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U.S. President Donald Trump’s second-term tech policy consolidates AI regulatory power in the White House, empowering American tech giants at the expense of state authority, international cooperation and democratic oversight.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2025

The 'Washington Effect' could decide the AI race

While Trump administration officials pressure foreign governments to ease up on U.S. firms, Congress moves to block state-level oversight altogether.
Mexican designer Italia Segovia, 26, known as "Kumiko," poses for a picture wearing clothes from her brand Chicanjuku.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jun 26, 2025

Mexican designer blends Chicano and Harajuku styles

Designer Italia "Kumiko" Segovia says experimentation is great as long as it's from a place of knowledge and respect.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a news conference during the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2025

NATO's Trump flattery buys time but dodges tough questions

Sooner or later, NATO will have to deal with tough topics of vital importance to it, such as the war in Ukraine, Russia strategy and a likely drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe.
It is believed that Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings cannot reactivate the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant's No. 7 reactor until August 2029, when an antiterror measure is scheduled to be in place.
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2025

Tepco changes Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear reactor restart plan

The firm has decided to put the No. 6 reactor back online ahead of the No. 7 unit, which is ready to be restarted.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a news conference Monday that there are "various arguments from the viewpoint of international law" regarding U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2025

U.S. strikes against Iran create dilemma for Japan

After criticizing Israel's attacks on Iran, Japan would have been accused of adopting a double standard if it did not decry the U.S.' actions.
Voters in the Upper House election in July 2022
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 26, 2025

Upper House election date falling on a three-day weekend sparks debate

The July 20 election falls on a Sunday that is also the second day of a three-day holiday weekend, when many people are likely to plan for trips and outings.
U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as he arrives at the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on June 16.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2025

Trump, the death of multilateralism and the ‘rise of the rest’

In the post-liberal order, the U.S. won't act in allies' interests unless they align with its own.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk, Belarus, on Thursday. The lack of a common understanding between U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about Putin's goals is seen complicating future diplomatic plans to wind down the war in Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 27, 2025

Following NATO summit, Trump and Europe still at odds over Putin's ambitions

The NATO summit highlighted the widening gap between how the U.S. and Europe see the military ambitions of Russia, the bloc's main foil.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% in the capital in June from a year earlier, lower than the median economist forecast but still well above the Bank of Japan’s price goal of 2%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 27, 2025

Tokyo inflation eases as energy costs cool ahead of election

Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% in the capital in June from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan leader Yoshihiko Noda speaks during an interview at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 27, 2025

Ahead of election, CDP chief vows 'responsible' tax cut

"Measures to cope with rising prices will be the biggest focus (of the July 20 House of Councilors election)," Yoshihiko Noda said.
A voter takes a photograph of a candidate running for a Tokyo assembly seat, in Tokyo on June 21.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 27, 2025

Lawmaker hints at new social media regulations as misinformation taints elections

Under a new law, social media sites can remove posts defaming political candidates if creators don't respond within two days, but lawmakers say that's too long.
A monitor in Tokyo on Friday shows the 225-issue Nikkei average exceeding 40,000 for the first time since January.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 27, 2025

Nikkei hits 40,000 level as trade hopes fuel Japan stock rally

Exporters such as carmakers were among the biggest contributors to gains.
Wimbledon will not employ line judges for the first time in its 148-year history this year.
TENNIS
Jun 27, 2025

Wimbledon prepares for life without line judges

Jamie Baker, the tournament director says
U.S. President Donald Trump has lauded as a major victory a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case involving birthright citizenship that curbs the ability of judges to impede his policies nationwide.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 28, 2025

U.S. top court in birthright case limits judges' power to block Trump policies

Federal judges have taken steps including issuing numerous nationwide orders impeding Trump's aggressive use of executive action to advance his agenda.
IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi attends a news conference in Vienna on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jun 29, 2025

Iran could again enrich uranium 'in matter of months,' IAEA chief says

One key question is whether Iran was able to relocate some or all of its estimated 408.6-kilogram (900-pound) stockpile of highly enriched uranium before the attacks.
Chelsea midfielder Pedro Neto celebrates after scoring his team's third goal as the Premier League side moved past Benfica and into the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
SOCCER
Jun 29, 2025

Chelsea downs Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarters after weather chaos

Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in extra time to send Premier League side into a quarterfinal clash against Brazil's Palmeiras.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney take part in an arrival ceremony during the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on June 16.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2025

Trump turns on ‘nice’ Mark Carney with Canadian tech tax ultimatum

The tax became law while Justin Trudeau was still in power and had prompted warnings of U.S. retaliation but Carney went ahead anyway.
Recent incidents by the world's most advanced artificial intelligence models of lying, scheming and even threatening their creators highlight a sobering reality: more than two years after ChatGPT shook the world, AI researchers still don't fully understand how their own creations work.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Jun 29, 2025

AI is learning to lie, scheme and threaten its creators

More than two years after ChatGPT shook the world, AI researchers still don't fully understand how their own creations work.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House in Washington in April.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2025

Trump says 'not going to stand' for Netanyahu's continued prosecution

An Israeli court has rejected Netanyahu's request to postpone testimony in his corruption trial, citing inadequate justification to delay the proceeding.
Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim speaks during the first exhibition organized by the Czech Center Taipei in the Taiwanese capital in June last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 29, 2025

Taiwan VP says she will not be intimidated after Czechs allege Chinese plot

A Chinese diplomat ran a red light while following her car, while other Chinese operatives had planned to stage a demonstrative car crash.
President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Koo Yun-cheol to be his administration’s new finance minister.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 29, 2025

South Korea's Lee names Koo Yun-cheol finance minister and makes other picks

Koo, a former vice finance minister, still needs to go through parliament hearings before being confirmed as finance minister.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday. Inflation in Tokyo slowed in June for the first time in four months as a result of government steps to reduce utility and gasoline prices.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 29, 2025

Measures to ease inflation must be speedy, says Prime Minister Ishiba

Ishiba has opposed lowering the sales tax ahead of an Upper House election where voters will vote on the performance of his minority government.
Japanese seafood in a supermarket in Hong Kong in July 2023
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2025

China partially lifts ban on Japanese seafood imports in bid to ease frictions

Tokyo labeled the move “a major turning point,” though improving the relationship still faces hurdles over China’s military moves near Japan.
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.
JAPAN / Society / Longform
Jun 30, 2025

What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji’s deadliest weekend still echoes today. Luckily, area rescue squads have leveled up their game.
Beachgoers wait in an underground bomb shelter after sirens sounded to warn of an incoming Iranian missile attack in Tel Aviv on June 20. Iran has found itself humbled after a ceasefire was declared but retains plenty of capacity to hit back.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 30, 2025

Israel emerges stronger from Iran war but risks blowback

Israel building military positions beyond its borders in Syria and Lebanon opened the country to risks of repercussions from regional partners wary of its assertiveness.
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.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2025

From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan

There is plenty of room for Lego to grow in Japan, but the low birth rate is undeniably a challenge.
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi (left) and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery compete for the ball during their Club World Cup match in Atlanta on Sunday.
SOCCER
Jun 30, 2025

PSG rolls past Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to reach Club World Cup quarterfinals

Miami had hoped Messi's magic could help it produce an unlikely result against the Argentine star's former club.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in 2016
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 30, 2025

Dalai Lama set to reveal succession plan as China watches

The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2025

Trump floats Japan tariff as top adviser says deals to come after July 4

The U.S. president cited what he said was Japan's unwillingness to accept U.S. rice exports, the latest round of brinkmanship before a July 9 deadline for higher tariffs.
A banner announces the construction of a photovoltaic solar farm in Cabaiguan, Cuba, on May 21.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 1, 2025

China is quietly supplanting Russia as Cuba's main benefactor

Where many of Russia's most recent promises to Cuba have fizzled, China has discreetly stepped up to fill the void.

Longform

In 2020, 38% of all households were single-person. That figure is projected to rise to 44.3% by 2050.
The rise of AI companionship in a lonely Japan