NHK Party Leader Tachibana Arrested for Defaming Late Hyogo Assemblyman

Hyogo Prefectural Police arrested NHK Party leader Tachibana Takashi on November 9th on suspicion of defamation, alleging that he repeatedly made false statements about a former Hyogo prefectural assembly member who has since passed away.

According to investigators, in…[Read more]

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Rises on Hopes US Shutdown May End Soon

Japan’s Nikkei share average rose on Monday, tracking gains in U.S. stock futures as hopes grew that the historic U.S. government shutdown may end soon.

The Nikkei .N225 climbed 0.9% to 50,728.56 by 0143 GMT. The broader Topix .TOPX edged up 0.17% to 3,304.35.

“Market playe…[Read more]

Japan to Subsidize Gum Disease Screenings at Companies, Aiming for Early Detection

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to provide financial support to companies that conduct periodontal disease screenings during workplace health checkups in fiscal 2026. The initiative aims to help working-age individuals, who are at a higher risk of…[Read more]

Reserve Bank reveals why lack of business investment is holding back economy, threatening further rate cuts

Further cuts to interest rates could be held back, as the Reserve Bank’s deputy governor flags Australia’s economy is being held back by businesses failing to invest.

The Reserve Bank has warned a lack of investment by business is hol…[Read more]

Who is Jay Weatherill, Australia’s next top diplomat in London?

As the prime minister just announced, the former South Australian Labor premier and early childhood education advocate Jay Weatherill will be Australia’s next top diplomat in London.

Weatherill was South Australia’s 45th premier, replacing Mike Rann, who also went on to become Austr…[Read more]

Revolt of the mods: Kovacic, Ruston, Wilson could quit frontbench if net zero dumped

Three more members of Sussan Ley’s shadow cabinet have opened the door to quitting the frontbench if the Liberal Party dumps support for net zero emissions by 2050, just two days before a crunch party room meeting designed to settle the fractious debate.

On S…[Read more]

Japan’s crypto players jostle for market share on regulatory easing hopes

From the launch of new products and services in Japan to facilitating leveraged trading bets, crypto exchanges and some financial firms are rushing to cash in on rising investor enthusiasm for digital assets amid hopes of easing regulations.
The recent surge underscores a…[Read more]

What Is Sanaenomics?

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed; framed as a successor to Abeno…[Read more]

GSDF deployed to Akita Prefecture amid rise in bear attacks

Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force were dispatched to Akita Prefecture to assist with bear control on Wednesday — although they are not permitted to cull the bears — as the number of attacks and subsequent fatalities continue to rise in the prefecture and nationwide.
“We had been…[Read more]

Nationals formally abandon commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050

The Nationals have formally abandoned a commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, in a unanimous party room decision.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said the party would shift its focus to climate adaptation instead of being “focused solely” on reducing…[Read more]

‘Diabolical’: why Australia’s teacher shortages are among the worst in the world – and who is suffering most

Regional and disadvantaged schools are bearing the brunt of the crisis, with almost two-thirds of teachers reporting high levels of stress

Mathew Burt has been principal at Broome Senior High School for less than a decade, yet he’s on…[Read more]

ATO is paying private debt collector $42m to pursue taxpayers, including welfare recipients

The tax office’s increased reliance on Recoveriescorp has coincided with a spike in complaints to the watchdog

The Australian Taxation Office has awarded the private debt collector Recoveriescorp more than $42m in contracts as part of a hard-edged c…[Read more]

Takaichi buys time and builds trust with ‘near-perfect’ Trump summit

A “near-perfect meeting.” That was how one senior Liberal Democratic Party official labeled new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It’s hard to argue with that, supporters and rivals say. With a successful summit, Takaichi achieved mo…[Read more]

Japan to Introduce Free High School Education Next Year

The Liberal Democratic Party, Nippon Ishin no Kai, and Komeito have reached an agreement on the framework for Japan’s new free high school tuition program, which will begin in fiscal 2026. Under the plan, tuition support for private full-time high schools will be capped at 457,000 yen, w…[Read more]

Hegseth welcomes Japan’s arms spending increase, says US-Japan alliance key to deter China

Japan has already moved up a planned deployment of its medium and long-range missiles such as Tomahawk and Japanese-made Tupe-12 anti-ship missiles.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday welcomed Japan’s determination to accelerate its ong…[Read more]

Australia’s consumer agency sues Microsoft over 365 pricing

Australia’s consumer authority accused Microsoft of “deliberately” hiding subscription information from its Australian customer base.

On Monday, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued the software giant for allegedly misleading more than 2.5 million Australian users…[Read more]

Australia’s tropical forests now emit CO₂, clouding the COP30 talks

Carbon emissions from this one region may foreshadow global forest trends

Australia’s tropical forests are the world’s first to flip a worrisome switch. The forests are now putting more carbon into the atmosphere than they are taking out, researchers report in the Oct. 16 Natu…[Read more]

Indian minister accused of victim blaming after Australian cricketers’ assault

An Indian minister’s comment that two female Australian cricketers, who were “touched inappropriately” last week, should’ve informed authorities before leaving their hotel has sparked a row with many accusing him of victim blaming.

The incident occurred in Indore in…[Read more]

Shizuoka Studies Yamanashi’s Approach to Managing Overtourism on Mt. Fuji

The Shizuoka Prefectural Assembly’s special committee on the preservation and proper use of Mt. Fuji held its fourth meeting on October 21st, hearing from officials of Fujiyoshida City in neighboring Yamanashi Prefecture about their initiatives to curb “bullet climb…[Read more]

Japan’s new PM is preparing large economic stimulus to tackle inflation, sources say

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing an economic stimulus package that is likely to exceed last year’s $92 billion to help households tackle inflation, government sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday.
The package of more than 13.9…[Read more]