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Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, in China's Jiangsu province, in October 2010.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 14, 2025

China halts critical rare earth exports as trade war intensifies

The official crackdown is part of Beijing’s retaliation for President Donald Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs that started April 2.
Palestinian girl Silla Abu Aqleen, who lost her right leg during the Israeli military offensive, holds her artificial limb during a physiotherapy session at the Gaza City municipality-run Artificial Limbs and Polio Center, in Gaza City on March 17.
WORLD / Society
Apr 14, 2025

Gaza's amputees face life in a war zone with little treatment and less hope

Israel suspended all humanitarian aid into Gaza after the collapse of a 2-month-old ceasefire last month, complicating efforts to obtain artificial limbs.
Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa in Damascus on March 10
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2025

Saudi Arabia to pay off Syria's World Bank debts, paving way for further funding

Plans would be the first known instance of Saudi Arabia providing financing for Syria since Islamist-led rebels toppled former leader Bashar al-Assad last year.
Officials in northeast China have accused the U.S. of launching cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2025

China accuses U.S. of launching 'advanced' cyberattacks and names alleged NSA agents

The report contained a considerable amount of detail on the cyberattacks and the alleged individuals involved.
The Google logo is seen at the company's Bay View campus in Mountain View, California. Japanese authorities on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order to Google over an alleged violation of the country's anti-monopoly law.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2025

In a first, Japan issues cease-and-desist order against Google

The Japan Fair Trade Commission has accused the U.S. tech giant of violating the country's anti-monopoly law by forcing manufacturers to preinstall its apps in smartphones.
A night market in Taipei in April
JAPAN / Society
Apr 16, 2025

Japan is by far the favorite country among Taiwanese: survey

Japan has been the most popular country since the survey began in 2008.
Under the Economic Security Promotion Act, the government implements a range of measures to secure vital supply chains, from providing subsidies and low-interest loans to coordinating regulations, stockpiling essential goods and protecting advanced technologies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 16, 2025

METI may list undersea cables and satellites as critical for economic security

The move comes amid an increasingly uncertain geo-economic climate, with global powers becoming more protectionist.
Hiroyuki Sanada poses with the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for "Shogun" at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 5.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Apr 17, 2025

Actor Hiroyuki Sanada among Time's 100 most influential people

Contemporary artist Yoshitomo Nara and musician Yoshiki also made the list.
An autonomous aerial vehicle designed to carry one passenger conducts a test flight in Guangzhou, China. Flying taxis and even drone-powered food delivery services are rapidly becoming realities in the country's government-backed "low-altitude economy."
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 18, 2025

Will a 'low-altitude economy' make Chinese growth soar again?

Beijing wants to repeat the economic success story of its battery and EV players by propelling companies operating in low-altitude airspace to global market dominance.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris on Thursday.
WORLD
Apr 18, 2025

U.S. will abandon Ukraine peace push if no immediate progress, Rubio says

"We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term, because if it's not, then I think we're just going to move on," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to remarks during a swearing-in ceremony for Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz in the Oval Office in Washington on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 19, 2025

Trump seeks to put more civil servants under his control

The move would give him power to directly hire and fire as many as 50,000 jobs reserved for career federal employees.
China had accounted for the biggest international student body in the U.S. for 15 years until it was overtaken by India last year.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 22, 2025

Trump visa cuts and tariff hikes turn Chinese students away from American Dream

A growing number of Chinese students are exploring other destinations.
 Toyota Motor and Daimler Truck are expected to finalize the merger agreement as early as May.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2025

Toyota and Daimler near merger of truck units, report says

The two auto groups aim to establish a holding company for the truck units and list it on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime market in April 2026.
Apple responded fiercely to the European Union penalty, accusing the bloc’s regulators of discriminating against the company and forcing it to give away its technology for free.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2025

Apple and Meta hit by $798 million in EU tech fines after Trump threats

The punishments are far lower than previous ones under traditional EU competition law, and are likely to be seen as an attempt to avoid provoking Trump.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato is is expected to meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 24, 2025

U.S. indicates no hard target for yen ahead of key trade talks

The United States has argued that the yen is too weak, making its value against the dollar a top agenda item in trade discussions.
Under new rules, those who use smartphones while riding a bicycle would be subject to the maximum fine of ¥12,000.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 24, 2025

Japan set to fine cyclists on the spot for rule violations from 2026

Until now, police have usually responded to cycling violations by issuing verbal warnings or handing out red tickets that can lead to prosecution.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 25, 2025

No discussion of yen target, Kato says after Bessent meeting

The two countries possibly committing to a specific number in terms of the yen-dollar exchange rate has helped drive up the value of the Japanese currency.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 25, 2025

Trump’s trade whiplash sinks world into dreaded ‘uncertainty’

"The worry I hear more often is actually not even tariffs, it is uncertainty,” IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told reporters Thursday. "Let’s have clarity.”
Hokkaido's famous lamb is turned into a ragout or French-style stew and used as a pizza topping at Savoy Ezo.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 26, 2025

Savoy, Tokyo’s top pizzeria, fires up in Sapporo

The chain of pizza restaurants has opened its first branch in Hokkaido, offering locals a taste of its famous crisp and airy pizzas.
Stephen Dacus, incoming chief executive officer of Seven & I Holdings, speaks during an interview at the company's headquarters in Tokyo on Friday. Dacus plans to boost investments in its U.S. stores using cash from a planned listing of its American retail operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2025

Seven & I’s new CEO plans aggressive investments in U.S. stores

In addition to investing in its North America operations, Stephen Dacus is also looking to review the company’s supply chain globally.
As Japan gears up for the trade talks, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is also seeking to cushion the blow that the U.S. tariffs may have on the domestic economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 26, 2025

Japan to resist Trump efforts to form trade bloc against China

Any demands from Washington on Tokyo to downgrade its economic relationship with China would potentially deal Japan a major economic blow.
Virginia Giuffre speaks to reporters in New York in August 2019. Giuffre, a former victim of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring, died on Friday at her farm in Western Australia. She was 41.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Apr 26, 2025

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes own life in Australia, family says

"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," the family said in a statement.
Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan is among a list of 3,990 individuals recognized by the government in this year's spring honors.
JAPAN
Apr 29, 2025

Japan's spring honors to celebrate contributions of 3,990 people

Award ceremonies for grand cordons and orders with gold and silver stars will be held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on May 9.
A trader works on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 29, 2025

After 100 days under Trump, investors reassess the allure of 'brand USA'

The market has seen significant rallies fueled in part by trade negotiation optimism, but investors remain concerned about the longevity and strength of any bounce-back.
Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk looks on ahead of the inauguration ceremony where Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President in Washington on Jan. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2025

Musk lays groundwork for midterms donor role as time with DOGE ends

Musk views his money and his social media platform X as potentially more powerful political tools than his time inside the government.
Demonstrators hold a rally against U.S. President Donald Trump's attacks on Harvard University at its campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 17.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 29, 2025

Stop scaring future world leaders off U.S. campuses

To the extent that a U.S. education gets others to think as Americans think, it is the ideal tool of soft power
Japan's proposed "one-theater" defense strategy, linking the East China Sea, South China Sea and Korean Peninsula has raised concerns, particularly in South Korea, about its implications for regional security.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 30, 2025

Japan’s ‘one-theater’ defense concept rattles South Korea

Continuing expansion of SDF roles and missions is consistent with adoption of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" construct that guides Japanese security policy.
Fuji Media Holdings President Osamu Kanemitsu is set to step down from his post at a general shareholders meeting in June.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 1, 2025

After scandal, Fuji Media Holdings marks major net loss for first time

The company has also announced that President Osamu Kanemitsu, who was set to become chairman, will be stepping down.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
May 1, 2025

U.S. eyes more migration deals, with Rwanda said to be in talks

"We are actively searching for other countries to take people from third countries," said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Longform

Dangami House is a 180-year-old former samurai residence of the Kato clan, who ruled over Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, until the Meiji Restoration.
A house, a legacy and the quiet work of restoration in rural Japan