Japan to Release 210,000 Tonnes of Emergency Rice Amid Soaring Prices

Japanese police have arrested 42-year-old Kenji Takano on suspicion of attempted murder following the fatal stabbing of influencer Airi Sato, 22, during a livestream on a busy street in Tokyo on March 11, 2025. Takano has been sent to prosecutors, but charges have yet to be filed, according to Tokyo metropolitan police. Witnesses reported hearing Sato scream for help just before her stream abruptly cut off, leaving viewers in shock as sirens echoed in the background. Police indicate that she suffered over 30 stab wounds to her upper body and was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to a hospital. Takano allegedly had a personal relationship with Sato, which soured over a financial dispute involving 2.5 million yen (approximately $17,000). Reports suggest that he tracked her location through the livestream to carry out the attack with a survival knife. While he admitted to the stabbing, he claimed he did not intend to kill her. Japan, known for strict gun control, has seen an increase in violent knife attacks in recent years.

Scientists at Osaka University have developed a groundbreaking AI model that can estimate a person's biological age using just five drops of blood. The model analyzes 22 key steroid hormones and their interactions to provide a nuanced assessment of health, distinguishing between chronological age and biological aging processes. Published in the journal Science Advances, this study marks a significant advancement in personalized health management, potentially allowing for earlier detection of age-related health risks and customized interventions. "Our bodies rely on hormones to maintain homeostasis, so we thought, why not use these as key indicators of aging?" explained Dr. Qiuyi Wang, co-first author of the study. The research revealed concerning implications of stress on aging. Specifically, it found that when cortisol levels—a hormone associated with stress—doubled, biological age increased by approximately 1.5 times. "Stress has a measurable impact on biological aging," noted Professor Toshifumi Takao, a corresponding author of the study. This AI-powered model could lead to personalized wellness programs and early disease detection, ushering in a new era of health monitoring strategies.

A 22-year-old Japanese influencer, Airi Sato, was fatally stabbed while livestreaming on a busy street in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo on March 11, 2025. Kenji Takano, 42, was arrested on March 14 on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly inflicting over 30 stab wounds to Sato, who was later pronounced dead in hospital, Tokyo metropolitan police reported. Witnesses reported hearing Sato scream for help just before her livestream abruptly ended, with viewers expressing concern in the chat. According to The New York Times, Takano allegedly had a financial dispute with Sato, having loaned her approximately 2.5 million yen (about $23,000) that she reportedly failed to repay, despite a court order. Takano reportedly confessed to the attack, claiming he did not intend to kill Sato. He traveled from Oyama, around 100 kilometers north of Tokyo, using live-streaming footage to track her location. Japan generally experiences low violent crime rates, but a rise in knife attacks has been noted in recent years.