Engineering firm Yurtec's young engineers demonstrate their power line installation skills at a training center in Tomiya, Miyagi Prefecture, in July.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Aug 13, 2026
Tohoku firms step up efforts to train next generation of maintenance engineers
Many are changing their approaches to training to motivate new recruits and ensure there are enough workers to maintain critical infrastructure in the future.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for 20 minutes in phone call on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Takaichi opposes Hormuz fees in phone talks with Iran¡¯s president
The prime minister told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that it is important to ensure free and safe navigation without additional cost in the key waterway.
Satellite view of Minamitorishima, part of the Ogasawara Islands.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
U.S. and Japan plan world¡¯s deepest undersea mine to challenge China
By Alastair Gale, Akemi Terukina and Yoshiaki Nohara
A tiny Japanese island sits astride deep-sea rare earth deposits ¡ª ones that could ¡°meet centuries¡¯ worth of industrial demand,¡± a U.S.-Japan statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at a news conference in Canberra on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Canberra says no ill intent in prime minister¡¯s remark on Takaichi¡¯s gift
Takaichi gave Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese high-quality melons from Shizuoka Prefecture at their dinner during her visit to Australia in May.
According to the Environment Ministry, elderly people accounted for about 85% of heatstroke fatalities in 2024, with most deaths occurring at home.
JAPAN
Aug 13, 2026
Japan testing new tech to prevent heatstroke among elderly
A new initiative aims to identify heatstroke risks proactively as extreme heat continues to claim the lives of many elderly people indoors.
South Korean Ambassador to Japan Lee Hyuk speaks to The Japan Times at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo on Aug. 4.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Closer ties with Japan an ¡®imperative of our time,¡¯ South Korea¡¯s envoy says
By Kenji Yoshida
Ambassador Lee Hyuk underlines the need for Seoul and Tokyo to boost ties in view of the commonalities they face in terms of the security situation.

ASIA PACIFIC

New Zealand's security agency said in a report that a Chinese organization with close ties ?to the government in Beijing had sought to install ground-based space infrastructure in the country through a local company.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Chinese state-linked observatory sought NZ site, spy agency says
By Lucy Craymer
China was the only country detected to have been conducting espionage ¡°at scale,¡± according to a report from New Zealand¡¯s security agency.
Students supporting the Cockroach Janata Party wave an Indian national flag during a celebration after the government accepted their key demands, including the resignation of the country¡¯s education minister, in Mumbai, India, on July 26.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
India student protests disrupt parliament, put Modi on defensive
The protests are becoming one of the biggest political challenges for Narendra Modi, adding to pressure since his party lost its outright majority in the 2024 election.
Sigit Buludawa, 34, owner of a kitchen serving the National Nutrition Agency's free meal program, in the fishing village of Torosiaje, Gorontalo province, Indonesia, on July 27. Sigit is one of at least 400 investors who borrowed money to build over 1,500 kitchens in remote areas ?on reimbursement terms ?that have now been delayed or changed as the government seeks to reduce costs for the program.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 13, 2026
Indonesia¡¯s flagship free meals initiative leaves kitchen investors deep in debt
By Ananda Teresia
Mounting debts are the latest blow for an initiative that has struggled with governance, supply chain problems, mass food-poisoning and financial cutbacks.
An aerial view shows thick smoke rising from KM Putri Yasmin ferry that caught fire in waters off Lombok, Indonesia, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 13, 2026
One dead, more than 200 rescued after Indonesian ferry from Bali catches fire
The ?incident took place less than a month after another ferry caught fire off Madura island, killing five people.
Chinese President Xi Jinping might secure a precedent-defying fourth term during next autumn¡¯s Chinese Communist Party leadership congress.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Xi¡¯s secretive graft purges spawn underground market for leaks
The groups are flourishing a year before the leadership congress where Xi could secure a precedent-defying fourth term.

WORLD

Wheat grains are loaded onto a truck in Zhytomyr region, Ukraine, on Aug. 7.
WORLD
Aug 13, 2026
Ukraine¡¯s farmers despair as Russia¡¯s Black Sea blockade traps their harvest
By Olena Harmash
Around 90% of Ukraine¡¯s exports of wheat, corn and sunflower ¡ª of which it is among the world¡¯s largest producers ¡ª go through the Black Sea.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition is now supported by less than 30% of voters under the age of 35.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Italy¡¯s Meloni has a youth problem as election approaches
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni¡¯s governing coalition is now supported by less than 30% of voters under the age of 35.
A person walks on rubble following an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia, Wednesday.
WORLD
Aug 13, 2026
Colombia enters ¡®final phase¡¯ of quake search as toll rises
Crews are approaching 72 hours since Monday¡¯s magnitude 7.4 quake, a period when survivors are considered most likely to be found alive beneath collapsed buildings.
Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other¡¯s commercial ships and ports in the Black Sea.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Key Russian port halts grain exports after Ukrainian attack
Russia and Ukraine, which account for more than a quarter of global wheat exports, have stepped up attacks on Black Sea commercial ships and ports, raising concerns about supply.
Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Iran takes more robust military stance amid frozen U.S. talks
The move is a sign that Tehran is preparing for a protracted era of regional conflict.
A catering truck is parked on the other side of Air Force One, before U.S. President Donald Trump's departure from Ankara en route to Washington after his participation in the NATO leaders' summit, at Ankara Esenboga Airport in Ankara on July 8.
WORLD
Aug 13, 2026
Credible missile threat led to secret aircraft switch for Trump, source says
By Steve Holland
The threat emerged on the final day ?of U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s ?visit to Ankara for the NATO summit amid heightened tensions with Iran, a source has said.
Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday
WORLD / Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Trump reverts to economic squeeze of ¡®entrenched¡¯ Iranian regime
By Magdalena Del Valle
It marks a return to familiar playbook with Tehran: a steady increase in economic sanctions and a naval blockade to stifle oil exports.

BUSINESS

The Google Store in Tokyo is larger than any of Google's 10 retail outlets in the United States.
BUSINESS
Aug 13, 2026
Google opens first directly run store outside U.S. in Tokyo
The store sells smartphones and offers repair services.
An electronic signboard shows the value of the yen just after the intervention in late July.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 13, 2026
Yen closes in on ?160 to the dollar as bears remain bold
By Kazuaki Nagata
The threat of a coordinated intervention is keeping the currency from breaking through.
Suntory Beverage & Food's 375-milliliter and 550-ml bottles
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 13, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ beverage makers introduce smaller, easy-to-carry bottles
As more people shift to low-priced private-label products and competition intensifies in the beverage market, some makers managed to cultivate new demand by changing bottle design.
An employee works on the Twister ice cream production line at Unilever Wall's factory in Gloucester, Britain, on Nov. 21, 2025.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 13, 2026
Ice cream makers bet consumers still want treats, just healthier ones
By Alexander Marrow
Companies may be enjoying a summer sales boost, but behind the scenes they are preparing for a future where consumers want fewer reasons to feel guilty about treating themselves.
Prices of imported pork and chicken rose due chiefly to the yen's weakening, leading to a rise in demand for domestic products and subsequently pushing their prices higher.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 13, 2026
Pork, chicken prices in Japan hit record highs in August
Prices of imported products rose due chiefly to the yen¡¯s weakening, leading to a rise in demand for domestic products and subsequently pushing their prices higher.
Last month, Truth Social announced it would sell faster access to U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s market-moving posts via a service called Truth API, which costs $60,000 to $100,000 a month.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 13, 2026
U.S. president sued over plan to sell faster access to his posts on Truth Social
Two media organizations have argued that the First Amendment guarantees equal access to a president¡¯s public pronouncements and doesn¡¯t permit early access to be sold.
An advance in Japan's producer price index in July was led by oil and coal products, chemical products and nonferrous metals.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 13, 2026
Producer price gains maintain pressure on businesses as BOJ mulls rate path
By Yoshiaki Nohara
The measure of input prices rose 7.2% in July from a year earlier, slightly slower than the revised 7.3% in June, the Bank of Japan reported Thursday.
Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group President, Hisanobu Watanabe, during an interview in Tokyo earlier this month
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 13, 2026
Tokyo Kiraboshi to consolidate consulting and systems divisions
In May, the regional banking group fully repaid ?40 billion in public funds to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government ahead of schedule.

ENVIRONMENT

An ice block floats in the sea waters near a cemetery in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 29.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Aug 13, 2026
¡®Imposing ignorance¡¯: U.S. climate science under siege
By Issam AHMED
President Donald Trump¡¯s latest move against science documenting the impacts of climate change is causing concern among experts.

Opinion

Mykhailo Fedorov speaks to supporters in Kyiv after he was removed as Ukraine's defense minister on July 16.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2026
Ukraine¡¯s drone war has a lesson China cannot manufacture
By David Kim
Ukraine discovered something China¡¯s factories cannot manufacture and cannot buy: battlefield learning.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani shows an app used to scan foods labeled with a 30% off sticker during a news conference discussing municipal grocery stores in the city¡¯s Brooklyn borough on July 27.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 13, 2026
New York will regret going into the grocery business
By Allison Schrager
When a market fails, it is tempting for public officials to intervene to fix it. Sometimes these interventions work. Often they make the problem they are trying to solve worse.

Sports

PSG players celebrate with the trophy after beating Aston Villa to win the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday.
SOCCER
Aug 13, 2026
Paris St. Germain beats Aston Villa to retain UEFA Super Cup
PSG joined AC Milan and Real Madrid as the only teams to retain the trophy.
Lionel Messi led Argentina to a runner-up finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
SOCCER
Aug 13, 2026
Lionel Messi expresses uncertainty about future in tribute to late father
Messi¡¯s father, who was also his agent, died last week at age 68.
Russell Westbrook made eight of his nine All-Star appearances while with the Thunder.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Aug 13, 2026
Triple-double king Russell Westbrook announces retirement
Westbrook, 37, recorded 209 ?triple-doubles, including a record 42 during his stellar 2016-17 MVP season.
The Lakers logo is seen at center court at Crypto.com Arena in December 2023.
BASKETBALL
Aug 13, 2026
Josh Kushner and Bob Iger to buy Lakers for record $12.5 billion
Billionaire Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the NBA team last year in a deal that valued the club at $10 billion.
Hockey player Michael McLeod leaves the Superior Court of Justice in London, Ontario, in April 2025.
MORE SPORTS
Aug 13, 2026
Hockey Canada upholds suspensions for four players acquitted of sexual assault charges
Hockey ?Canada said it accepted the board¡¯s recommendations for ?continued ?suspensions and reinstatement dates for the five ?players.
Browns quarterbacks Deshaun Watson (left) and Shedeur Sanders drop back to pass during training camp in Berea, Ohio, on July 29.
MORE SPORTS / Football
Aug 13, 2026
Deshaun Watson to start at QB in Browns preseason opener
First-year ?Browns coach Todd Monken told reporters on Wednesday that Watson will play the first half against the Bears. Shedeur Sanders will start the second half.

CULTURE

Naoki Shimizu, president of Creativeman Productions, has learned many lessons while overseeing the growth of Summer Sonic over the past 25 years.
CULTURE / Music
Aug 13, 2026
The man behind 25 years of Summer Sonic
By Patrick St. Michel
Naoki Shimizu reflects on 25 years of Summer Sonic, from Green Day and broken AC to 300,000 fans.
To promote "The Last House," Netflix hired a man to inhabit a billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Aug 13, 2026
Wagner Moura and Greta Lee fight for survival in new thriller ¡®The Last House¡¯
By Francesca Halliwell
A family¡¯s refuge becomes a prison as resources run low and an unexplained threat keeps them confined.
Forty-five meters down, a diver races to record a fleeting moment of WWII history
Kingo Wakasa photographs the kamikaze plane wing section he discovered at the USS Emmons wreck site.
New ¡®Katsu Curry Index¡¯ aims to show how weak the yen really is
A CoCo Ichibanya curry house in Tokyo.
Mexican man arrested over attempt to smuggle some 200 lizards into Japan
Mexican alligator lizards seized by Tokyo Customs from a Mexican man who attempted to smuggle them into Japan on Saturday through Haneda Airport
Gut bacteria may be behind many of Â鶹´«Ã½ colorectal cancer cases
A Japanese research team found that a toxin produced by certain E. coli strains, colibactin, caused genetic mutations in nearly half of colorectal cancer cases studied
She is Russia¡¯s richest woman. Her business empire is going up in flames.
Tatyana Kim, the head and co-founder of Wildberries, speaks about Ukrainian drone attacks on the company's warehouses in the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, at an unidentified location, in this still image from a handout video released on July 31.
Forty-five meters down, a diver races to record a fleeting moment of WWII history
Kingo Wakasa photographs the kamikaze plane wing section he discovered at the USS Emmons wreck site.
Ikarigata closer to emulating older brother Fujinokawa than many think
The future Fujinokawa (third from left) and Ikarigata (right) compete against each other at ages 5 and 3, respectively.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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