Soccer-Japan’s oracle octopus boiled and butchered

For decades, the United States and Soviet Russia were the only countries that had landed on the moon. Then came China and India. Now, Japan is trying for the second time in 2023.

Tokyo has summoned the Chinese ambassador over hundreds of crank calls believed to originate from China. Japan has begun to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which Beijing says is not safe.

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.

The release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant prompted China to ban Japan's seafood imports. Japanese officials say they are now looking to boost export markets in places such as Taiwan, the US and Europe.

The future of the Spanish FA boss hangs in the balance. But for women’s football, the backlash against Luis Rubiales and the stunning World Cup win could pave a path to a brighter future.

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

The French front pages are gripped by rugby fever as the World Cup kicks off this Friday on home soil. Will France convince as host nation, less than a year before the Olympics? Also: another South Korean elementary school teacher commits suicide as teachers protest nationwide against bullying and pressure from parents.

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.

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.