A new Japanese-made high-speed train developed for Taiwan arrived in the southern city of Kaohsiung on August 15, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in July 2027. (News On Japan)

Mahjong is shedding its long-standing image as a smoke-filled gambling pastime for adults and emerging as a "brain sport" enjoyed by university students and children, with cleaner venues, professional competition and regulatory changes helping broaden its appeal. (News On Japan)

The Miyazu Lantern Floating and Fireworks Festival, a traditional summer event said to have a history of more than 400 years, illuminated the waterfront in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture, as lanterns carrying prayers drifted across the sea and fireworks lit the night sky. (News On Japan)

Osaka's Nishinari Ward, long known as a working-class neighborhood that accepted people from diverse backgrounds, is being rapidly reshaped by Chinese-led property development and a surge in special-zone private lodgings, bringing new business and tourism while displacing some longtime elderly residents. (News On Japan)

Firefighters are tackling a fire at a market in Kyiv, while Moscow reports that a warehouse was hit.

Dozens more are seriously injured after the tourist bus overturned in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Officials say a rapid assessment into the impact of the earthquake that destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed 47 is under way.

New South Wales, where the attack took place, will offer gun owners cash to give up their firearms.

Commercial and industrial damage from the Kumamoto earthquake has already reached 117.6 billion yen, while continuing water outages are preventing many businesses from reopening. (News On Japan)

In a worst-case scenario, category one Lala could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island.

Iran claims they have been held since Qatar downed two fighter jets at the start of the US-Iran war.

Security had been stepped up amid suggestions on social media of a second mass crossing on Saturday.

The death toll from record-breaking torrential rain in Chiba Prefecture has risen to 10, with 29 people injured, more than 1,500 homes damaged and one person still missing three days after the disaster. (News On Japan)

Israel's military said it had struck "Hezbollah terror infrastructure" in response to what it described as earlier action against its soldiers.

The declaration was made on the national day of the central European country, which has a population of just 44,000.

The declaration was made on the national day of the central European country, which has a population of just 44,000.

Police responded to reports of a shooting outside a residence halls at about 01:28 local time (05:28 GMT) on Saturday.

Security had been stepped up amid suggestions on social media of a second mass crossing on Saturday.

The BBC’s Katy Watson explains why triple-murder Erin Patterson is back in court this week trying to overturn her conviction.

The BBC’s Katy Watson explains why triple-murder Erin Patterson is back in court this week trying to overturn her conviction.