Scientifically named Stylobates calcifer, the new sea anemone species lives in a symbiotic relationship with a species of hermit crab called Pagurodofleinia doederleini. (sci-news.com)

Fusako Shigenobu, the founder of the now-disbanded Japanese Red Army militant organization that committed a string of terrorist attacks around the world in the 1970s and 1980s, was released from prison on Saturday after serving a 20-year sentence. (Nikkei)

The United States is poised to remove five extremist groups, all believed to be defunct, from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, including several that once posed significant threats, killing hundreds if not thousands of people across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. (13newsnow.com)

The Japanese government eased travel advisories for 106 nations and territories on Friday, with the vast majority happening for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. (Nikkei)

Japan Post is set to raise its rates for international shipping to some areas. The company cites soaring transportation costs amid the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)

Despite Shell exiting a landmark LNG plant that has served as a symbol of cooperation between Tokyo and Moscow, Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp. are sticking with the Sakhalin-2 project, the source of nearly 10% of Japan's liquefied natural gas imports. (Nikkei)

In the middle of this month, crossbows, as well as pistol-type bow guns, will become illegal to possess. (Japan Today)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed on Thursday to do his utmost to push for meaningful progress at a January meeting to review the Non-Proliferation Treaty and encourage action to rid the world of nuclear weapons. (kfgo.com)

The disproportionate weight of rural voters in Japan gives sparsely populated parts of the country more representation — and more government largess — than urban areas, perpetuating what critics call an unfair system. (nytimes.com)

Amazon Prime Video has commissioned a Japanese adaptation of Australian comedy No Activity as an Amazon Original. (tbivision.com)

A team of researchers affiliated with several entities in Japan has found evidence that the Japanese wolf is the closest known relative of domestic dogs. (phys.org)

In support of the 'big nose, big hose' theory, a scientific study has found that men with larger noses do indeed have longer penises. (nation.lk)

One afternoon at an elementary school on the outskirts of Cairo, first-grade Egyptian students were busy wiping their desks clean and sweeping the floor with brooms under the supervision of teaching staff. (Japan Times)

She’s worried about side effects and has faith in the precautions already underway. The 32-year-old elite athlete isn’t alone. (washingtonpost.com)

A 35-year-old man on trial over the alleged sexual abuse, including rape, of several young girls in Nara Prefecture has admitted to the allegations, reports NHK (Dec. 1) (tokyoreporter.com)

A significant pair of retirement announcements came in the middle of the ongoing November Grand Sumo Tournament. (Japan Times)

Over the coming decade, Japan will get economic tailwinds from a force never before experienced in economic history anywhere on this scale: the country's gigantic stock of record household savings will become unstuck. (Japan Times)

Law enforcement divisions in three prefectures have located three girls after they were allegedly abducted in separate incidents. (tokyoreporter.com)

McDonald's Holdings (Japan) has staged a dramatic comeback in the five years since a crisis triggered by food-safety scandals, breaking sales records and thriving on takeout demand in the middle of a pandemic. (Nikkei)

It was around the middle of February when the first scintilla of doubt began to form in Yu Okada’s mind that his April 4 wedding might not proceed as planned. (Japan Times)

Japan will begin providing the anti-flu drug Avigan for free to 38 countries as early as this week for treating patients with the new coronavirus, according to Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. (Japan Times)

Higher fares, fewer routes, preflight health checks and less free food: The coronavirus pandemic is ushering in a new era of air travel. (Japan Times)

Another Japanese celebrity fell victim to the coronavirus on Thursday. Actress Okae Kumiko died of pneumonia caused by COVID-19 at a hospital in Tokyo. She was 63. (NHK)

Japan plans to impose an entry ban on travelers who have recently been in Russia and several Middle Eastern countries that have seen a recent surge in coronavirus infections, government sources said Thursday. (Japan Times)

The operators of some major theme parks in Japan say their gates will be shut for at least another month amid the coronavirus pandemic. (NHK)