Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says the government will provide financial support to areas in western Japan that were hit hard recently by record-high rainfall. (NHK)

The government has launched a nationwide probe into allegations that foreign residents are abusing the public health insurance system, according to sources familiar with the matter. (Japan Times)

Japanese authorities say 210 people have been confirmed dead and 22 remain missing after the recent record rainfall in the western part of the country. (NHK)

People in many parts of Japan are sweltering as temperatures have soared to nearly 40 degrees Celsius. The heatwave is likely to continue this week with the risk of heatstroke remaining high in areas including those hit by recent heavy rain. (NHK)

Five people died and more than 1,500 others were taken to hospitals for heat exhaustion, as a heat wave covered Japan on Saturday, a Kyodo News tally showed. (Japan Today)

People in western Japan are contending with scorching heat as they pick through the debris left by record rain, flooding and landslides. (NHK)

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko have cancelled their planned summer retreat north of Tokyo following last weekend's deadly torrential rain in western Japan, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday. (Japan Today)

A government panel gave the green light Friday for public broadcaster NHK to start simultaneous online streaming of its television programs amid surging popularity of streaming video services. (Japan Today)

More than three-quarters of Japanese women of prime age to start families are now in the workforce, signaling a break from the long-running trend of mothers quitting jobs to care for newborn babies. (Nikkei)

Authorities say the death toll from the record rainfall that pounded western Japan has climbed to 193. Another 47 people are still missing. Authorities say 5 people are without vital signs. (NHK)

A 22-year-old man who went on a rampage on a shinkansen (bullet train) last month, fatally stabbing one man and injuring two women, began a psychiatric evaluation on Friday. The Yokohama District Court ordered the examination to determine if the man is mentally competent to stand trial. (Japan Today)

Japan's university entrance examination system is scheduled for an overhaul in 2020. The planned changes in English-language testing are a particular target of attention. (nippon.com)

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has accused the Japanese unit of global tech-giant Apple of possibly violating the anti-monopoly law by forcing major mobile service providers to give discounts on their iPhones. (NHK)

AKB48, the mega-group that kicked off the modern idol era, has once again demonstrated that it wears the sparkly crown of the idol industry, as its newest single, "Teacher Teacher," has now sold three million copies. (soranews24.com)

Japan's government is counting on foreign workers to ease the labor shortage in a range of industries. (NHK)

NHK has learned that scientists now believe the asteroid Ryugu was likely formed from a collection of asteroid fragments. (NHK)

A small eruption has been confirmed on an uninhabited island in the Pacific around 1,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, the weather agency said Thursday. (Kyodo)

Japan's population has fallen for 9 years in a row, while the capital, Tokyo, keeps growing. (NHK)

Following the disaster, questions are beginning to emerge. Some wonder whether people were given enough warning to leave areas threatened by rising waters. Others ask whether the high loss of life could have been avoided. (NHK)

Evacuees in rain-hit areas of western Japan are being urged to take precautions for heatstroke and food poisoning, as the hot weather is expected to continue. (NHK)

The climbing season for Mount Fuji got fully underway Tuesday with three trails in Shizuoka Prefecture opening to the public. (Japan Times)

Yahoo Japan Corp. is blunting the impact of a large stock sale by a big shareholder, buying back about ¥221 billion ($2 billion) worth of its shares in a complicated deal with SoftBank Group Corp. (Japan Times)

Gunma Prefectural Police arrested a man after a stabbing incident at a supermarket in Maebashi City on Tuesday left two employees hurt, reports NHK (tokyoreporter.com)

Typhoon Maria is bringing strong winds and rough seas to a remote island chain in Japan's southern prefecture of Okinawa. (NHK)

In what is believed to be a first in Japan, a prestigious national women’s university officially announced Tuesday its new policy to open doors from 2020 to people who were assigned as male at birth but identify as female, saying it’s a natural decision that takes gender diversity into account. (Japan Times)