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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on April 7. Without further diplomacy, the Iran-Israel conflict could become an endless, no-win situation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2025

Trump abandons ‘America First’ for Middle East quagmire

Iran's acceptance of the ceasefire is what in Japanese politics is called a “feigned death” tactic.
Bags of food aid are prepared for distribution by the World Food Program, part of the EU- and U.S.-backed "Grain from Ukraine" initiative, at a warehouse in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on Nov. 19, 2024.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2025

Ukraine turns to Africa in its struggle against Russia

By showing countries in Africa that it is a major alternative to Russian food supplies, Ukraine hopes many will begin to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
A clip of fans getting rowdy to see J-pop outfit Fruits Zipper prompted criticism about the idol fandom’s dark side.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Jun 26, 2025

Why are idol fans throwing hands at the racetrack?

A recent Fruits Zipper fan frenzy stirred online criticism, raising questions about the line between passion and obsession in J-pop idol culture.
Softbank has invested $15 million in a startup's climate monitoring stations that are designed to capture real-time data on wildfires, flooding and greenhouse gases.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2025

SoftBank backs startup building giant floating climate stations

The massive, bullet-shaped helium balloons will monitor climate data and bring connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.
Britain's Competition and Markets Authority spent years setting up a regime to intervene in the operations of tech giants such as Google, only for the Labour government to say its need to grow the economy meant tough regulation was now out.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 26, 2025

U.K. politics blunts antitrust action against Google

Britain's Competition and Markets Authority spent years setting up a regime to intervene in tech giants' operations, only for the Labour government to say tough regulation was out.
The Xiaomi YU7 electric SUV
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 26, 2025

China’s Xiaomi to launch first SUV as shares near record high

Now valued at $187 billion, Xiaomi is worth more than Chinese EV leader BYD as it grows its footprint in the world’s largest car market.
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.
Thai eatery Orangutan takes over Lou cafe in the evening, replacing casual coffee and cakes with the fiery dishes of Isan cuisine.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 29, 2025

Come nightfall in Nakano, Thai eatery Orangutan opens its arms

Named after an ape, the restaurant, which takes over a cafe space in the evening, brings authentic, fiery Isan flavors to Tokyo.
Japan is mad about pets, and the Interpets trade fair showed to what lengths some owners will go for their furry friends.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 28, 2025

Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes

From June 19 to 21, a veritable animal kingdom (and their owners) descended on the Intex Osaka convention center to try new foods and meet new friends.
Visitors at Shibuya Station, one of the busiest railway stations in the world. Tokyo ranks second only to London and above Paris, which landed third on online travel booking site Kayak’s list of most popular destinations this summer.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 27, 2025

U.S. trips to Japan surpass Paris for hot summer vacation destinations

A multiday stay in Japan has become much more affordable for those in the U.S. thanks to lower airfares and a favorable foreign exchange market.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump arrive for a family photo during the Group of Seven leaders' summit at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course in Kananaskis, Alberta, on June 16.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 28, 2025

Trump halts trade talks with Canada, shattering optimism over tariff deals

The move came just hours after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent struck an upbeat tone on trade, saying deals could be reached by Sept. 1.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to members of the media after a Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 28, 2025

Tariff deals could be wrapped up by Sept. 1, Bessent says as talks pick up

The U.S. Treasury chief did not mention any changes to a July 9 deadline for countries to reach deals with the United States or see tariffs spike higher.
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi attempts a free kick during his club's match against Egypt's Al Ahly on June 14 in Miami.
SOCCER
Jun 28, 2025

From Messi to Auckland City, magic shining through Club World Cup issues

The Club World Cup's various problems have been well documented, from empty seats to extreme heat. But there has also been plenty to enjoy about the tournament so far.
The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2025

Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending bill clears first U.S. Senate hurdle

The Senate voted Saturday to begin debate on the legislation just hours after party leaders unveiled the latest version of the massive tax and spending package.
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Jun 29, 2025

As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity

With hot weather and a growing population, the region is becoming a key growth market for Daikin and other players. But experts warn of a vicious cycle leading to more emissions.
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.
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg's controlling interest in the tech titan frees him to have the company invest heavily in artificial intelligence efforts.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 30, 2025

Meta spending big on AI talent but will it pay off?

OpenAI boss Sam Altman recently lamented that Meta has offered $100 million bonuses to engineers who jump to Zuckerberg's ship, where hefty salaries await.
The construction of the Dakhla Atlantic Port is located 40 km north of the city of Dakhla, in an area under the jurisdiction of the rural commune of El-Argoub in Dakhla in the disputed Western Sahara, mostly controlled by Morocco.
WORLD
Jun 30, 2025

Morocco's Atlantic gambit: linking restive Sahel to ocean

Morocco has been seeking to position itself as a middleman between Europe and the Sahel states.
Fidaa al-Eissa hangs a rug to dry on the rooftop of her home, surrounded by the wreckage left by the civil war, in the Qaboun neighborhood of Damascus on Feb. 21.
WORLD
Jun 30, 2025

'She's not coming back': Alawite women snatched from streets of Syria

The overthrow of Bashar Assad in December after 14 years of civil war unleashed a furious backlash against the Muslim minority community to which he belongs.
Apple Intelligence would rely more heavily on outside technology under a plan being considered by the company.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 1, 2025

Apple weighs using Anthropic or OpenAI to power Siri in major reversal

A switch to Anthropic’s Claude or OpenAI’s ChatGPT models for Siri would be an acknowledgment that Apple is struggling to compete in generative AI.
A wind turbine at CS Wind in Pueblo, Colorado, in 2023
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 1, 2025

Solar and wind industries see existential threat in U.S. tax bill

The moves by the Senate, as it seeks to cut spending to offset trillions of dollars in tax cuts, "came out of left field” and shocked the industry.
The Japanese version of the U.K.’s Disclosure and Barring Service aims to ensure a safe learning environment for children by facilitating checks for records of sexual offenses for those working in jobs involving contact with children such as education or child care.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 1, 2025

Japan expands scope of background checks amid child safety concerns

The expanded guidelines will apply not only to schools and kindergartens, but also to community spaces such as children’s cafeterias and talent agencies.
A front-page article from July 1950 reported that Kyoto's historic Kinkakuji had been "totally razed" in a fire.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Jul 5, 2025

Japan Times 1950: Kyoto’s ‘Golden Temple’ burns to the ground

The historic Kinkakuji was destroyed in an act of arson in July 1950, a shocking event that would serve as the inspiration for a novel by Yukio Mishima.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore recently announced a hard deadline of June 30 for cryptocurrency firms incorporated in Singapore and offering services offshore to cease activities.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 2, 2025

Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crypto crackdown

More than 400 Binance workers label themselves as based in Singapore on LinkedIn.
Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts and ranking member of the House Rules Committee (center left) speaks during a hearing in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2025

Trump tax bill hits Republican resistance in House ahead of vote

Trump, the GOP’s most forceful whip, quickly turned his attention from the Senate to the House, putting public pressure on Republicans to back the bill.
For non-native speakers of the language, diving into Japanese books on a whim might just broaden your horizons and offer a fresh perspective on any topic imaginable.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 30, 2025

Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew

Whether you want to learn about regional geopolitics or the history of cheese, reading Japanese books can offer a whole world of new perspectives for non-native speakers.
A Self-Defense Forces tank unit takes part in parade at Camp Asaka, near Tokyo, in October 2018. The percentage of GDP spent on defense is a politically convenient but flawed metric that oversimplifies the complex realities of alliance management.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 2, 2025

In the Trump era, how much should countries really be spending on defense?

In truth, the “percentage of GDP” approach is a political one, not a practical one
Workers take a break near a ship under construction at China State Shipbuilding Corp.'s Longxue Shipyard in Guangzhou, China, in November 2011.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jul 2, 2025

China’s shipyard dominance leads to geoeconomic risks

According to 2024 data from the Chinese government, the country ranks first worldwide in ship completions, new orders and order backlogs.
A demonstrator carrying the Israeli flag walks past a portrait of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an anti-government protest in front of the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on June 7.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed

The Israeli leader had yet to comment on U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Israel had backed a plan for a 60-day truce in its offensive against Hamas.
Albin Enbacke is among the train drivers responsible for ferrying iron ore from the Kiruna mine.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 3, 2025

Sweden’s arctic railway prepares for a more militarized future

Should Finland’s border with Russia ever become an active front, the track would be one of the best ways for NATO to transport vehicles and supplies.

Longform

Once smoky, male-dominated spaces, today's net cafes, like Kaikatsu Club, are working to make their operations more attractive to women customers.
The second life of Japan's net cafes