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Mixue, a Chinese bubble tea chain, has become the world’s largest food and beverage chain, with tens of thousands of stores all over Asia. The company is just one example of the increasing reach and popularity of Chinese cultural exports across the globe.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 23, 2025

How China’s soft power is rewriting Asian culture

Chinese cultural exports are becoming increasingly popular across the world and especially Asia. Do they promote cross-border understanding or are they tools for propaganda?
With Russia holding the upper hand in Ukraine and its people likely to support a favorable peace, why is the Kremlin unwilling to negotiate?
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 22, 2025

Russia’s two minds on Ukraine

Russian people used to have savings; today, they spend whatever they can get their hands on and even take out loans.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as President Donald Trump meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on April 14. Rubio is also serving as the national security adviser.
WORLD / Politics
May 24, 2025

White House National Security Council slashes staff in dramatic restructuring

The NSC restructuring is expected to transform it into a small organization focused more on implementing the president's agenda than on shaping it.
Students on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Friday
WORLD / Politics
May 25, 2025

Trump's moves seen threatening key sources of U.S. 'soft power'

The U.S. president has attacked the media, cut foreign aid and canceled or seriously scaled back university research programs — raising fears of a brain drain in the country.
Vietnam Communist Party General Secretary To Lam (right), his wife Ngo Phong Ly (left), French President Emmanuel Macron (second from right) and his wife Brigitte Macron pose for a picture with traditional dance performers during a luncheon at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 26, 2025

France and Vietnam sign Airbus deals as Macron visits Hanoi

The French president's visit is aimed at boosting his country's influence in its former colony, which is grappling with threats of crippling U.S. tariffs.
Aryna Sabalenka hits a return against Kamilla Rakhimova during the first round of the French Open in Paris on Sunday.
TENNIS
May 26, 2025

Aryna Sabalenka off to strong start at French Open; Rafael Nadal says goodbye

Women's world No. 1 Sabalenka needed just an hour to sweep aside Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.
Rafael Nadal waves to the crowd at Roland Garros during a ceremony honoring his career at the French Open on Sunday in Paris.
TENNIS
May 26, 2025

Roland Garros pays tribute to 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal at French Open

Nadal dominated the French Open after winning in his debut as a teenager in 2005, lifting the trophy a record-breaking 14 times.
A Boeing 747 from Qatar at Palm Beach International Airport, following President Donald Trump’s tour of the plane, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 15. The president and his family have profited from the White House more than any other occupant, normalizing activities that once would have provoked heavy blowback and official investigations.
WORLD / Politics
May 26, 2025

As Trump family monetizes presidency, profits outstrip protests

The scale and the scope of the presidential mercantilism has been breathtaking.
Britain's King Charles III reacts as he visits the Rideau Hall residence during a two-day visit in Ottawa on Monday.
WORLD
May 27, 2025

King Charles visits Canada to help send a message to Trump about its sovereignty

U.S. President Donald Trump has made repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st U.S. state.
Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti during a news conference in Rio de Janeiro on Monday
SOCCER
May 27, 2025

Ancelotti pledges to make struggling Brazil 'champion again'

The former Real Madrid manager is the first non-Brazilian in six decades to coach the record five-time World Cup winners.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (center) arrives at Argentina’s Ministry of Health to meet with Argentinian Health Minister Mario Lugones in Buenos Aires on Monday.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 28, 2025

RFK Jr. says COVID-19 shot isn’t recommended for healthy kids

The decision reverses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s earlier stance that everyone six months of age and older get vaccinated.
Yuka Saso of Japan hits a tee shot at the first hole during the first round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament in The Woodlands, Texas, on Apr 24.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
May 28, 2025

Yuka Saso chasing third U.S. Women’s Open title at Erin Hills

The Philippines-born Japanese golfer is gearing up for the U.S. Women's Open this week at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, and she'll do so as the defending champion.
US Coco Gauff reacts after a point during her women's singles match against Australia's Olivia Gadecki on day 3 of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris on Tuesday.
TENNIS
May 28, 2025

Gauff finds groove after forgetting rackets as Medvedev exits

Gauff forgot to take her rackets to the court but reminded her rivals of her French Open title ambitions with a commanding first-round win.
James Rosewald, co-founder of Dalton Investments, speaks during an interview at the company's office in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2025

Dalton connects with activist investor-linked fund to pressure Fuji Media

Dalton is trying to pressure Fuji Media after the broadcaster earlier this month spurned the fund’s proposal for 12 new directors, including SBI Holdings' Yoshitaka Kitao.
Members of Spanish Guardia Civil, supported by Europol, arrest a man (right) during an operation against drug trafficking in Mijas, near Malaga, in June 2024.
WORLD
May 28, 2025

Sun, sand and suspects: Spain tackles fugitives seeking a haven

Criminals from around the globe flock to Spain, but police stress that their chances of evading justice are slim.
Demonstrators hold signs during a protest in support of international students at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
May 28, 2025

Japanese universities urged to open doors to students blocked from Harvard

The education ministry has asked universities nationwide to support students affected by the White House's push against foreign enrollments at Harvard.
Agrolend CEO Andre Glezer (second from right), JICA Brazil Office chief Akihiro Miyazaki (far left) and others on Wednesday in Sao Paulo
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2025

JICA signs deal to invest in Brazilian farming fintech firm

JICA hopes the investment will help ensure stable food procurement by Japan, which imports such crops as soybeans and corns from the South American agricultural giant.
Japan’s biggest life insurers collectively lowered bullish yen wagers tied to their foreign investment holdings, a move that suggests they see a lower likelihood of the yen showing the kind of strength it did in the past.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 30, 2025

Japanese life insurers cut bullish yen hedges to 14-year low

Nine of Japan’s biggest life insurers collectively lowered bullish yen wagers tied to their foreign investment holdings to 44.4% at the end of March from 45.2% six months earlier.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for a trilateral meeting between Japan, the U.S. and Australia at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 1, 2025

Hegseth to prioritize China and more allied spending in Asia — but questions remain

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a clear statement of the United States' commitment to the region, but getting allies to spend more on their defense will be an uphill battle.
Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 2, 2025

Philippines vague on U.S. missile deployments, but clear on one thing

Manila has already secured the funds to buy its own midrange missiles, according to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro.
The Eagle S oil tanker is seen near a Finnish border guard ship and tugboat off the Porkkalanniemi Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland in December. Finland seized the Russian-linked vessel on suspicion it damaged undersea cables amid growing concerns over sanctions evasion and maritime security.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 2, 2025

Braving the storm: It’s time to board Russia’s shadow fleet

European sanctions against the Kremlin’s oil vessels are futile without actual enforcement.
Shigeo Nagashima (left), then the manager of the Tokyo Giants, waves to fans with players and coaches during a victory parade in central Tokyo in 2000. Nagashima died at the age of 89 on Tuesday.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 3, 2025

Japanese baseball legend Shigeo Nagashima dies at 89

Long before the rise of Shohei Ohtani and Ichiro Suzuki, Nagashima was arguably the most famous player in Japanese baseball history.
Cranes at the Port of Los Angeles on May 13. U.S. President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs will kick in on July 8 after 90-day pause.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2025

U.S. pushes countries for best offers as tariff deadline looms

It will evaluate the responses, to be submitted by Wednesday, within days and offer "a possible landing zone."
Russian delegation head and presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky speaks to the press after a meeting at Ciragan Palace during the second round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2025

Russia sets out punitive terms at peace talks with Ukraine

The terms highlighted Moscow's refusal to compromise on its longstanding war goals despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the "bloodbath" in Ukraine.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi (third from left) speaks at a Council for Gender Equality meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 3, 2025

Japan to promote women's startups as part of push to stop rural outflow

Seeing fewer job prospects for women in the countryside as a problem, the government will improve consulting systems for business startups in rural areas.
The LGBTQ  community in the U.S. has expressed shock and dismay regarding government plans to slash the Health and Human Services Department's budget, which includes the elimination of specialised mental health services for LGBTQ  youth.
WORLD / Society
Jun 3, 2025

LGBTQ+ suicide risk rises as Trump cuts mental health services

Since returning to office in January, Trump has signed executive orders to curb LGBTQ+ rights, many of which directly impact young people.
Afghan refugees queue outside a distribution and donation center in New Jersey in December 2021. U.S. President Donald Trump's second-term travel ban covers 12 countries, including Afghanistan.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 5, 2025

Trump signs travel ban for 12 countries including Afghanistan

The move is the latest step in what has been a sweeping immigration agenda aimed at cracking down on undocumented migration.
Intermediary support is crucial for drug availability in Japan, where more than 50 therapies have been identified as needed but unavailable to patients.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2025

Itochu working to support overseas pharma firms to fill Japan's drug gaps

Two units of the trading house will assist with everything from early-stage consulting, regulatory advice and clinical testing support to post-launch distribution.
Reports claim that children with unusual names were being bullied at school and facing difficulties finding jobs.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 6, 2025

What’s in a name? With new guidelines, the Japanese government wants to know.

Japan now requires official furigana for names in the family register, aiming to limit overly creative "kira-kira" readings.
Many economies in Asia have invested at much lower levels on defense than the U.S., expecting the support of Washington’s military might.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 6, 2025

Asia sees Trump’s 5%-of-GDP defense spending goal as unrealistic

In interviews, key defense officials in Asia have been clear: The ambition is understood, but the math just doesn’t add up.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight