Drug-smuggling cases in Japan linked to shady gigs worldwide

The Mainichi - Sep 26, 2026

TOKYO -- Foreigners are increasingly being caught attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into Japan. The cases involve stimulants, marijuana and etomidat

Read full article

More News

Sep 26, 2026

China's Xi Jinping says he expects to meet Trump 2 more times this year

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump is taking Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the National Archives on Friday, showing off the sacred texts of U.S. democracy to the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country to cap off a three-day state visit criticized for being heavy on pomp and light on substance. Xi is expected to depart Washington after touring the nation's vault of records, where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are held. The two leaders have made a show of working to preserve harmony between the world's two largest economies, though there were no major breakthroughs on issues such as trade or the safety of artificial intelligence. Xi said he expects to meet Trump two more times this year. Xi extended an invite for Trump and his wife, Melania, to go to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. He noted that they could meet again a month later at the G20 summit at the Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Florida. “We do welcome Mr. President and the first lady to visit China,

Sep 26, 2026

Details on US, China trade talks to come on Monday, says Greer

WASHINGTON — The United States is expected to release details on the outcome of trade negotiations with China on Monday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday but there was little sign of a breakthrough on a host of sensitive issues. "We're in a managed trade situation ... we've had progress, and we will release on Monday, I think, a lot more details about what we've accomplished over the past few weeks in negotiating with the Chinese," he told CNBC. The U.S. has agreed with China on exempting some key goods from arguments over trade, he said. The U.S. would send agricultural products and medical devices "and we're getting from them, you know, consumer goods and other things that are non-sensitive," he added. "We've actually reached agreement with the Chinese on a number of these things in areas where, you know if we have trade disputes in the future or if there are tariff measures in the future, we just leave those things to the side." Greer also said that the current tal

Sep 26, 2026

Iran proposes deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in 7 days if US meets its conditions

UNITED NATIONS — Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program in seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire that would include Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal to reporters outside the U.N. Security Council on Friday, saying it would also restart stalled talks with the U.S. on Iran's nuclear program. “The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” he said. Araghchi said initial steps would take about four to five days to complete, and the strait would be open on the sixth day. “And on day seven, the talks with the U.S. will be started for the final deal on mutually agreed subjects,” he said, referring to the nuclear program. Iran's disruption of the strait — through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas transited before the war — has emerged as its main point of leverage. The effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East and posed political problems fo

Sep 26, 2026

SK hynix's Solidigm weighs IPO that could value unit at up to $150 billion, sources say

NEW YORK — Chipmaker SK hynix's Solidigm is considering an initial public offering (IPO) as early as next year that could value the U.S. subsidiary at up to $150 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. Solidigm held pitch meetings this week with investment banks competing for roles on the IPO, in a process known as a "bake-off," one of the people and a fourth person said, marking a concrete step toward what could become the largest-ever U.S. semiconductor listing. The company could raise $15 billion in the IPO, the three people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential matters. The plans, including the size of deal and timing, remain at an early stage and could change depending on market conditions, they added. The listing would rank as one of the largest semiconductor IPOs on record and could provide a standalone valuation for a business that has become a key part of SK hynix's storage portfolio. It would also seek to tap strong investor demand for companies tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure, which has fueled gains in semicondu

Sep 26, 2026

Korean believed among 7 named in Cornell lawsuit alleging drugging, sexual assault

SEATTLE — A student believed to be Korean is among seven current and former Cornell University students named as defendants in a sexual assault lawsuit involving disturbing allegations that have drawn growing attention across the U.S. and within the Korean American community. A former student at the Ivy League university, identified as Jane Doe, filed the lawsuit this month in New York, alleging that she was pressured into taking a substance described as ketamine and sexually assaulted by multiple members of the Chi Phi fraternity at its house in October 2024, according to The Cornell Daily Sun. The complaint names seven students, including Winston Lee, and brings sexual assault and other claims against them. The allegations have not been proven in court, and an attorney representing one of the defendants has denied the allegations against his client. The lawsuit has drawn attention beyond the Cornell campus, with U.S. media outlets reporting on the case and Cornell’s social media accounts drawing a flood of comments about the allegations. The case has also surfaced on Korean Americ

Sep 26, 2026

Wall Street climbs as investors buy AI stocks; Microsoft rallies

Wall Street climbed on Friday, lifted by Microsoft and other AI-related technology stocks, while high oil prices and a recent surge in U.S. Treasury yields kept investors on edge. Gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq capped a volatile week driven by uncertainty about what industries will win and lose from artificial intelligence, and by concerns about the U.S. war with Iran and a surge in U.S. Treasury yields. Microsoft rallied 3.3 percent, lifting its 2026 gain to 7 percent, after the software giant unveiled several new capabilities in its Copilot app, including a coding tool and an always-on AI agent. Akamai Technologies surged 6 percent after an $11.6 billion cloud services deal with AI leader Anthropic. The deal includes a warrant that could give Anthropic up to 5 percent of Akamai. "That's a positive from the standpoint that people are still investing, deals are still being done," said Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at Globalt Investments in Atlanta. "It's another circular deal, so OK ... but Akamai stock is up." Chip maker Qualcomm gained 5.4 percent and Dell advanced 6.6 percen

How Trump’s diesel ban threat is making US exports more profitable

Sep 26, 2026

Sep 26, 2026
Isabella Bird's 'Unbeaten Tracks in Japan': Kinugawa's beauty and a flea-ridden inn (Pt. 11)
Sep 26, 2026
Japan's 'Chanson Monk' uses song, sutras to spread message of peace
Sep 26, 2026
Trump seeks to withhold US$800 million in Congress-approved funds
Sep 26, 2026
The bombs are still falling. Does diplomacy even work?
Sep 26, 2026
Iran proposes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days if the US meets its conditions
Sep 26, 2026
‘Pandas are cute but US needs rare earth magnets’: Trump-Xi meet so far leaves analysts wanting more
Sep 26, 2026
Yemeni leader urges public to enlist, offers amnesty to Houthi defectors
Sep 26, 2026
Father held for throwing 2 kids off 6th-floor balcony in central Japan
Sep 26, 2026
UNGA81: Why has Africa’s Security Council reform push remained unresolved?

Drug-smuggling cases in Japan linked to shady gigs worldwide

China's Xi Jinping says he expects to meet Trump 2 more times this year

Details on US, China trade talks to come on Monday, says Greer

Iran proposes deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in 7 days if US meets its conditions

SK hynix's Solidigm weighs IPO that could value unit at up to $150 billion, sources say

Korean believed among 7 named in Cornell lawsuit alleging drugging, sexual assault

Wall Street climbs as investors buy AI stocks; Microsoft rallies

How Trump’s diesel ban threat is making US exports more profitable

Trump’s media feud takes another turn with CNN left off Air Force One trip

Photos of record-breaking swimmers and more from the Asian Games’ first week

Iran offers US deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz in seven days

OpenAI says its models engaged with US government websites in new model misbehavior disclosure

'World records not enough': North Korea weightlifters target Olympic gold rush