Thaksin seems incapable of taking a back seat. This time, it really could be different.

Several Japanese nationals suspected of involvement in a special fraud operation in Indonesia have been detained, after a report from the family of a Japanese woman believed to have been trafficked led authorities to uncover the operation. (News On Japan)

The Strait of Hormuz waterway remains effectively shut, severely disrupting global energy shipments.

The Strait of Hormuz waterway remains effectively shut, severely disrupting global energy shipments.

Iranian authorities granted human rights activist Narges Mohammadi bail amid growing concern over her poor health in prison.

With Eurovision facing its biggest boycott in 70 years, questions are growing over the competition's future.

Iranian authorities have imposed an internet ban but using trusted sources, special correspondent Fergal Keane hears from those traumatised by conflict and government repression.

The House of Councillors' settlement committee convened on May 11th with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in attendance, as lawmakers continued debating the government's response to the worsening situation surrounding Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. (News On Japan)

A dissident in Tehran says she feels helpless and under immense psychological pressure.

A dissident in Tehran says she feels helpless and under immense psychological pressure.

A tornado-like whirlwind was spotted on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture on May 11th, with dramatic footage capturing the swirling gust as it moved through a port area while lifting seawater into the air. (News On Japan)

The BBC visits the city of Ushuaia, where heath officials have been sent to investigate the origins of the outbreak.

The UN human rights office condemns incident as "'appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians" in the West Bank.

The UN human rights office condemns incident as "'appalling and emblematic of the dehumanisation of Palestinians" in the West Bank.

Five passengers of the MV Hondius will be quarantined in Paris "until further notice", France's prime minister says.

Some resorts enforce allocation rules from check-in to prevent people reserving loungers with towels in the "sunbed wars".

A brown bear was caught on camera running at high speed through a residential area in Hokkaido, as sightings of unusually large bears continue to spread across the region this spring. (News On Japan)

The specialist team parachuted onto Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory, to treat them.

A shortage of designated garbage bags began emerging in Hokkaido's Hokuto City in late April, with residents reporting that the bags had disappeared from store shelves and become difficult to purchase. (News On Japan)

As rice planting season gets underway, a rare seasonal sight known as the “Upside-Down Hyono Mountain” has appeared in Yabu City, Hyogo Prefecture, where the image of Mount Hyono is reflected on the surface of flooded terraced rice fields. (News On Japan)