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June 30, 2026
 

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DEFENSE

Beijing recently leaned on countries including the Czech Republic to deny Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's plane passage for a planned visit to Africa.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 12, 2026
Taiwan’s ‘Dumpling Alliance’ fades under China’s economic squeeze
How the relationships of Eastern European states and Taiwan evolve under the informal alliance bears watching as China tries to peel partners away from Taiwan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greets Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday.
EDITORIALS
Jun 12, 2026
China-North Korea ties: New heights and new realities
While China is perhaps more powerful than at any time in its modern history, its leverage over North Korea is considerably diminished.
The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota sails off the coast of Western Australia on March 16, 2025.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 11, 2026
Hard scrutiny of AUKUS won’t scuttle that deal
Power and passion won’t overcome the strategic logic of Australia’s sub ambitions.
A model of a fighter jet from the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), led by Britain, Japan and Italy, in London in September 2023
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2026
Canada to join Japan-Italy-U.K. fighter project as observer
A observer country will be able to access sensitive information, such as progress in the fighter project.
A China Coast Guard ship is seen on the horizon through a telescopic view near Philippine-occupied Thitu Island in the disputed South China Sea on Feb. 21.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 10, 2026
Philippines plans sea border talks with Japan amid opposition from China
Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, has maritime disputes with Tokyo and Manila in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
A security guard takes a selfie beside the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amagiri, an Asagiri-class destroyer, upon its arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila in February 2018.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 10, 2026
How Tokyo aims to turn retired military equipment into lasting strategic returns
Japan’s export of used military gear to partner nations could deliver decades of strategic returns, analysts say.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watch a welcome performance at Pyongyang Gymnasium on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2026
What was left unsaid may be biggest takeaway from Xi-Kim summit
The lack of any public reference to North Korea’s nuclear program during the talks has reinforced the perception that China no longer views denuclearization as a viable option.
People stand near the newly launched N9 electric vehicle under BYD's premium brand, Denza, displayed at a launch event in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, China, on May 18. The U.S. has added BYD to a list of companies it believes are aiding China's military.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2026
U.S. says BYD, Baidu, Alibaba and other tech giants are aiding China’s military
The move could inflame tensions between both countries, coming less than a month after a summit between their leaders.
A Thunderbolt-2000 multiple launch rocket system fires rockets during a live-fire military exercise, which simulates an enemy invasion, in Taichung, Taiwan, on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 9, 2026
Taiwan simulates destroying an invading Chinese force in coastal drill
The military described the amphibious assault training as a ​more realistic combat scenario with less preparation time.
Le Vigilant is one of France's four Le Triomphant-class ballistic missile submarines and is equipped with M51 nuclear warheads.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 9, 2026
Europe weighs its nuclear future as U.S. certainty fades
Just a few nuclear weapons may be enough to transform a regional crisis into a global one.
The nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis is greeted by South Korean Navy sailors upon its arrival at a naval base on Jeju Island, South Korea, in July 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Jun 9, 2026
South Korea’s nuclear sub ambitions to intensify Indo-Pacific naval competition
Seoul insists its plan to build the ships is aimed at countering North Korea. But the decision carries implications far beyond this, with China watching particularly closely.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a news conference to mark the first anniversary of his inauguration in Seoul on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 9, 2026
South Korean president mentions need for acquisition pact with Japan
In 2012, the Japanese and South Korean governments were close to concluding an ACSA, but strong criticism in South Korea stalled momentum for a deal.
Koji Yamazaki, former chief of the Defense Ministry's Joint Staff, speaks to reporters at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday. Yamazaki has called for revising Japan's policy of not allowing nuclear weapons to be brought to the country.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 9, 2026
Experts urge caution amid proposal to revise Japan’s nonnuclear principles
At a meeting on Monday, a former chief of the Defense Ministry’s Joint Staff had called for revising the policy of not allowing nuclear weapons to be brought to Japan.
Scale models of the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System, Europe's next-generation fighter jet, in Paris in February 2020
WORLD
Jun 9, 2026
Germany and France drop joint fighter jet project
The decision comes as Western military officials have warned of a growing threat from ⁠Russia, while the U.S. is stepping up pressure for Europe to rearm itself.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attend a ceremony at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 8, 2026
China’s Xi vows boosted ties with Kim, but avoids North Korea nuclear issue
Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed China’s “firm commitment to safeguarding the shared interests of the two countries” during a rare summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched its Kongo destroyer and the South Korean Navy sent its Cheon Ja Bong landing ship for a joint search-and-rescue exercise in waters west of the Goto Islands on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2026
Japanese and South Korean navies hold first joint drills in nine years
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi hailed the resumption of exercises as signaling “a new chapter” in bilateral defense cooperation.
A hyper velocity gliding projectile launcher was unveiled to the public for the first time during the Ground Self-Defense Force's live-fire exercise in Shizuoka Prefecture on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 8, 2026
Standoff weapon launcher showcased in SDF live-fire exercise for the first time
The Type-25 HVGP missile system, which was deployed at the GSDF’s Camp Fuji in March, appeared in an exercise attended by about 3,000 GSDF troops on Sunday.
A production line at a Mercedes-Benz factory, in Rastatt, Germany, in June 2025
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2026
German carmakers weigh China and defense tie-ups for idle plants
Volkswagen said in April it is also open to the idea of “partnering” with Chinese manufacturers at its plants.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to attend a ceremony marking the 82nd anniversary of the D-Day landings at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 7, 2026
Hegseth urges Europe on D-Day to counter present-day ‘invasion’
The U.S. Defense Secretary also called on European countries to do more to contribute to their own defense.
The Maritime Self Defense Force's Asagiri-class destroyer Setogiri is docked for a goodwill visit to Metro Manila in May 2018.
JAPAN
Jun 6, 2026
Japan and Indonesia to begin talks on exporting Asagiri-class destroyers
The agreement to begin working-level discussions is the latest in a push by Tokyo to transfer defense equipment to like-minded partners.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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