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Then-U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe speaks to members of the media during a break of the Senate impeachment trial against then-President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington in January 2020.

WORLD / Politics

Nov 13, 2024

Trump picks John Ratcliffe to be CIA director

The pick signals that the second Trump White House will get even more hawkish on China — and prove reassuring for American allies such as Japan.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets Sen. Marco Rubio during a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Nov. 4. Trump is expected to name Rubio, a loyalist who Trump passed over as his vice presidential running mate, as secretary of state.

JAPAN / Politics

Nov 12, 2024

Trump diplomacy and security picks likely to anger China but reassure Japan

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to select Sen. Marco Rubio to be his secretary of state and Rep. Mike Waltz to be national security adviser.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appears to doze off as Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (center) looks on before the first round of a parliamentary vote to nominate a prime minister following the Oct. 27 general election, during a special session of parliament in Tokyo on Monday.

JAPAN / Politics

Nov 12, 2024

Ishiba’s apparent dozing in parliament due to cold, top spokesman says

Video showing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba appearing to doze off during a key session of parliament went viral on social media.

The bow of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Ukushima minesweeper is seen early Monday after most of the ship was submerged in waters off Fukuoka Prefecture following a fire that erupted in its engine room.

JAPAN

Nov 11, 2024

One crew member missing after fire sinks MSDF minesweeper

The MSDF and the Japan Coast Guard are working together to search for the missing sailor, with divers taking part in the effort.

Houses in the countryside outside the North Korean city of Kaesong are seen across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) from the Ganghwa Peace Observatory, on the South Korean island of Ganghwa on Friday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Nov 9, 2024

North Korea launches GPS interference, affecting airplanes and ships

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the attacks impacted "several" ships and "dozens" of airplanes.

Onlookers watch a broadcast of Republican candidate Donald Trump addressing his election night watch party, in Times Square, New York, on Wednesday. Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States, pulling off a stunning political comeback in one of the most polarized contests for the White House in U.S. history.

JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS

Nov 7, 2024

U.S. allies and partners gird for return of ‘transactional’ Trump

Trump is expected to raise his demands at every turn, a scenario that could very well play out with Japan, especially if Tokyo remains mired in political turmoil.

Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump points to supporters as he holds hands with his wife, Melania, before claiming victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election during a rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.

WORLD / Politics

Nov 7, 2024

Trump defeats Harris, returning U.S. to era of uncertainty

Kamala Harris congratulated her rival on a win expected to have a dramatic impact on the United States' relationships with allies like Japan and rivals like China.

A man watches a news broadcast about a North Korean missile test, at the main rail station in Seoul on Thursday.

JAPAN

Nov 5, 2024

North Korea fires off missiles hours before U.S. voters head to polls

Pyongyang launched at least seven short-range missiles that flew about 400 kilometers each before splashing down in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Monday was the third day in a row that a large number of Chinese military aircraft had been reported around Taiwan, with the Defense Ministry in Taipei saying the earlier instances had been part of exercises that saw them head into the West Pacific for long-distance flights.

ASIA PACIFIC

Nov 4, 2024

Taiwan sees surge in Chinese military activity ahead of U.S. election

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said that it had detected 44 Chinese military aircraft around the self-ruled island on Nov. 4.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, face off in an election Tuesday that will have wide-ranging implications for Japan.

JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS

Nov 3, 2024

Status quo or disruption? Breaking down the U.S. election's impact on Japan

Regardless of who wins, Washington is likely to have limited bandwidth to change tack in a significant way with its most important Asian ally.

The Meteorological Agency said that, as of 2:10 p.m Saturday, a total of 188 observation points in western and central Japan had recorded their largest-ever 24-hour rainfall for November

JAPAN

Nov 2, 2024

Western and central Japan drenched by record rainfall for November

The heavy rains saw the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, issue the highest-level alert and urge nearly 190,000 residents to evacuate to shelters.

A man at a rail station in Seoul watches a news broadcast on Thursday with file footage of a North Korean missile test.

ASIA PACIFIC

Oct 31, 2024

North Korea fires off ICBM with longest flight time yet

The missile, which flew for 86 minutes, fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, landing in waters some 300 kilometers west of Hokkaido's Okushiri Island.

North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Jan. 16.

WORLD / Politics

Oct 30, 2024

North Korea's top diplomat heads to Moscow as troops gear up for fight

The Pentagon has said there are indications troops deployed to Russia by Pyongyang could be used in an infantry role in the Ukraine war.

North Korean special forces soldiers march and shout slogans during a military parade marking the 105th anniversary of the birth of the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in Pyongyang in April 2017.

ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS

Oct 29, 2024

North Korean troops in Russia could have dangerous ramifications for Asia

Kim Jong Un's decision to send soldiers amid the war in Ukraine highlights the gamble he appears to be willing to take in his strategic relationship with Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday.

ASIA PACIFIC

Oct 25, 2024

Putin appears to hint that North Korean troops are in Russia

Putin's comments came as Ukraine’s intelligence agency said that North Korean soldiers had already arrived in Russia's Kursk region.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a training base at an undisclosed location in North Korea in a photo released on Oct. 4.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Oct 24, 2024

U.S. says North Korean troops in Russia, possibly to fight in Ukraine war

But the U.S. defense chief and other officials said that it remained to be seen what exactly the North Korean troops would be doing in Russia.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks at a news briefing following meetings with top Ukrainians officials in Kyiv on Monday.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Oct 23, 2024

U.S. defense chief confirms North Korean troops are in Russia

The remarks follow claims by Kyiv and Seoul that Pyongyang is dispatching soldiers to fight against Ukraine.

North Korean special forces troops take part in training at a base in an undisclosed location in the country in this image released on Oct. 4.

ASIA PACIFIC / Politics

Oct 22, 2024

U.S. warns against North Korean troops in Ukraine as Seoul eyes arms to Kyiv

South Korea, Japan and the U.S. are rushing to address the high possibility of Pyongyang sending combat troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine.

An F-35B stealth fighter jet lands on the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Kaga helicopter carrier during a test on Sunday of the southern coast of California.

JAPAN

Oct 22, 2024

F-35B fighter makes first landing on de facto aircraft carrier Kaga

The Maritime Self-Defense Force is conducting tests to determine if there are issues with such aircraft taking off from the vessel while verifying other procedures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his government has intelligence that 10,000 troops from North Korea are being prepared to link up with Russian forces fighting Ukraine, warning that such a move would be “the first step to a world war.”

ASIA PACIFIC

Oct 21, 2024

Zelenskyy seeks 'strong reaction' to North Korean involvement in Ukraine war

The Ukrainian leader has urged partners to take measures in response to claims Pyongyang is sending thousands of troops to fight beside Russia on the front lines.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.

Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.

By Tomoko Otake

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