Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain, power cuts and transport disruption across Japan on Wednesday (3 June) as it tracked towards the greater Tokyo region.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
China's Coast Guard said on Monday it had carried out what it described as "law enforcement" patrols in waters east of Taiwan, saying the move was a response to plans by Japan and the Philippines to begin maritime boundary delimitation talks in an area Beijing claims falls under its jurisdiction.
Japan has released crested ibises into the wild on Honshu for the first time, marking a major conservation milestone in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture.
Japan and the United Nations Development Programme are launching a $3 million environmental project in Kazakhstan to support the Caspian Sea and improve water monitoring, amid growing concern over falling sea levels and risks to regional trade routes.
Government bond markets from Tokyo to New York extended losses on Monday (18 May) as rising energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict heightened inflation concerns and reinforced expectations that major central banks could keep interest rates higher for longer.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
Japan’s first import of crude oil from Azerbaijan has highlighted the country’s energy vulnerability and renewed efforts to diversify supply chains beyond the Middle East, according to Professor Sejiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka.
Australia and Japan agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during a three-day visit.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pledged to strengthen relations with Vietnam, with a focus on energy security and critical minerals, following talks in Hanoi on Saturday (2 May).
More than 1,000 firefighters are battling to contain two major wildfires in northern Japan for a fourth consecutive day, as flames advance towards residential areas and force thousands to flee.
Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake has struck off Japan’s north-eastern coast, triggering urgent tsunami warnings with waves of up to 3 metres expected, prompting residents to seek immediate safety.
Australia and Japan signed contracts on Saturday (18 April) launching their landmark A$10 billion ($7 billion) deal to supply Australia with warships, Tokyo's most consequential military sale since ending a military export ban in 2014.
The Japanese government has authorised an emergency release of crude stockpiles as it moves to shield its export-driven economy from disruption in the Persian Gulf.
Japan and France agreed on Wednesday to coordinate closely in efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil and gas tankers, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have called for urgent action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as escalating conflict continues to choke one of the world’s most critical energy routes.
Japan and Indonesia will deepen coordination on energy security, Tokyo said, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran disrupts vital oil and gas flows to Asia.
Japan’s growing interest in Caspian crude reflects a pragmatic response to uncertainty in global energy markets and its continued reliance on the Middle East for more than 90% of its oil imports.
China imposed sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya on Monday, who is a close aide of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, due to his "collusion with Taiwan independence" forces, in its latest move in a diplomatic row over Taiwan.
The real power of the Strait of Hormuz lies not in closing it, but in the threat of closure.
North Korea fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile on Saturday (14 March), Japanese and South Korean officials said. The development comes amid the joint annual U.S.-South Korea "Freedom Shield" military drills and South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's visit to Washington.
Relations between Russia and Japan have effectively collapsed due to Tokyo’s “unfriendly” stance towards Moscow, the Kremlin said on Friday (20 February), adding that there is currently no dialogue aimed at concluding a peace treaty.
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