‘Flying car’ SD-03, gets off ground with one person aboard in Japan

Countries around the world continue to report extreme temperature records. In India, August was not only the hottest but also the driest on record.

Japan is marking 100 years since a devastating earthquake triggered a widespread inferno in Kanto, a region that includes the capital Tokyo. Most victims perished in the fire.

At the beginning of August, the World Bank announced it would freeze new loans towards Uganda in light of its new anti-LGBTQ laws. Many initially viewed the move as a sign that the bank was taking a more progressive approach towards human rights issues. But is it a misguided approach?

Japan's lunar mission comes two weeks after India successfully landed its craft on the moon's south pole.

Forced exile, grief, pressures of assimilation and generational trauma are recurring themes for many, if not most narratives about the refugee experience. They're at the heart of author Cecile Pin's first book, “Wandering Souls”, which recounts the lesser known stories of Vietnamese boat people who fled to the United Kingdom. She joined us for Perspective.

The 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup opens this Friday, September 8 with a blockbuster match. Hosts France will face New Zealand in one of the most powerful match-ups in the sport's history. This year, organisers are also expecting record attendance for the tournament, highlighting how professionalisation has transformed the sport in recent years.

Gambling in Japan operates in the shadows, yet it accounts for nearly half of sales in the country's leisure sector. And for some, a harmless pastime can turn into a dangerous addiction. About three million Japanese are thought to have experienced a gambling addiction at some point in their lives. Earlier this year, the government approved plans to build Japan's first casino, a long-awaited move that has divided public opinion. Our correspondents report on Japan's troubled relationship with gambling.

A young cartoonist from the Philippines told of how he uses his pen to fight against injustice in his country. Zach draws cartoons to show the oppression that journalists face as the government continues to clamp down on media freedom. Human Rights Watch says little has changed in the Philippines since the election of President Ferdinand Marcos Junior last year. The Southeast Asian nation continue to witness killings and other violence amid intense political pressure. Zach joined us for Perspective.

More than 30 countries are participating in the 50th World Petanque Championships in Cotonou, Benin. It marks the first time that a world cup is being hosted in West Africa.

The war in Ukraine has entangled both politics and religion. In Berlin, it shaped the large peace rally organized by the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio, which brought together representatives from dozens of faiths.

Fumio Kishida named new foreign and defense ministers in reshuffling his 19-member Cabinet. The Liberal Democrat leader is facing trouble at home as he sinks in opinion polls ahead of possible snap elections.

As France hosts hundreds of thousands of rugby fans from around the world for the 2023 World Cup, we take a deep-dive into the business that surrounds the game with Herbert Mensah, president of Rugby Africa who joins us from Accra in Ghana, as well as Christina Philippou, a principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth with a particular research interest in sports finance.