In-depth News Features | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

An alliance of human rights organizations is using open-source information to investigate alleged war crimes by Russia in Ukraine. Russian forces are suspected of having committed more than 48,290 atrocities, many of them attacks on civilians. Just a handful of cases have led to convictions so far. Prosecuting more will be a long and complicated process.

An alliance of resistance fighters in war-torn Myanmar has scored major victories against the military junta in recent months, capturing towns and army posts in the most successful challenge to the regime since it seized power in a 2021 coup. Zin Mar Aung, the foreign minister of the pro-democracy National Unity Government — the shadow civilian government formed as an alternative to the junta — vi...

As leaders from around the world gathered in Egypt this month for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, one official is sounding a warning about a country that's being devastated by the severe drought, with many children already losing their lives. The World Food Programme's Somalia spokesperson sat down with NHK to discuss the likelihood of a catastrophic famine.

Revered French historian Helene Carrere d'Encausse believes mounting opposition in Russia to the invasion of Ukraine could ultimately see President Vladimir Putin lose his grip on power. She's been right about downfalls at the Kremlin before.

The military regime in Myanmar is turning to increasingly brutal tactics to suppress opposition. In July, it executed four people and started ramping up attacks on urban areas. This has spurred many young people to take up arms and fight back, while others have chosen to leave the country. But some remain committed to non-violent protest. NHK World spoke to an 18-year-old activist about the diffic...

The Japanese government has intervened in the currency market by buying the yen and selling the dollar for the first time in more than 24 years. The move was intended to keep afloat the value of the yen, which has so far declined over 25% against the dollar in 2022. Did the intervention have any effect? Why did the government act? Will there be more yen-buying? NHK World asked an expert.

Iran has been engulfed in unrest since the death of a young woman in police custody four weeks ago, and clashes between protesters and security forces have claimed many lives. Demonstrations are also being held beyond Iran's borders, including in Japan.

The Federal Reserve kept up its aggressive stance at its September policy meeting. An expert explains that inflation in the US remains "sticky," with some prices set to keep rising, and warns of the consequences of runaway price rises.

A director who had to remain anonymous. His work filmed in secrecy. Dark times in Myanmar are depicted onscreen in "Losing Ground", a 23-minute work that was honored in October at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival.

Ophthalmologist Hattori Tadashi quit his high-paying job in Japan two decades ago to give impoverished people in Vietnam access to eye care. Since then, he and his team have restored the vision of more than 20,000 people free of charge. Now he has been named one of four recipients of this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award -- often called "Asia's Nobel Prize" -- for his humanitarian work.

The global tourism industry is trying to bounce back following more than two years of coronavirus restrictions, and many countries are still struggling to regain foreign tourists. In Greece, officials on the island of Alonissos are boosting the recovery by offering unprecedented access to an otherworldly relic, submerged underwater for thousands of years.

Bringing a new life into the world is never easy, but doing so in a foreign country, in a foreign language, is even more challenging. It's an increasingly common situation in Japan where one out of every 25 babies born have at least one parent of a foreign nationality.

Greek authorities are under fire for making life difficult for refugees and placing asylum-seekers at risk. A get-tough approach is seeing refugee camps get shut down -- and stays slashed at government-supported accommodation.

People of Japanese descent on Russia's Sakhalin island have long cherished the opportunity to step foot in their ancestral homeland, but the conflict in Ukraine has made those trips all but impossible for many.

It's not every day the young students at Kyoto's Terada Ballet Art School get a visit from some of the world's top dancers. So, in August, when the children welcomed a group from the National Ballet of Ukraine, they made the most of the rare opportunity to learn from their guests — not just about their shared art, but also their shared humanity.

The first meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was held June 21-23 in Vienna. The talks came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine raises genuine fears of a country pushing the dreaded button in an act of aggression for the first time since the end of Cold War. NHK covered all the major developments.

As the number of refugees and displaced people tops 100 million, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees discussed the crisis with NHK World. Filippo Grandi is appealing for help in the global response, singling out Japan for its generous support.

The curtain has fallen on the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France, and beyond the prizes and glamorous parties lie works of art that challenge us to view the world differently. Among them is Broker, from Japanese director Koreeda Hirokazu.

A man who lost his 12-year-old daughter in the 2011 tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan says it is vital for people to understand the psychological traps that can prove deadly during a crisis.

The winds of change are blowing through Europe's fashion industry as leading labels increasingly embrace animal welfare in their work. Many have spoken in favor of a fur ban, and some are using the shift to pursue eco-friendly alternatives to leather.

Steve Jobs helped shape the modern world with his products at Apple, and it appears we can partly thank the unique aesthetic of Japanese ceramics for some of his most iconic designs.

The Cannes Film Festival came to a close on May 28, and while the event was as glamorous as usual, the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine was reflected throughout the 12-day celebration of all things filmic.

Thousands of homes have been torched in Myanmar as the military junta burns entire villages, according to grassroots reports. The arson attacks appear to be concentrated in the opposition stronghold of the central region of Magway and the northwest region of Sagaing.

Julia Shamsheieva used to project 3D artworks on cultural sites across the globe. Now it is her hometown that is in the spotlight – and Putin's crosshairs. Russian forces are closing in on Odesa, Ukraine's biggest port city, and residents fear it will be the target of a major offensive. NHK World spoke to the audiovisual artist about life under bombardment, and the shift from making symbols of pea...

Russia's invasion of Ukraine is wreaking havoc on the global fertilizer industry. Farmers are being squeezed and one expert says governments must step in to prevent what could become the worst food crisis since World War Two.