By Maria Siow Japan’s recent dispatch of warships to New Zealand – its first in nearly 90 years – signals Tokyo’s intention to take on a greater security role in the region and counter what analysts call increasing Chinese “geopolitical opportunism”. Carrying more than 500 crew, the two Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers docked in Wellington […]
Read MoreAsian shares showed a mixed performance today (14 August) following several days of gains fuelled by expectations of lower US interest rates, while US futures slipped. Bitcoin surged over 3%, reaching a new record above $1,23,000, according to CoinDesk. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.4% to 42,657.94 as investors booked profits after recent record […]
Read MoreBy Lawrence Chungin Taipei An unprecedented wave of criticism from Japan’s major newspapers against William Lai Ching-te has sparked debate over whether Tokyo is losing trust in the popularly elected Taiwanese leader just over a year into his term. The “extraordinary” media backlash followed the failed July 26 mass recall vote targeting opposition lawmakers, which […]
Read MoreBy Laura ZhouandFan Chen China has invited descendants of the American Flying Tigers to Beijing for the commemoration of the end of World War II, according to people familiar with the situation. A source said they include Cynthia Chennault, the daughter of Claire Lee Chennault who commanded the volunteers who helped in China’s fight against […]
Read MoreRamifications of the tariff deal that Japan frantically negotiated with the Trump Administration in recent weeks are still reverberating in Tokyo. On Monday, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said the government is ready to draw up an additional budget to manage the economic impact from US tariffs. And that likely means a further burden for the […]
Read MoreTOKYO (Reuters) -Japan is “seriously concerned” that Myanmar’s planned elections without release of those detained could provoke “further strong backlash from the people” and “make a peaceful resolution more difficult”, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Friday. Japan once again strongly urges the Myanmar military to stop the violence immediately, release those detained including former […]
Read MoreBy Julian Ryall Interpol’s decision to drop a decade-old red notice against Paul Watson, the outspoken founder of marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, has sparked outrage in Japan, with critics accusing the international police agency of bowing to Western bias and undermining justice for alleged attacks on Japanese whalers. Interpol announced on Tuesday that it […]
Read MoreJapan’s ruling coalition lost control of the upper house in an election on Sunday, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States. While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba’s administration will fall, it heaps pressure […]
Read MoreThe fringe far-right Sanseito party emerged as one of the biggest winners in Japan’s upper house election on Sunday, gaining support with warnings of a “silent invasion” of immigrants, and pledges for tax cuts and welfare spending. Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, […]
Read MoreDozens of bags of mildly radioactive soil collected from near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant were delivered Saturday to the Japanese prime minister’s office, in an effort to show it is safe for reuse. Soon after the March 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster, authorities scraped a layer of contaminated soil from swathes of land in […]
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