A lawsuit over the right to education in Japanese Sign Language concluded at the Sapporo High Court on May 13th, with a junior high school girl using the language in court to state that "Japanese Sign Language is my identity." (News On Japan)

SoftBank Group has returned to profitability for the first time in four years, reporting on May 13th a net profit of 1.1533 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, driven by a global rebound in stock markets that sharply boosted the value of its investment holdings. (News On Japan)

Zensho Holdings, operator of the Sukiya beef bowl chain, reported a 17.7% rise in annual revenue to 1.1366 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025—marking the first time a domestic restaurant company in Japan has exceeded 1 trillion yen in sales. (News On Japan)

The celebrity businesswoman grew tearful as she gave evidence in the trial of 10 people accused of robbing her at gunpoint.

The celebrity businesswoman grew tearful as she gave evidence in the trial of 10 people accused of robbing her at gunpoint.

Israeli warplanes dropped six bombs simultaneously on the hospital, according to local sources.

The US leader has faced criticism over his plan to accept a plane from Qatar worth an estimated $400m.

Russia has not yet said who it will send to Istanbul on Thursday and has refused to respond to ultimatums.

Russia has not yet said who it will send to Istanbul on Thursday and has refused to respond to ultimatums.

Dozens of senior officials, military leaders and businessmen queued to greet the US president in Saudi Arabia.

Police arrest the leaders of Germany's largest Reichsbürger faction, that calls itself "Kingdom of Germany".

Police arrest the leaders of Germany's largest Reichsbürger faction, that calls itself "Kingdom of Germany".

The foreign minister says raising concerns publicly amounts to interference in domestic affairs.

The foreign minister says raising concerns publicly amounts to interference in domestic affairs.

The French actor, who denies the allegations, has been given a suspended jail term of 18 months.

It will determine whether they should receive a lesser sentence, which could ultimately lead to their paroled release.

The volcano on the Negros island spewed plumes of ash around 3km (1.8 miles) high into the air.

There has been a major development in the so-called "Trump tariffs" negotiations, in which Japan is also involved. The United States and China, which had been imposing more than 100% tariffs on each other, agreed on May 12th to reduce those tariffs by 115%. (News On Japan)

A growing number of people report experiencing physical and mental fatigue after Japan's Golden Week holiday, a phenomenon often referred to as "May sickness." (News On Japan)

Greater Bay Airlines, which resumed regular flights between Sendai and Hong Kong last December for the first time in 13 years, currently operates four round trips per week. However, starting this week and continuing through the end of October, the airline will reduce that to three weekly round trips due to declining travel demand. The number of flights to Tokushima will also be cut. What is behind this sudden downturn? (News On Japan)