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Reservists receive training ahead of the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Taoyuan, Taiwan, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 9, 2025

Taiwan simulates attacks on military command in annual war games

Over the next 10 days, the Han Kuang drills will expand to assess Taiwan's combat readiness against a full-scale attempt to seize the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as Attorney General Pam Bondi (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (center) look on during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 9, 2025

Trump signals continuing trade-defense link as tariff talks drag on

The U.S. leader has again alleged that Seoul is taking advantage of Washington on defense spending and burden-sharing — a worrying sign that may also have implications for Tokyo.
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 9, 2025

Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services

Today, more than half of Netflix’s global users watch anime on its service, with shows such as “Sakamoto Days” proving to be massive hits.
Apple is reportedly challenging current Formula One broadcaster ESPN for the sport's U.S. television rights next year.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jul 9, 2025

Apple eyes U.S. Formula 1 broadcast rights after movie success: report

The report follows the strong box office performance of Apple's high-octane racing film "F1: The Movie."
A firefighter stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, in Ahmedabad, India, on June 13.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 9, 2025

Fuel switches in focus as preliminary crash report of Air India jet nears

It is not clear how much information would be available in the report, which comes about 30 days after the June 12 tragedy.
U.S. F-35 stealth fighters fly side by side with South Korean F-35s as part of a bilateral exercise over the Yellow Sea in July 2022. The U.S. Air Force is grappling with whether to prioritize air superiority or air denial in response to lessons from Ukraine and the growing threat from China.  
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 9, 2025

Air superiority vs. air denial: Redefining U.S. airpower strategy

The strategic debate is centering on whether to prioritize offensive or defensive airpower. The decision will determine how U.S. air resources are allocated.
A Phoenix quantum computer made by Atom Computing, in Berkeley, California. Japan is advancing in quantum research but lags in commercialization. To compete globally, it must shift from a research-focused approach to one driven by industry, investment and real-world applications.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 9, 2025

Japan needs to take the quantum-technology leap

Policymakers must focus on specific sectors, test new ideas through public-private partnerships and present practical examples.
Palestinians remove belongings from their homes threatened with demolition, during the ongoing Israeli military operation in Tulkarm camp, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on July 2.
WORLD
Jul 9, 2025

'Ghost camp': Israeli operations in West Bank push wave of Palestinians from their homes

"They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out. When you go back you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things."
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron at the British Museum in London on Thursday
WORLD
Jul 10, 2025

U.K.'s Starmer hopes for migration win at summit with Macron

The British leader hopes to reach a deal on a so-called "one in, one out" migrant returns deal.
Speculation about Xi Jinping losing his grip on power misreads China’s digital authoritarianism, which uses algorithmic control and emotional scripting to absorb dissent and reinforce the Chinese Communist Party’s power in the information age.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2025

Online dissent in China doesn’t mean Xi is on his way out

Don’t be fooled by viral posts. The CCP allows and even encourages certain forms of online dissent — all part of its digital authoritarianism.
Tomoya Asanuma, a man who endured almost four months of detention for charges he was ultimately acquitted of in January, poses for a picture at his apartment in Tokyo in May.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 10, 2025

Trial challenging Japan's 'hostage justice' opens

Campaigners argue that lengthy pretrial detention is meted out too easily in Japan, especially if suspects remain silent or refuse to confess.
Rare earth magnets in Baotou, China. India is planning to spur local production of rare-earth magnets to cut its reliance on China.
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2025

India plans to kickstart rare-earth magnet output to cut China reliance

China's tightening of export controls on rare earths amid a trade war with the U.S. has disrupted supply chains for global carmakers, including those operating in India.
The yen-dollar exchange rate is displayed outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 10, 2025

Japan unlikely to face U.S. pressure to strengthen yen, ex-top FX diplomat says

Masatsugu Asakawa was deeply involved in Japan's trade and currency negotiations with the U.S. when he was vice finance minister for international affairs.
Shoya Narita, a physical education teacher at Obu Minami Junior High School, gives a lecture about water safety in a classroom.
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Jul 22, 2025

Swimming lessons disappearing from Japan's public junior high schools

Aging pool facilities are prompting teachers to switch to giving classroom lectures on water safety.
A team of technicians from climate startup Recoolit work to capture emissions from a large air conditioning unit in the basement of a housing complex in Jakarta on June 10.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 10, 2025

In Indonesia, a startup captures coolants to stop global warming

With cooling demand increasing as the planet warms, concern is growing over highly polluting refrigerants. Enter the Recoolit startup.
A public school teacher leads the class during the first day of in-person classes, at a school flooded due to high tide, in Macabebe, Pampanga province, Philippines, in August 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 10, 2025

Philippines struggling to ready underfunded schools for climate hazards

Teachers want the government to do more than tweak the school calendar, and also invest in infrastructure that will make schools resilient to heat and storms.
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 10, 2025

Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October

The stricter measures come in response to a series of high-profile car accidents caused by foreign drivers.
Grok, a chatbot made by xAI, on Tuesday made antisemitic comments on billionaire owner Elon Musk's social media platform, X.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 10, 2025

Europe’s clash with Musk’s xAI escalates after Grok’s rants

The chatbot on Tuesday made antisemitic comments on social media platform X.
Takeshi Niinami, Suntory Holdings CEO and chairperson of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 10, 2025

Japan's united front on tariffs begins to crack as doubts raised

A senior business leader has questioned the effectiveness of the government in negotiating with the U.S.
A police officer at the site of a Russian airstrike which hit a residential building in Kyiv on Thursday
WORLD
Jul 11, 2025

Trump says U.S. to supply weapons to Ukraine via NATO

The U.S. president also said that he would make a "major statement" on Russia on Monday, though he declined to elaborate.
Iga Swiatek celebrates after her win over Belinda Bencic in the Wimbledon semifinals in London on Thursday.
TENNIS
Jul 11, 2025

Iga Swiatek surprised by run to first Wimbledon final

Swiatek, who will face U.S. 13th seed Amanda Anisimova in Saturday's final, has not won a title since last year's French Open.
A high school senior (Taisuke Niihara, center), his girlfriend (Yuki Araho, left) and their alcoholic teacher (Yuka Kouri, right) find themselves in a lopsided love triangle in Toshiya Kominami’s “Young & Fine.”
CULTURE / Film
Jul 11, 2025

‘Young & Fine’: Teenage horndog tale balances heart and hormones

The oddball sensibility of Toshiya Kominami’s coming-of-age film, paired with Yuka Kouri’s winning performance, elevates a questionable setup into something surprisingly human.
A recent law passed by the Brazilian Congress grants President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva powers to retaliate against trade barriers.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 11, 2025

Brazil's Lula pledges retaliation to Trump tariffs but keeps diplomacy open

The "law of reciprocity will be put into practice," the Brazilian president says.
Hideo Kojima, the leading auteur in Japanese video games, has skirted controversy in the wake of the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
LIFE / Digital / ON: GAMES
Jul 12, 2025

Is Japanese skin really ‘too smooth’ for Hideo Kojima’s games?

When it comes to Hideo Kojima’s visuals, art imitates life — and it’s more often Hollywood’s version of life than Japan’s that influences his games.
Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies speaks with Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda ahead of practice for the Miami Grand Prix on May 2. Mekies was named Red Bull team principal on Wednesday.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 11, 2025

Laurent Mekies gets started new Red Bull team principal

Max Verstappen's future with the team remains uncertain, despite a contract until 2028, with Mercedes and Aston Martin keen to secure his services.
Climbers complete their entry procedures at the fifth station of the Fujinomiya trail in Shizuoka Prefecture on Thursday.
JAPAN
Jul 11, 2025

Mount Fuji opens to climbers in Shizuoka

The mountain is open for climbing until Sept. 10.
The ruling is far from the last word in the legal battle over U.S. President Donald Trump's order, which he signed in January on his first day back in office.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Jul 11, 2025

Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order after Supreme Court ruling

The judge made use of an exception to overcome the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that restricted the ability of judges to block policies nationwide.
The growing prevalence of AI-generated child abuse material has alarmed law enforcement worldwide.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 11, 2025

AI-generated child abuse webpages surge 400%, alarming watchdog

Some content is so realistic it has to be treated under U.K. law as if it were actual footage, the Internet Watch Foundation has said.
Nissan Motor has raised $4.5 billion through a junk bond sale in U.S. dollars and euros, part of which carries a record-high coupon rate.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 11, 2025

Nissan clinches $4.5 billion bond deal after orders soar

The automaker is offering a record-high coupon on at least one part of its dollar- and euro-denominated junk bond sale to drum up demand.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 11, 2025

What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election

Growing uncertainty over whether the ruling coalition can retain its majority in the Upper House has given strength to a number of possible outcomes of the election.

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years