Several Bank of Japan policymakers have signaled support for accelerating interest rate increases, with one member warning that the pace of hikes could become faster than financial markets currently expect as the central bank pays greater attention to upside inflation risks. (News On Japan)

The people were abducted while travelling through the country's north-western Zamfara state on Saturday.

The people were abducted while travelling through the country's north-western Zamfara state on Saturday.

Hot weather and ageing infrastructure have led to the rationing, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

Japan's dating scene has its own vocabulary, its own etiquette, and — for the arrangement style commonly known abroad as sugar dating — its own dedicated clubs. (News On Japan)

Police are investigating a drone sighting over a miltary base reportedly used for housing Patriot missile system parts.

Police are investigating a drone sighting over a miltary base reportedly used for housing Patriot missile system parts.

Prosecutors accuse six others, including the leader of cartel Los Lobos, of having an indirect role in the murder of Fernando Villavicencio.

Prosecutors accuse six others, including the leader of cartel Los Lobos, of having an indirect role in the murder of Fernando Villavicencio.

Twelve people were rescued from the water after a large search and rescue operation, police say.

Italy's culture minister says it is one of the most important underwater archaeological finds in years.

Italy's culture minister says it is one of the most important underwater archaeological finds in years.

Israel's PM says its military will not pull-out from Gaza until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.

The Irish Prison Service bought a bulletproof and bomb-proof van to transport the 49-year-old to court after his extradition from Dubai.

Authorities in Kyoto and Osaka have arrested three men in separate drug cases involving so-called zombie cigarettes containing the designated drug etomidate, as investigators step up efforts against the illegal trade in the Kansai region. (News On Japan)

Raccoons are increasingly invading homes across Japan, damaging roofs and wiring, contaminating buildings with large amounts of urine and feces, and raising concerns over agriculture, native wildlife and the spread of disease as their population continues to expand. (News On Japan)

A repeat of the sharp yen appreciation seen in the summer of 2024 is unlikely under current conditions, with persistently high U.S. interest rates and continued structural pressure on Japan's currency making another rapid surge difficult, according to UBS wealth management chief investment officer Daiju Aoki. (News On Japan)

Nagasaki marked the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on August 9 with a memorial ceremony near the hypocenter, where Mayor Shiro Suzuki declared nuclear weapons an "absolute evil" and called on the Japanese government to uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles. (News On Japan)

Nara Park's famous deer are increasingly spilling into residential areas and farmland as their population reaches a record high, creating new problems for residents even as the animals remain a major attraction for visitors to the ancient capital. (News On Japan)

Libraries across Japan are evolving far beyond traditional places for reading and study, adding everything from 3D printers and children's play areas to health-check equipment, music studios and towering bookshelves as they seek to become new centers for their communities. (News On Japan)