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July 07, 2025
 

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Michael Martina
Chinese tech startup DeepSeek is helping Beijing with military and intelligence operations, according to U.S. officials.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 24, 2025
DeepSeek aids China's military and evaded export controls, U.S. official says
The U.S. conclusions reflect a growing conviction in Washington that the capabilities behind the rapid rise of one of China's flagship AI enterprises may have been exaggerated.
A woman walks with a sign depicting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as people gather for a protest against Israel's wave of strikes on Iran in central Tehran on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 14, 2025
Israel's attacks on Iran hint at a bigger goal: regime change
The moves appear aimed at diminishing Iran's credibility both at home and among its allies in the region — factors that could destabilize the Iranian leadership, experts said.
The Fordow uranium enrichment facility, south of the Iranian capital of Tehran, is seen in a satellite image from February. Iranian authorities have said that the nuclear sites at Fordow and Isfahan have not been hit in Israel strikes, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
WORLD / FOCUS
Jun 14, 2025
Damage to Iranian nuclear sites so far appears limited, experts say
Satellite imagery seen Friday did not yet show significant damage to nuclear infrastructure, several experts said.
The Bayan Obo mine containing rare earth minerals, in Inner Mongolia, China.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2025
Carmakers warn China's rare-earth curbs could halt production
Auto executives are sounding the alarm on an impending shortage of rare-earth magnets from China that could force the closure of factories within weeks.
The Taiwanese military conducts its first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) live-fire test launch at the Jiupeng base in Pingtung, Taiwan, on May 12.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 30, 2025
Trump aims to exceed first term's weapons sales to Taiwan, officials say
If U.S. arms sales to Taiwan do accelerate, it could ease worries about the extent of Trump's commitment to the island.
The Harvard University shield "VERITAS" sits above a campus entrance gate at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society / FOCUS
May 24, 2025
Long advantageous, Harvard's China ties become a political liability
The ties have yielded major financial gifts, influence in international affairs and global prestige for the school.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Osaka in 2019. With his global tariffs announcement, Trump may have undercut his own China strategy.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 4, 2025
Trump's global trade war may defeat U.S. strategic goals on China
Tariffs could cause an economic moat to form around the U.S. that ultimately undermines Washington's strategic goals on Beijing, analysts warn.
Balloons with protest slogans are seen outside the Legislative Council building during the anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 1, 2025
U.S. sanctions six Chinese and Hong Kong officials for rights abuses
The move is the Trump administration's first major move to punish Beijing over its crackdown on the city.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth walks to the West Wing of the White House on March 21. Hegseth disclosed war plans in an encrypted chat group that included a journalist two hours before U.S. troops launched attacks against the Houthi militia in Yemen, the White House said on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 25, 2025
White House mistakenly shares Yemen war plans with journalist
The plans were shared in a Signal messaging group that included a journalist from The Atlantic just before the U.S. attacked Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 15, 2025
U.S. hits Thai officials with visa sanctions over deportation of Uyghurs to China
The move appeared intended to discourage Thailand — a U.S. ally — and other countries from such deportations.
A ship sails through the Panama Canal after Hong Kong's CK Hutchison agreed to sell its interests in a key Panama Canal port operator to a BlackRock-backed consortium on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2025
BlackRock to buy Hong Kong firm's Panama Canal port stake amid pressure
The $22.8 billion deal, coming amid pressure from the White House, will give the BlackRock-backed group control of ports along the strategic waterway and dozens of others.
Elon Musk speaks next to U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 11.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 26, 2025
U.S. lawmakers warn that China could use Musk to influence Trump
Lawmakers fear the CCP will try to use business leaders who have commercial interests in China, to advance its goals in talks with Washington.
Members of Taiwan's armed forces, riding on a M60A3 tank, participate in a drill as part of a demonstration for the media to show combat readiness, at a military base in Taitung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 18, 2025
Taiwan considering multibillion dollar arms purchase from U.S., sources say
Taipei is hoping to win support from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump as China continues to apply military pressure on the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he attends the Commander in Chief Ball in honor of his inauguration in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 22, 2025
Aiming to weaken U.S. foes, Trump faces an 'unholy alliance'
Russia, China, North Korea and Iran have drawn closer following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A Tencent sign is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 6, 2023. The gaming and social media company has been added to a U.S. Defense Department list of firms it says work with China's military.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 7, 2025
U.S. adds Tencent and CATL to list of firms allegedly aiding Chinese military
The companies described their addition to the annual list as a mistake.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te is planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip starting in the coming weeks, sources said.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 15, 2024
Taiwan president plans Hawaii visit on sensitive trip to Pacific, sources say
Six sources briefed on the visit said that the president is planning a stopover in Hawaii as part of an overseas trip starting in the coming weeks.
Tulsi Gabbard's nomination has raised alarm among the ranks of intelligence officers.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 15, 2024
Trump's choice of Gabbard as U.S. intelligence chief vexes spy world
Donald Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard is among several high-level picks that suggest he may be prioritizing personal allegiance over competence.
U.S. officials are warning that foreign adversaries are aiming to sow doubt in the Nov. 5 election results to stoke division and undermine trust.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 8, 2024
U.S. expecting foreign actors to question validity of election
Countries would seek to "launder their narratives" through witting and unwitting American voices and stoke divisions in society.
The flags of the U.S. and China sit in a room where U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with China's Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, in Beijing on April 26.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 19, 2024
The challenges posed by China exceed those of the Cold War, U.S. says
Analysts and members of the U.S. Congress have said escalating global competition between China and the U.S. resemble a different but new style of cold war.
U.S. agencies and Congress are increasing scrutiny of China's influence and technology transfers at American universities, fearing Beijing exploits open research to bypass export controls and national security laws.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 8, 2024
Georgia Tech to end China partnerships following concerns over military ties
In May, U.S. lawmakers wrote a letter to Georgia Tech asking for details on its research with China's Tianjin University on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Heatstroke alert issued for 19 prefectures as Japan enters 'once-in-a-decade' heat wave
Japan will experience a heat wave through mid-July on a “level only seen once in a decade,” the Meteorological Agency said on June 30.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
Tokyo and Kyoto feature among top ‘noctourism’ destinations
Tokyo ranked second after New York and ahead of Dubai and Singapore in a ranking of the top global cities for nighttime tourism.
Elon Musk says he has created a new U.S. political party
Elon Musk looks on during a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on May 30.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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