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The Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hyuga destroyer leads the MSDF fleet during the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the MSDF's foundation, in Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, last November.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 31, 2023

Japan seeks record ¥7.7 trillion defense budget as buildup continues

The budget request signals that Tokyo remains committed to following through on historic defense reforms instituted in December.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meet in Beijing on Tuesday.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 1, 2023

U.S.-China 'de-risking' will face stress test in election season

While Democrats favor de-risking, Republicans are firmly in the decoupling camp and are attacking Biden's China policy for being too meek.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (center) arrives for a trilateral summit at Camp David, Maryland, on Aug. 18.
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 3, 2023

Deterrence is not enough in Northeast Asia

Forging closer ties with Japan is crucial for Yoon to achieve his foreign-policy goal of making South Korea a pivotal global player.
A construction site of residential buildings by Chinese developer Country Garden in Beijing. Some economists now see growth in China’s economy slowing to 3.5% in 2030 and to near 1% by 2050.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2023

China slowdown means it may never overtake U.S. economy: forecast

Some economists now see growth in China’s economy — the world’s second largest — slowing to 3.5% in 2030 and to near 1% by 2050.
Enrique Tarrio (center) leads members of the far-right Proud Boys in protesting President Donald Trump's election defeat, in Washington in December 2020. Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the role he played in organizing a gang of pro-Trump followers to attack the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 6, 2023

Proud Boys Leader Tarrio Gets 22 Years Over U.S. Capitol Riot

In a sometimes tearful statement to the judge before he was sentenced, Tarrio said he was sorry for the events of Jan. 6
Disney and cable giant Charter Communications are negotiating over how much Charter will pay Disney to carry its channels.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 6, 2023

Behind the Disney-Charter dispute over the future of TV

Media companies are trying to build profitable streaming services while cable providers feel like they're subsidizing a business that cannibalizes them.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks speaks during a meeting of the National Defense Industrial Association in Washington on Aug. 28. Hicks has said the Pentagon's "Replicator" initiative is meant to help the U.S. overcome China’s biggest military advantage: mass.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Sep 6, 2023

Pentagon drone swarm strategy aims to counter Chinese military

The U.S. is looking to field thousands of cheap, smart and autonomous war drones across multiple domains within 18 to 24 months.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 6, 2023

Kishida meets Chinese premier for first talks since water release

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sought to tamp down Beijing's concerns, explaining Japan's stance to Chinese Premier Li Qiang during meetings in Jakarta.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 8, 2023

Biden looks to woo back allies as Putin and Xi skip G20 summit

Biden’s effort also hinges on whether other participating powers see the G20 as a still-relevant gathering to steer the global economy.
An Apple store in the Huangpu district in Shanghai
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 8, 2023

Apple grapples with turmoil in China days before iPhone 15 launch

The bans may just be part of a longstanding trend.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel eats a peach as he visits Hamanoeki Fish Market and Food Court, as part of his trip to Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, on Aug. 31.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 9, 2023

Rahm Emanuel's protocol-busting China swipe stirs controversy

The comments conflict with the commonly observed practice of U.S. diplomats staying away from speculation on other countries’ domestic politics.
A screen shows an image of Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers in Beijing in August last year. The PLA's newspaper recently explained to its readers how ChatGPT can be used for military purposes.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 12, 2023

Will generative AI hold power in international relations?

The technology has the ability to create influential text and imagery, giving it power to potentially sway public opinion.
U.S. President Joe Biden holds a news conference in Hanoi on Sunday, the first day of a visit in Vietnam.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 11, 2023

U.S. and Vietnam ink historic partnership in Biden visit

U.S. President Joe Biden secured deals with Hanoi on semiconductors and minerals amid Washington's growing rivalry with China.
U.S. President Joe Biden holds a news conference in Hanoi on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 11, 2023

Biden doubts China able to invade Taiwan amid economic woes

The U.S. president said China "has a difficult economic problem right now for a whole range of reasons."
Buildings in downtown Bozeman, Montana. Tech-savvy Californians who work from home are fleeing to cheaper states, while retirees and nature lovers are flocking to places like Montana.
WORLD / Society
Sep 12, 2023

Pandemic population boom in rural hotspots sparks resentment

In some places, the influx of new residents is deepening political divides in an already polarized country.
Fumitaka Nakahama, Head of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group's global corporate and investment banking business, speaks in an interview in Tokyo on Sept. 7.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 13, 2023

MUFG battles private equity and startups to hire U.S. bankers

MUFG is plowing more resources into the American market in a bid to grow alongside established powerhouses.
A woman sits near debris in the earthquake-hit village of Ardouz, in Morocco's Amizmiz region, on Thursday.
WORLD / Society
Sep 15, 2023

Isolated Morocco quake survivors feel forgotten by state

Reporters have described survivors camped out in small tents or under plastic sheets, scared that aftershocks could destroy their damaged houses.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Sep 15, 2023

Hunter Biden indicted on gun charges

Any charges against Biden are almost certain to be weaponized by Donald Trump and conservatives in his bid to regain the White House.
A visitor looks at portraits of former United Nations Secretaries-General at U.N. headquarters ahead of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 17, 2023

World disappointed by the U.N. now looks elsewhere for answers

If the body's strongest members keep resisting reform, the Global South may have no choice but to seek new options, including those offered by China.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during the launch of the "Energy Transition: Fuel for the Future" project at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia on Sept. 14. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are scheduled to meet on Wednesday in New York.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 19, 2023

Conflicted ideas hinder Brazil's drive to revive 'soft power'

Dependence on China trade, off-the-cuff remarks about Russia and an outdated position on human rights derailing efforts
Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds a copy of China's constitution during a news conference at the Media Center of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 7.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 19, 2023

China ousted foreign minister over affair in U.S., report says

Top officials in China were told in August that a Communist Party inquiry into Qin uncovered "lifestyle issues.”
Disney said its parks, experiences and products segment has expanded at a combined annual growth rate of 6% since fiscal 2017, and generated $32.3 billion in operating income over the last 12 months.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023

Disney to nearly double parks spending to $60 billion

Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh D'Amaro, the company's parks chief, announced the accelerated pace of investment at a gathering of Wall Street analysts.
President Ebrahim Raisi of Iran at a news conference during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Sep 21, 2023

Qatar held separate bilateral talks with U.S. and Iran

Qatar held talks with the United States and Iran that touched on Iran's nuclear program and U.S. concerns about Iranian drone transfers to Russia.
South Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Sep 22, 2023

South Korea seeks revived China-Japan summit to shore up ties

Senior officials from the three Asian nations are set to meet in Seoul on Sept. 26.
The Biden administration has issued final rules that would prohibit chip companies vying for a new infusion of federal cash from carrying out certain business expansions, partnerships and research in China, in what it described as an effort to protect United States national security.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 23, 2023

U.S. finalizes rules to keep chip funds out of China

The rules, which aim to prevent chip makers from using new U.S. subsidies to benefit China, take into account the industry’s perspective.
The Chinese Navy's nuclear-powered Long March 11 submarine takes part in a naval parade off the eastern port city of Qingdao, to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, in April 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 23, 2023

U.S. revives Cold War submarine spy program to counter China

The multibillion-dollar effort, known as the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System, comes as China ramps up activities near Taiwan.
A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B fighter jet during a preview of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore in February 2022
WORLD / Politics
Sep 24, 2023

F-35s are rarely flight-ready and repairs are too slow, GAO says

The Marine Corps’ goal for availability of its F-35B is 85%. Instead, the "mission capable” rate for F-35B training jets in 2022 was about 55%.
Gold has often been seen as the quintessential "anti-dollar” — a place to turn for those who distrust fiat currency.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 25, 2023

Yields spike and gold shrugs. What’s driving bullion now?

As inflation-adjusted rates soared this year to the highest since the financial crisis, bullion has barely blinked.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 29, 2023

With help from GM, Honda tries again in U.S. EV market

The carmaker unveiled the brand’s first electric SUV on Thursday, marking a renewed push into fully electric vehicles.
The yen's slide to the cusp of ¥150 per dollar has put investors on high alert for the risk of intervention.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 29, 2023

Yen intervention a hard sell even as 'red line' beckons

To make even a ripple in the $5 trillion currency market, the BOJ would need to draw down massive amounts of dollar reserves.

Longform

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.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji