TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering Wednesday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine, a move likely to anger China and South Korea as it honours war dead, including perpetrators of Japan's World War II atrocities on its neighbours. The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo honours some 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who perished in the country's wars since the late 19th century. But it also honours senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes, and has frequently been a source of sour relations with countries that suffered from Japan's military atrocities, particularly China and readmore

MINNEAPOLIS: "Guilty!": As the jury's murder conviction against white ex-policeman Derek Chauvin was relayed on a loudspeaker Tuesday, the crowd in front of the Minneapolis courthouse erupted in joy and relief. More than 200 people had gathered to hear the verdict for the man accused of killing African-American George Floyd, a case that sparked protests against racial injustice around the world. "Guilty on all three counts," a man announced over a megaphone, and tears streamed down more than one face in the crowd. "Today we celebrate justice for our city," he added. "I readmore

MINNEAPOLIS: Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder on Tuesday in the arrest of George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and a rebuke of law enforcement's treatment of Black Americans. The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45, guilty of all charges including second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter after considering three weeks of testimony from 45 witnesses, including bystanders, police officials and medical experts. Deliberations began on Monday and lasted just over 10 hours. In a confrontation captured on video, Chauvin, who is white, pushed his knee into the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old readmore

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin will likely seek to overturn his murder and manslaughter convictions by arguing that the jury was prejudiced by media coverage and a settlement in the civil case brought by George Floyd's family, though his odds of success are slim, legal experts said. A jury on Tuesday found that Chauvin was guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree "depraved mind" murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd, a Black man.. Video of the incident touched off global protests over race and police brutality. Chauvin's attorneys will have to notify the trial readmore

The New York TimesAmid Biden Climate Push, a Question Looms: Is America's Word Good?WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden faces a fundamental question as he convenes heads of state this week in a virtual summit to declare that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role in the fight against climate change: Is America’s word still any good? The question is dogging Biden as he tries to reassert the American role in other parts of the world stage after four years of Donald Trump’s America First isolationism. Trading partners wonder how long a thaw on multilateral readmore

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden has said the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward" for the nation in the fight against systemic racism. Biden spoke from the White House hours after the verdict alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, with the pair calling for Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform. “It's not enough," Biden said of the verdict. "We can't stop here.” Biden spoke after telephoning Floyd's family, telling them, “We're all so relieved.” Before Tuesday's guilty verdicts readmore