Japan

Fumio Kishida is expected to become the next prime minister after winning the leadership election in a hard-fought runoff; he said he is ready to "run at full speed" for "a bright future for Japan"

Two Japanese sisters, Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama, born on November 5, 1913, have been confirmed as the world's oldest living identical twins and the oldest identical twins ever at the age of 107 years old

For the first time in nearly 30 years since the end of the Cold War, the Ground Self-Defense Force has begun nationwide exercises involving all units, part of the plan to consolidate skills and increase regional deterrence

Tokyo Paralympic Games, on top of bringing together athletes isolated by the pandemic, spotlighted Japanese technology for the disabled, as Honda Motor Co.'s latest racing wheelchair model, featuring carbon technology also used in F1 and jets

Mizuho Bank suffered its fifth system failure of the year yesterday, that made impossible to complete deposits, withdrawals, transfers and other transactions at its branch counters across the country

Over 11.000 athletes have competed in almost 350 events in the Tokyo 2020 Games: an epic undertaking in pandemic conditions; the closing ceremony, without public and athletes having to leave 48hrs after their competition, will handle the baton to Paris

Despite the first recorded cases of Covid infections in the Olympic village, the captain of the Japanese men's football team has called for a reconsideration of the ban on spectators with the games opening in 4 days

With Japan's basketball player Rui Hachimura and wrestling champion Yui Susaki as flag bearers, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games each participating country will have one male and one female athlete as flag bearers

Games-related events in Tokyo are being cancelled due to the pandemic; the Community Live Site, which includes public viewing and all events has been officially deleeted