The Japan Times - Boulevard

Featured

Los Angeles under state of emergency due to warehouse fire

Los Angeles was under a state of emergency Saturday as fire crews fought a days-long battle against a stubborn warehouse blaze that has filled the air with acrid black smoke.

Counter-terror cops probe suspected anti-Muslim 'attacks' in Edinburgh

Scottish police said Saturday counter-terrorism officers were investigating several attacks the previous evening in Edinburgh in which five men were wounded, suspected anti-Muslim incidents condemned by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Last news

Middle East war casts shadow over million-strong hajj pilgrimage

More than a million Muslims are gathering in Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage overshadowed by the Middle East war, as animosity smoulders across the region despite a fragile ceasefire.

Slow Food's 'visionary' founder Carlo Petrini dies aged 76

Carlo Petrini, whose worldwide Slow Food movement has spent 40 years promoting quality traditional cooking and sustainable farming, has died at the age of 76, his organisation announced Friday.

Organized criminals kill at least 25 in Honduras

Organized criminals killed at least 25 people, including civilians and police officers, Thursday in two attacks in northern Honduras, authorities said, as the Central American nation prepares a crackdown on crippling gang violence.

No way home for Eid as jihadists cut off Mali capital

Hemmed in by a jihadist blockade of the Malian capital, Muslims in Bamako have been forced to spend Eid away from their families this year.

Vietnam auctions convicted tycoon's Hermes handbags for over $500k

A pair of luxury Hermes handbags that once belonged to a jailed Vietnamese property tycoon sold at auction for more than $500,000, state media reported, as the government seeks to recover funds linked to a $27 billion fraud.

Gibraltar monkeys eat soil in junk food detox: study

A colony of macaques that gorge on snacks offered by tourists in the British territory of Gibraltar swallow soil to recover from their junk food binges, a study has found.

'Filter of fantasy': Japan trials anime therapy to treat depression

As a teenager struggling to fit into life in rural Sicily, psychiatrist Francesco Panto found refuge in anime, where he discovered characters that resembled the kind of man he wanted to be.

Court ousts leadership of Turkey's main opposition party

An Ankara court on Thursday annulled the 2023 leadership election of Turkey's main opposition CHP party, in a sharp escalation against the country's embattled opposition, court documents showed.

Air France, Airbus convicted of manslaughter in 2009 Paris-Rio crash

A French appeals court Thursday convicted Air France and Airbus of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, the worst disaster in France's aviation history.

Top UN court says right to strike protected in key labour treaty

The top United Nations court ruled Thursday that the right to strike was protected in a key treaty of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a decision that could have profound implications for global labour relations.

Air France, Airbus guilty of manslaughter in 2009 Paris-Rio crash: French court

Paris' appeals court Thursday found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, the worst disaster in France's aviation history.

Denmark to autopsy 'Timmy' the whale

Scientists will conduct an autopsy on "Timmy", the humpback whale whose ordeal to return to the open seas captured Germany's hearts and sparked a media frenzy, Denmark's environmental protection agency said on Thursday.

War risks choking Iran's world-beating cinema, warn directors

Independent filmmakers in Iran face a fresh wave of repression and extreme economic hardship because of the war, risking choking off a mainstay of world cinema, industry insiders say.

Spain to launch biggest forest fire campaign after record losses: PM

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Thursday presented what he called Spain's biggest-ever campaign against forest fires after deadly blazes devoured a record amount of land last year.

Tourists in Thailand plan for coming cuts to visa-free stays

The backpackers on Khao San Road, a Bangkok thoroughfare famous for its wild nightlife, are waking up this week with an extra headache: the Thai government is set to shorten the length of visa-free stays.

Top UN court to rule on right to strike

The top United Nations court will on Thursday issue a ruling on the right to strike that both unions and employers say could have profound implications for global labour relations.

Israeli minister sparks outcry over video of bound flotilla activists

Israel's far-right national security minister posted a video on Wednesday showing detained activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground, sparking international condemnation.

Police defenders of US Capitol sue to stop Trump 'slush fund'

Two police officers filed a lawsuit on Wednesday seeking to block the Trump administration from creating a compensation fund that could provide payouts to the president's supporters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

UN members reinforce nations' climate change obligations

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution reinforcing states' obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.

Ubisoft counts cost of restructuring with record annual loss

French games giant Ubisoft on Wednesday reported a record annual loss of almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for its 2025-26 financial year, in the midst of a far-reaching restructuring, game delays and cancellations.

Ubisoft reports record annual loss after game delays, cancellations

French games giant Ubisoft on Wednesday reported a record annual loss of almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion) for its 2025-26 financial year, in the midst of a far-reaching restructuring.

Bangladesh measles deaths near 500 but vaccines offer hope

Bangladesh has rolled out a mass vaccination campaign to combat its deadliest measles outbreak in decades that has killed nearly 500 children in just two months, the United Nations children's agency said Wednesday.

Pressure mounts at United Nations for climate change 'lifeline'

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday considers a resolution reinforcing states' obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.

Acting US attorney general defends fund for prosecuted Trump allies

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche on Tuesday defended the creation of a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate political allies of President Donald Trump who believe they were unfairly prosecuted under the Biden administration.

Shock and bafflement at San Diego mosque where three were killed

Outside the San Diego mosque where his father was gunned down by heavily armed teenagers who had been radicalized online, Ramzy sits and stares blankly.

Google wants its search bar to act on your behalf in AI revamp

Google on Tuesday showed off new plans to turn its famous search bar into an AI assistant that can book restaurants, track news and contact businesses -- just by asking a question.

Pakistan court sentences man to death for killing teen influencer

A Pakistani court sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for murdering a teenage influencer last year after she had repeatedly rejected his advances.

Mango founder's son arrested in Spain over father's death

Spanish police said Tuesday they have arrested the eldest son of Mango clothing empire founder Isak Andic over his father's death during a hiking trip in December 2024.

US police investigating deadly mosque shooting as hate crime

Police were investigating a shooting in the US state of California as a hate crime on Tuesday after a pair of teenage gunmen killed three people at a mosque complex.

Government encourages women to report rape in French star's assault probes

The French government spokeswoman on Tuesday encouraged women to speak out about sexual violence, "even decades later," as she addressed mounting allegations of rape and assault targeting popular singer and actor Patrick Bruel.

Three killed in San Diego mosque shooting, both suspects dead

A shooting Monday at a mosque complex in southern California killed three people, with two suspected teenage gunmen later found dead in a car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.

Campaigners warn Italy's gutted rape bill could help assailants

An attempt in Italy to introduce a consent-based rape law is floundering and experts warn rapists could stand to gain after the far right torpedoed an "only yes means yes" definition.

The Japan Times - Boulevard (English)