Tokyo International News Agency

On the 14th of this month, Tochigi Prefectural Police arrested a 30-year-old Turkish national on charges including unlicensed driving. The arrest is in connection with a rear-end collision on the Tohoku Expressway, where the man allegedly abandoned his damaged vehicle at the scene, leading to a subsequent collision by another car that left a 2-year-old boy in a coma and critical condition. According to reports, the accident occurred near the Kanuma Interchange (IC) on the southbound lane of the Tohoku Expressway. After the man's car was involved in an initial accident for unknown reasons, he allegedly abandoned the vehicle at the scene and left. Subsequently, a following car collided with the abandoned vehicle, and a 2-year-old boy in that car sustained a severe head injury, leaving him in a coma and critical condition. The arrested man has admitted to the charge of unlicensed driving. However, he partially denies the accusation of fleeing the scene after the accident, stating, ...

Reports of a remark made from the public gallery during the appeal of a Kurdish man, a repeat sex offender, who is appealing his sentence, stating "He didn't kill anyone" in his defense, have sparked intense debate and outrage on social media. According to reports, the defendant, Hasgül Abbas, who was sentenced to 8 years in prison for sexually assaulting a junior high school girl, has appealed the verdict. In response, a female relative attending the hearing reportedly shouted in Turkish, "He didn't kill anyone. Why are you giving such a punishment?" This remark quickly spread across the Japanese internet, leading to a flood of angry comments such as "They have no intention of repenting" and "Could you say the same if it happened to you?" Many users pointed out that the harm caused by sexual offenses is "a wound that can derail a life" and "tantamount to murder of the soul." They expressed strong indignation at the at...

A remark by House of Councillors Budget Committee Chairman Yosuke Tsuruho of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), stating, "Luckily, there was an earthquake in Noto," has sparked strong condemnation. On February 11, the Wajima City Council in Ishikawa Prefecture, a region heavily affected by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, sent a stern letter of protest to Tsuruho, asserting that his comment "deeply hurt the hearts of disaster victims" and was "absolutely unforgivable." Furthermore, the Suzu City Council also decided to submit a letter of protest to Tsuruho on or after the same day. Speaker Masanori Banjo pointed out that Tsuruho showed no signs of remorse even during his apology press conference on February 9, and indicated an intention to demand his resignation from important posts. During the press conference, Tsuruho mispronounced the name of Suzu City as "Tama..." among other gaffes, further exposing his lack of awareness regarding the disaste...