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Alan Crawford
Ukrainian military Leopard 2A4 tanks during a training exercise in Spain.
WORLD
Jul 20, 2024
How a Berlin Cold War outpost offers a window on challenges today
With the West again aligned against Moscow as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine grinds on, it now seems strangely current.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 20, 2023
Russia and China have a stranglehold on the world’s food security
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed fertilizers — and who controls them — to the forefront of the political agenda around the world.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 29, 2022
Alarmed by inaction over Russian aggression, Europe rethinks ties with China
Senior lawmakers in Berlin, who now concede that such closeness to Russia was a historic liability, are starting to see the danger of repeating the mistake with another authoritarian regime.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Mar 12, 2022
A new world energy order is emerging from Putin’s war on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is forcing governments worldwide to digest the geopolitical consequences of war pursued by an energy superpower.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jan 27, 2022
Germany’s Olaf Scholz is tested as West’s weak link in Ukraine crisis
While some are frustrated by Scholz's cautious rhetoric and body language regarding Ukraine, others believe that he is willing 'to go all in if necessary.”
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 25, 2021
Hamburg is at the heart of Germany’s growing dilemma over China
Away from the business of trade that Hamburg has thrived on for centuries, the tighter embrace of China is stirring concerns.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Sep 20, 2021
The global housing market is broken, and it’s dividing entire countries
The perennial issue of housing costs has become one of acute housing inequality, and an entire generation is at risk of being left behind.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 14, 2021
The U.S.-China tech conflict front line goes through Belgium
The Interuniversity Microelectronics Center may be Belgium's best-kept secret, but it's in global demand for its work on the future of computer chips.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 24, 2021
World’s semiconductor supply is in danger unless Taiwan gets vaccines
Taiwan's predicament illustrates its strategic yet vulnerable position at the confluence of U.S.-China tensions.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Apr 21, 2021
What Germany’s next leader means for Europe and the world
Angela Merkel's departure after some 16 years as chancellor brings into play not simply the direction of Europe's biggest economy, but the balance of power on the continent.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 28, 2021
China hits U.S. and Canada with sanctions in Xinjiang fallout
The Xinjiang controversy adds to a wider standoff between China and the U.S. and its allies that took root under Donald Trump.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Jan 26, 2021
The world is dangerously dependent on Taiwan for semiconductors
With carmakers including Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota forced to halt production and idle plants, Taiwan's importance has suddenly become too big to ignore.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jun 25, 2020
London's historical connections to slavery lurch into full view
If there’s one thing that foretold the City of London’s ambition to become the epicenter of finance it was the founding of the Royal Exchange almost 500 years ago.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 11, 2016
EU nations' red lines for Brexit: a first look
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May faces a daunting array of demands from European Union nations when the time comes to negotiate Britain's relationship with the bloc, an analysis of the 27 other members shows.

Longform

Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition