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December 05, 2024
 

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Jesse Johnson
China Coast Guard and other vessels install a floating barrier in a flash point area of the contested South China Sea, just 230 kilometers from the Philippine coast on Friday, in this image posted to X on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 24, 2023
Philippines condemns Beijing's 'floating barrier' in South China Sea
Manila has condemned the China Coast Guard’s move to install a floating barrier in a flash point area just 230 kilometers from the Philippine coast.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives at a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa on Monday in New York.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 19, 2023
Japan’s new top diplomat makes international debut
On the sidelines to the U.N. General Assembly sidelines, new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa gets off to a quick start.
A Taiwanese pilot runs toward an F-16V fighter jet for an evening take off as part of a combat readiness mission at the airbase in Hualien, Taiwan, in August last year.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 18, 2023
Taiwan detects 'recent high' 103 Chinese warplanes near island
The incident happened hours after China's top envoy told the U.S. national security adviser that Taiwan is "the first red line that must not be crossed."
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Malta on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 18, 2023
Top Biden official and Chinese diplomat hold 'constructive' talks
The talks come ahead of an anticipated November meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at an APEC summit.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after receiving a gift at their luncheon during Kim's visit to the port of Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
North Korea's Kim talks up defense ties as Russia trip concludes
Both countries hinted at the “strategic importance” of bilateral ties during Kim's visit — despite U.S. warnings against any arms deals.
Minoru Kihara
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 17, 2023
New Japan defense chief 'very concerned' about Chinese military moves
Minoru Kihara called trilateral cooperation with South Korea and the U.S. “the cornerstone” of Tokyo’s response to the regional security concerns.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other officials, inspects a Russian Kinzhal hypersonic missile put on display at the Knevichi aerodrome near Vladivostok, Russia, on Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 16, 2023
North Korea's Kim gets close-up look at Russian hypersonic missiles
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was given a close-up look at Russia's powerful Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and a tour of one of its a warships.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu (far left) attends the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in June.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 15, 2023
Missing Chinese defense chief signals turmoil in Xi's government
Washington has reportedly concluded that Li Shangfu, who took up his post in March, has been stripped of his responsibilities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur region on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
At talks, Putin tells Kim Russia could help North Korea build satellites
Kim Jong Un met Russian President Vladimir Putin amid warnings by the U.S. against a possible arms deal that the two leaders were reportedly seeking.
New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is seen in formal attire to attend an attestation ceremony after a Cabinet reshuffle in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
In Kishida's Cabinet reshuffle, two changes stand out
It will be the first time in 20 years that a woman has been foreign minister, while the new defense chief arrives amid dramatic shifts in defense posture.
Passengers wait for their train in front of a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile, at the main railway station in Seoul in July.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 13, 2023
North Korea fires off two ballistic missiles as Kim visits Russia
Both missiles appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its coast.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves as he departs by train from Pyongyang for a visit to Russia in this image released Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 12, 2023
North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia for talks with Putin
Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia aboard his luxury armored train Tuesday, with a possible arms deal likely at the top of the meeting's agenda.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the central report conference at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the country, in this image released Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 11, 2023
North Korea's Kim to visit Russia for talks with Putin
Kim is likely to discuss possible arms deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine burns through Moscow’s weapons stocks.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi offers prayers in front of a church in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha on Saturday.
JAPAN / Politics
Sep 9, 2023
Japan top diplomat makes first visit to Ukraine since war's start
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met with a number of high-ranking officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese Premier Li Qiang hold hands for a commemorative photo during the ASEAN Plus Three meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, in April 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 5, 2023
U.S. says North Korea's Kim expects to meet Putin for arms deal
The two pariah states are reportedly looking to reach a deal on weapons in exchange for food and satellite and submarine technological support.
People line up Tuesday for a lottery to get a seat for the first trial hearing of Shinji Aoba, the suspect in the 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack, at the Kyoto District Court.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 5, 2023
Suspect in 2019 Kyoto Animation arson attack admits setting blaze
The focus of the trial will now shift to the defendant’s motive and whether he can be held criminally responsible for the attack.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the training command post of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this photo released Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 2, 2023
North Korea fires several cruise missiles toward Yellow Sea
Saturday’s launches come after South Korea and the U.S. wrapped up their 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield summer military exercises on Thursday.
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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong visits a command training center of the Korean People's Army General Staff at an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 31, 2023
North Korea holds 'nuclear strike drill' targeting South
The drills were intended to "send a message" to the North's enemies, as large-scale military exercises between Washington and Seoul were set to conclude.
South Korea's Yoon backs down after parliament rejects martial law
Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday evening.
BOJ weighs case for first triple hike since Japan’s bubble burst
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda reiterated in an interview published Saturday that authorities will raise rates if the economy performs in line with projections.
Australian says romance scam tricked her into smuggling drugs into Japan
Donna Nelson says her life was turned upside down when she learned that the man she was falling for had tricked her into smuggling 2 kilograms of methamphetamine into Japan.
Jetstar Japan loses lawsuit over disciplinary action against cabin crew
Jetstar Japan has been ordered to pay back wages to two cabin crew members for the periods they were suspended.
Nomura CEO takes pay cut after former employee charged with attempted murder
Kentaro Okuda, CEO of Nomura Holdings, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Yoon’s gambit a tempest in a teapot for financial markets
A screen displays market data at Hana Bank in Seoul on Wednesday.
U.S. Space Force launches first unit in Japan
Activated on Wednesday, U.S. Space Forces Japan — a component similar to the one established at South Korea’s Osan Air Base in 2022 — will operate out of Yokota Air Base in the city of Fussa, western Tokyo, with a staff of about 10.
Can Japan's scientific community rebound from a Nobel nosedive?
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo is a popular place to foster curiosity in the natural sciences.
Europe eyes 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine as possible peace deal option
A serviceman with the Ukrainian Army's 24th mechanized brigade fires a machine gun during an exercise, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the country's Donetsk region on Friday.
Seven strangers and an algorithm: Can this new dinner app help you make friends?
Timeleft uses an algorithm to match its users with five or six strangers in an effort to prompt “human connection” over dinner at a restaurant. It determines the attendees with the help of a simple personality quiz available when you sign up for the service.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo is a popular place to foster curiosity in the natural sciences.
Can Japan's scientific community rebound from a Nobel nosedive?
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’
Azabudai Hills, Tokyo’s green new downtown ‘village’

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