Authorities in Laos have detained 51 foreign nationals, including five Japanese men and women, on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud operation selling furniture and home appliances. (News On Japan)

Keigo Higashino, the Naoki Prize-winning author whose prolific career produced such bestsellers as Journey Under the Midnight Sun and The Devotion of Suspect X, died of colon cancer in the early hours of July 23, his publisher said. He was 68. (News On Japan)

A wave of pear thefts has prompted police and farmers to strengthen patrols as growers warn that stolen fruit is likely being resold online or from roadside vehicles. (News On Japan)