World doesnt end
The week's news at a glance.
Godaishi, Japan
A Japanese doomsday cult pushed its end-of-the-world date back one week after the earth’s magnetic poles failed to reverse last Thursday, as it had predicted. The 1,200-member group, Pana Wave Laboratory, does not believe in bathing, dresses all in white, and eats only instant noodles. It says an apocalypse triggered by the pole shift and cataclysmic earthquakes can be prevented only if a seal named Tama-chan is “rescued.” Tama-chan, a Japanese media phenomenon in his own right, has been drawing crowds since August, when he appeared in a Tokyo river, 600 miles from his arctic habitat. Pana Wave is being eyed warily by the Japanese, who recall that Aum Shinrikyo also began as an odd but seemingly harmless sect.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle