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Elon Musk has waded into German politics twice in recent days on X.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 23, 2024

Germany’s SPD calls for antitrust act to clip Elon Musk’s power

While Wiese's comments will likely intensify the war of words with the world’s richest person, it’s unclear whether regulators in the U.S. will agree with his proposal.
The path forward for the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal is unclear. The companies could sue the U.S. government, another buyer could swoop in for U.S. Steel, or Republicans who favor the deal could urge U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to find a way to approve it.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jan 4, 2025

What's next for the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal?

The companies could sue the U.S. government, another buyer could swoop in, or those who favor the deal could urge Trump to find a way to approve it.
Hiroyuki Sanada's overlooked Golden Globe and Emmy wins and the media's differing reactions to "Shogun" mirror the contrasting political and media responses to Nippon Steel’s acquisition of U.S. Steel, highlighting how local interests shape public perception in both cases.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2025

Media coverage and political tensions color reactions to Nippon Steel's U.S. acquisition

If the U.S. Steel issue continues to be exacerbated, it might yield short-term benefits for U.S. domestic politics, but it will ultimately hand a windfall to foreign competitors.
A serviceman prepares to fire a Giatsint-B howitzer toward Russian troops at a front-line position in the Kharkiv region on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 10, 2025

Zelenskyy urges allies not to drop the ball ahead of Trump's return

The Ukrainian president implored representatives from roughly 50 nations to maintain their military support for his country’s nearly three-year war with Russia.
After months of legal tussles, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that would ban TikTok in the name of national security.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 19, 2025

TikTok shuts down U.S. access as Trump seeks app's reinstatement

Only months after overwhelmingly backing the law, lawmakers are now fretting about the ban, with all eyes on whether Trump can swoop in and find a way to save the app.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro says Manila's moves to beef up deterrence — including continuing to have a powerful U.S. missile system deployed on its territory — “are for the protection of our territorial integrity and sovereignty."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 6, 2025

Philippines all in to get its own midrange missile system

The plan, as disclosed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, comes amid Chinese pressure to remove a powerful U.S. weapons system from its territory.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth chat after reviewing an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Sunday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 31, 2025

On defense, Japan may avoid Trump's worst impulses — for now

In his first official trip to Japan, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to have been looking to tamp down on concerns in Tokyo.
A MQ-4C Triton drone taxis at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2025

U.S. to send long-range surveillance drones to Japan amid Taiwan tensions

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said that the drones will be sent to the U.S. air base in Kadena, on Okinawa Prefecture’s main island, in the coming weeks.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House in February
JAPAN / Politics
Apr 11, 2025

Trump calls U.S.-Japan alliance ‘one-sided’ as nations prepare for tariff talks

The U.S. president's remarks rekindled fears that he might use the talks to ask Tokyo to pay more for hosting troops, buy more weapons or further boost defense spending.
Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki may participate in a joint patrol in the prefecture by Japanese and U.S. officials, an official in the area said.
JAPAN
Apr 11, 2025

Japan and U.S. to hold joint patrol after Okinawa sexual assaults

The one-off joint operation through busy areas until the early hours of the next day was proposed by the U.S. side.
JAPAN
Jul 21, 2023

GSDF amphibious unit now seen as 'partner' of U.S. Marines

The GSDF unit and the U.S. Marine Corps have conducted many joint exercises, and the two sides can now work together in higher-level operations, according to GSDF Col. Taisuke Fujimura.
Travis King
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 5, 2023

U.S. won't invoke POW status for soldier who fled to North Korea

The decision, which could mean Travis King is not covered by protections entitled under the Geneva Convention, is highly sensitive for the U.S. military.
Lahaina resident Annelise Cochran poses for a portrait on Monday, after speaking about her harrowing escape from the flames of the fires in Maui.
WORLD
Aug 16, 2023

'The ocean saved my life': How one Hawaii survivor escaped the flames

Surrounded by flames on Hawaii's scenic Lahaina boardwalk, jumping into the sea was her only choice.
The darkened area surrounding Lahaina shows where the fire spread on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Aug. 13.
WORLD / Society
Aug 23, 2023

After Maui wildfire residents fear land grab may threaten culture

Hawaii's Office of Consumer Protection has warned of people making below-market offers, playing on fears of foreclosure and the cost of rebuilding.
Donald Trump speaks to reporters before boarding his private plane at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Thursday, where he turned himself in at the Fulton County Jail earlier in the evening.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Aug 25, 2023

Trump booked at Georgia jail on election charges

Authorities said they took Trump's mug shot at Fulton County Jail — a first for the former U.S. president.
Members of the Ground Self-Defense Force disembark from a V-22 Osprey aircraft during a live-fire exercise in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, in May 2022.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Sep 5, 2023

Why building an effective Japan-U.S. kill chain will enhance defense

The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated that modern warfare necessitates advanced coordination of operations.
A United Auto Workers (UAW) union member holds a sign to mark the beginning of contract negotiations in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in July.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 17, 2023

U.S. auto talks at 'critical phase' as political pressure grows

Workers at all Big Three automakers are coordinating for the first time, with demands such as a 40% pay increase over a four-year contract.
Striking writers and actors stage a solidarity march through Hollywood on Sept. 13.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 1, 2023

The Writers Guild had a PR strategy like no other

So how did the Writers Guild union do it? First and foremost, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of social media in the equation.
Palestinians flee following the Israeli army's warning to leave their homes and move south before an expected ground offensive, in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 14, 2023

Palestinians flee northern Gaza as Israel masses troops for assault

Israel announced overnight that it would temporarily guarantee the safety of Palestinians fleeing the area on two main roads.
South Korea's Aegis-equipped destroyer Yulgok Yi I (right), the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (top), the Aegis-equipped USS Shoup destroyer (bottom center), the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Hyuga destroyer (left) and the South Korean Navy's Cheonji (center) sail in formation during a joint maritime drill in international waters southeast of South Korea's Jeju Island on Oct. 10.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 17, 2023

Military deterrence alone will not dissuade China, experts warn

Governments must be proactive in pressing for diplomatic solutions, as a focus on military power won't make the world safer, analysts say.
Rep. Jim Jordan after a vote for House speaker on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Oct 19, 2023

Jordan defeated again for speaker as Republican stalemate deepens

The hard-line Republican from Ohio lost a second bid for speaker after running headlong into opposition from a group of mainstream GOP holdouts.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during an opening ceremony of a diplomatic symposium at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 24, 2023

China's top diplomat to visit U.S. ahead of possible Xi trip

Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be the highest-ranking Chinese official to travel to Washington in about five years.
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command released video footage that it said showed a Chinese J-11 fighter executing an "unsafe intercept” of a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber, such as the one seen above, which was "lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace.”
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 27, 2023

Dueling Chinese and U.S. videos show alleged provocations at sea

The rivals accused the other of provocative or unprofessional actions by military craft in and around the disputed South China Sea.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber is escorted by South Korean F-35s during a joint military exercise over the Korean Peninsula that also involved Japan's Air-Self Defense Force.
EDITORIALS
Oct 27, 2023

Japan, U.S. and South Korea patrol the skies together

The three countries have historically engaged in bilateral exercises with the United States, but this trilateral exercise in the air is a notable first.
A member of the Chinese military holds a microphone emblazoned with the symbol of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum in Beijing on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 29, 2023

China kick-starts Xiangshan Forum in absence of defense minister

China's biggest annual show of military diplomacy started Sunday, as Beijing looks to draw developing countries closer in its rivalry with the U.S.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel speaks during an interview at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 30, 2023

U.S. military begins Japan seafood purchases to counter China ban

China, which had been the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood, says its ban is due to food safety fears.
U.S., Japanese and South Korean navy destroyers take part in joint missile defense exercises in international waters between South Korea and Japan in April.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Nov 13, 2023

Japan, U.S. South Korea to share missile-warning data

Following talks between the countries' defense chiefs, the three sides said the mechanism is now "in the final stages of testing."
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa speaks during a news conference after a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 8.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 25, 2023

Japan, South Korea and U.S. envoys seek united front on North Korea

The three countries' top diplomats strongly condemned North Korea’s launch of a military spy satellite and vowed to boost trilateral security cooperation.
A protest is held in Toronto on Sept. 25, a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi's involvement in the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 27, 2023

India’s denials of Sikh separatist plots ring hollow

Now that the U.S. is also raising concerns about New Delhi-orchestrated plots against Sikh separatists, why are many Indians reacting with a shrug?
JAPAN
Nov 30, 2023

Japan asks U.S. to suspend Osprey flights until safety is confirmed

The U.S. air station in Futenma continued its operation of Osprey aircraft after Wednesday’s incident, causing local residents to voice their concern.

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Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.