Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have reaffirmed the close cooperation between their countries following North Korea's firing of projectiles.
North Korea may have conducted its latest projectile launch to press the United States to cancel or postpone its planned joint military exercise with South Korea.
The British government says it will provide naval escorts for UK-flagged ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Tension is rising between Britain and Iran.
Japanese weather officials say a tropical storm may bring heavy rain to Pacific coastal areas of eastern Japan from Saturday through Sunday. They are warning people to be on the alert for possible landslides and floods.
Hollywood actor Rutger Hauer, who became a global cult icon for his role as the scary yet thought-provoking humanoid android in the 1982 sci-fi classic "Blade Runner", has died at the age of 75.
South Korean electronics giant Samsung announced Thursday it will release its cutting-edge foldable smartphone in September, despite a trade dispute between Seoul and Tokyo which analysts say will affect delivery.
