Osaka tops Kasatkina to win Indian Wells title

Unseeded Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese player to win the Indian Wells final, routing Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday for her first WTA Tour title. World number 44 Osaka rolled over Kasatkina, breaking her serve four times and winning the ... ( read original story ...)

Japan cult spinoffs persist two decades after sarin attack

More than two decades after Japan's Aum Shinrikyo cult plunged Tokyo into terror by releasing a nerve agent on rush-hour subway trains, its spinoffs continue to attract new followers. Cult head Shoko Asahara is on death row, along with 12 of his disciples ... ( read original story ...)

Osaka stuns Halep as rising stars reach Indian Wells final

(Reuters) - Japan's Naomi Osaka made short work of a subdued world number one Simona Halep on Friday, the unseeded 20-year-old racing to a 6-3 6-0 semi-final victory to set up a surprise BNP Paribas Open final against Daria Kasatkina. The Russian ... ( read original story ...)

Spring comes to Tokyo with first cherry blossoms

"Warm temperatures in late February and early March hastened the growth of buds," an agency official told reporters to the cheers of visitors at the shrine in central Tokyo. The story hit the headlines with Jiji Press reporting it as breaking news ... ( read original story ...)

Kasatkina beats Williams; Osaka ousts Halep at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — The future is now at the BNP Paribas Open. Daria Kasatkina upset Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a nearly three-hour baseline struggle and Naomi Osaka routed top-ranked Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes on Friday night to ... ( read original story ...)

Kasatkina beats Williams; Osaka upends Halep at Indian Wells

Naomi Osaka made much quicker work of top-ranked Simona Halep, routing her 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes to set up a final between two 20-year-olds on Sunday. Kasatkina was two points from defeat, trailing 4-5 and 0-30 in the third set when Williams committed ... ( read original story ...)

Japanese sensation Osaka blitzes Halep en route to decider

It will be a battle of the 20-year-olds in the Indian Wells Masters final after Japanese sensation Naomi Osaka crushed world number one Simona Halep in straight sets. Halep was the overwhelming favourite but the three-time grand slam finalist was ... ( read original story ...)

Tokyo: Man swindled women with ‘mistress contract’ scams

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 24-year-old man who is suspected of swindling multiple women by posing as the son of the president of a talent agency, reports Nippon News Network (Mar. 16). In December of last year, Akira Baba ... ( read original story ...)

Osaka, Halep advance to Indian Wells semis

Rising star Naomi Osaka stormed into the semi-finals at the BNP Paribas Open after stunning number five seed Karolina Pliskova. The 20-year-old Japanese wasted no time in racing to a straight sets victory at Indian Wells, winning the quarter-final 6-3 6-3 ... ( read original story ...)