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COMMENTARY
Nov 3, 1999

The CTBT is not dead yet

"All bets are off! You'll see a lot of testing . . . . You'll have Russia testing, you'll have China testing, you'll have India testing, you'll have Pakistan testing . . . and we will be in a much, much more dangerous world."
COMMENTARY
Oct 31, 1999

Ending the Balkan tragedy

LONDON -- Economics and business trends are bringing the world together, but politics continue to tear it apart.
COMMENTARY
Aug 28, 1999

Politicians go head to head

Political chaos in August ended when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Liberal Party, agreed to form an alliance with New Komeito, despite widespread fears that the tripartite negotiations would fail because of policy differences. By successfully playing a political...
COMMENTARY
Jul 30, 1999

Selling out in Nagata-cho

"Japanese politics today lacks principles," former Health and Welfare Minister Junichiro Koizumi said when I met him recently as a member of a journalists' group. Koizumi also criticized government budget outlays of 80 trillion yen, against national and local tax revenues of only 50 trillion yen. He...
EDITORIALS
Jul 9, 1999

New Komeito's role

New Komeito will be holding a party convention July 24 that will surely be closely watched by politicians of all stripes, as well as by the public. If the party decides to join the LDP-LP coalition, it will give a major fillip to the government's legislative capacity. Together, the three parties control...
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 4, 1999

A paler shade of Green hurts Germany

The German Green party is in the midst of a major identity crisis -- struggling between the ideals that have been the motor of its very existence and the pragmatism required of a junior coalition partner of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's (barely) left of center government. A new generation of Greens,...
COMMENTARY
May 5, 1999

A game plan for Ishihara

I was not surprised at all by Shintaro Ishihara's overwhelming victory in the April 11 Tokyo gubernatorial election. Several journalist friends of mine and I had correctly predicted the election results, including the order of all the major candidates by the number of votes. More than anything else,...
EDITORIALS
Jan 28, 1999

A new political map in the Middle East

Even by the standards of Middle Eastern politics, it has been a tumultuous week. Former Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai has been engaged in a ferocious war of words after being sacked by his boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the other side of the River Jordan, King Hussein announced...
JAPAN
Jan 14, 1999

Analysis: Coalition plagued with problems

After days of intense haggling between the Liberal Democratic Party and Liberal Party, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi finally launched a coalition government Thursday. But despite his desire for a stable government, he appears to be headed for trouble.
JAPAN
Apr 30, 1998

Hosokawa announces resignation from Diet

Former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, who has been the glue linking the intraparty groups within the Democratic Party of Japan, announced April 30 that he will resign as a Diet member.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 1997

Hashimoto elated with LDP wins; JCP surges

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto expressed confidence July 7 over his Liberal Democratic Party's continued reign over national politics following his party's victory in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly race July 6.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 6, 2023

Repeated arrests and filthy cells: Inside Pakistan's crackdown

All the leaders who have been set free have publicly distanced themselves from Imran Khan, denounced the protests and praised the military.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 21, 2023

The International Space Station is a model for a better world

As the Russians just reminded us, the science lab in the sky run by them, the Americans and others is the alternative to nationalism and war.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2023

He promised change in Thailand. But will he be allowed to lead?

Supporters see Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, as a politician who represents change and a return to democracy after nine years of military rule that was preceded by a coup.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 6, 2023

As a king is crowned, some Britons ask why the monarchy persists

As long as there has been a monarchy, there have been questions about its legitimacy. But for many people, it would be difficult to disentangle the royal family from British identity.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 20, 2023

Despite hurdles, more political candidates hit campaign trail with young children

Politics in Japan has long been considered the domain of those who are capable of committing to the duty 24/7, marginalizing the voices of families with young children.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 5, 2023

A world with Putin and Trump in the dock

The recent indictments of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump highlight the law’s growing, and potentially dangerous, dominion in politics.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Feb 12, 2023

Wagner founder has Putin’s support, but the Kremlin’s side-eye

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the once secretive tycoon, is confounding Moscow’s Kremlin-allied elite by starting to dabble in politics alongside waging war in Ukraine.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 6, 2023

Japan-South Korea talks fail to inspire hope of breakthrough

Senior diplomats from Japan and South Korea make limited progress in wartime labor talks.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY
Jul 5, 2023

Can the U.S. and China halt their spiraling relations?

Janet Yellen said ahead of her China visit the two countries need to discuss their disagreements so that they don’t have misunderstandings about each other's intentions.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 19, 2023

New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern gives the world a lesson in humility

Jacinda Ardern's leadership stood in such stark contrast to many of her boorish male counterparts, and represented a different kind of politics.
Gigi Chao, vice chair of Cheuk Nang Holdings, in Hong Kong on July 19
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 31, 2023

More LGBTQ rights could help Asian financial hubs draw global talent

In Japan, the only Group of Seven nation without legal protection for same-sex unions, corporations are seen as a key driver for change.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrives for the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November. Xi is set to skip this year's G20 summit in India, marking a major shift in how he operates.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 4, 2023

Xi’s G20 snub marks shift from statesman to China ‘emperor’

Chinese leader eyes different approach to diplomacy, reinforcing investor concerns that Beijing is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki speaks during an interview in his Tokyo office on September 7
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 12, 2023

Japan's opposition struggles to move beyond political fragmentation

The leadership race for the DPP has reignited debate over the state of the opposition, with calls for a united front clashing with divisions over policy.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and members of his new Cabinet at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Wednesday
COMMENTARY / Japan
Sep 14, 2023

More flash than substance in Kishida’s Cabinet reshuffle

The reshuffle was consistent with past Liberal Democratic Party practices and portends a continuation of status quo policies and initiatives.
The XL bully dog is different than a normal pet. It is a symbol of fear, aggression and its muscular body and fierce countenance reflects this.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 20, 2023

Some kinds of dogs shouldn’t be allowed as pets

The case is weaker for a ban on bully dogs in the U.S. because population density is much lower and Americans seem to have a higher risk tolerance.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a news conference after his Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Sept. 13.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 3, 2023

Two years in, Kishida delivers stability but fails to wow

Despite little to boast about, Kishida is on his way to becoming one of the longest-serving prime ministers in recent history.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, mounting frustration from conservative elements in the LDP and persistently low public approval ratings.
COMMENTARY
Oct 10, 2023

As cracks form, Kishida’s political ship takes on water

The Kishida administration faces discontent within the ruling coalition, frustration from LDP conservatives and and low public approval ratings.
A woman hands out pamphlets outside a voting center in central Sydney on Oct. 3. A coming referendum will decide whether to recognize Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 10, 2023

Australia’s First Nations vote is coming down to love against war

Australia was founded as a federation in 1901 without formal recognition of the continent’s Indigenous peoples.

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