Japan

US President Barack Obama says the cyber hack against Sony, blamed on North Korea, is not an “act of war” – but is considering putting them back on the terror list.

Heavy snow and damaging winds have battered Hokkaido in northern Japan. Up to 70cm of snow has fallen, with wind gusts around 80mph, cancelling 420 flights and leaving thousands without electricity.

People in Japan saw a sparkling light race across the sky on Monday evening. Experts say it may have been a “fireball” meteor – a piece of an asteroid that ignites upon entering earth’s atmosphere.

A Japanese tech firm has created the perfect ping pong player – a robot that analyses the trajectory and velocity of the ball. The robot is designed to keep rallies going rather than defeat opponents.

French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi is undergoing surgery following a severe head injury in the Japanese Grand Prix.

Rescuers at the peak of a Japanese volcano find what may be five new victims of Saturday’s eruption, with at least 36 people feared dead.

Hundreds of people including children are stranded on Mount Ontake when it erupts, with more than 30 people feared dead as ash pours two miles down the volcano’s side.

A landslide on the outskirts of the city of Hiroshima, triggered by torrential rain, has left at least 27 people dead, including several children.

Shocking footage shows a landslide uprooting cars and buildings as Typhoon Neoguri sweeps through the Japanese town of Nagiso, Nagano. The storm moved through to Kagoshima early on Thursday.

Hundreds of flights are cancelled and hundreds of thousands are urged to evacuate, as a powerful typhoon hits south west Japan.

Breathtaking images captured by satellites and tweeted by astronauts show the devastating size of Typhoon Neoguri – which hit the Japanese coast on Tuesday.

A Japanese oil tanker is gutted after bursting into flame off the coast of western Japan. Of the eight crew members, seven have been rescued – but the ship’s captain remains missing.

While the world’s eyes are on Russia, its ally China continues to clash with neighbouring countries over competing claims to the oil-rich South China Sea. Will there be war?