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July 04, 2026
 

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DEFENSE

Members of the People's Liberation Army stand guard as the strategic strike group displays DF-61 nuclear missiles during a military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan risks a nuclear escalation, study finds
The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the world is on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race “with the Asia-Pacific at its core.”
U.S. troops take part in a counter-landing live fire exercise as part of the annual Balikatan joint military drills in the Philippines on May 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
As Europe weighs less reliance on U.S. military, Asia doubles down
Tokyo, Seoul, Canberra and other capitals in the region believe U.S. military power is critical to counter the challenges from China and North Korea.
Then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence inspects a Self-Defense Force Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptor in Tokyo in February 2018. U.S. production bottlenecks are now slowing weapons deliveries and complicating Japan’s efforts to modernize its defense capabilities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 28, 2026
Indo-Pacific deterrence rests on allied industrial coordination
The decline of the U.S. defense industrial base is not a new story, but it has assumed new urgency with the Iran war.
A person watched the Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites streaks across the sky in a SpaceX launch as viewed from Venice Beach in Los Angeles on April 6.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war
The disagreement over Starlink’s use on suicide drones is part of increasing tensions between SpaceX and the Pentagon over Starlink pricing in recent months.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees tests of a newly developed lightweight multipurpose missile-launching system and multiple tactical cruise missile weapons system at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 27, 2026
North Korea tests mix of enhanced ballistic, cruise missiles and artillery rockets
The tests confirmed the combat readiness of cruise missiles to be deployed ‌near the border with South Korea equipped with precision navigation and AI-guided controls.
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier sails off Hong Kong in July 2017.
JAPAN
May 27, 2026
New Chinese frigate joins carrier strike group training in western Pacific for first time
China’s dispatch of its Type 054B for its first far-seas training since entering service a year ago is a milestone in Beijing’s push to punch further into the western Pacific.
A woman watches a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at the main train station in Seoul on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 26, 2026
North Korea fires ballistic missile into Yellow Sea
Pyongyang may using the missiles tests to take advantage of eroding international norms to cement its nuclear status.
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun speaks at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore in June 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 26, 2026
China defense minister expected to again skip Singapore security forum
Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun will likely skip the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend, according to people familiar with the matter.
The BLR MK2 unmanned armored vehicle is displayed at the Eurosatory defense and security trade fair near in Paris in June 2022.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2026
When war moves at machine speed, politics must not fall behind
Drones, electronic warfare, satellite imagery, battlefield software and rapid technological adaptation have become part of the daily reality of war in Ukraine.
As drone warfare reshapes the Ukraine conflict and the nature of the fighting, Europe is facing pressure to support Kyiv while building its own long-term strategy and security framework separate from the U.S.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2026
The Ukrainians are doing better, now it’s the Europeans’ turn
Overall, the nature of the battlefield has changed in ways that blunt Russia’s overwhelming advantages in manpower, artillery and armor.
This photo handed out on May 25 shows Pope Leo XIV signing his first encyclical letter.
WORLD
May 26, 2026
Pope says AI should be ‘disarmed’ to avoid dominating humanity
Pope Leo XIV said artificial intelligence should be “disarmed” to protect humanity from its dangers, adding his voice to a heated debate over the extent to which governments should regulate a technology that is reshaping the world.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi has raised doubts about U.S. commitment to Taiwan, American ties to the island are increasingly rooted in institutional, economic and technological linkages that are unlikely to be reversed.
COMMENTARY / World
May 26, 2026
Has Taiwan made itself immune to American betrayal?
Although Donald Trump’s recent statements about Taiwan seemed like a gift to Chinese President Xi Jinping, such rhetoric no longer tells us as much as it once did.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answers questions during an Upper House session at parliament in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 25, 2026
Xi strongly criticized Takaichi over Japan’s ‘remilitarization’ during Trump summit
The Chinese leader became visibly agitated over Japan’s increased defense spending, in one of the most heated parts of his summit with the U.S. president, a media report said.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Jan. 15, near Washington
JAPAN
May 24, 2026
U.S. informs Japan of Tomahawk missile delivery delays: report
The Japanese government has signed a contract with the U.S. government to acquire up to 400 Tomahawk missiles between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2027.
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa attends Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings in the ‌eastern Chinese city ‌of Suzhou on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 24, 2026
Japan trade minister holds brief talks with Chinese counterpart amid diplomatic row
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa is the most senior ​Japanese official to visit China since a diplomatic dispute between the two countries erupted in November.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes part in a news conference during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu, central Philippines, on May 8.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
May 24, 2026
Philippine leader’s state visit to Japan to focus on shoring up defense ties
Energy security will also be on the agenda for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s trip to Tokyo — the first state visit by the country’s leader in more than a decade.
A Philippine Navy band plays music to welcome the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha upon arrival at the South Harbor, for a four-day goodwill visit in metro Manila in April 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 23, 2026
New Zealand to invest in drones and fleet to shield maritime routes
Defense Minister Chris Penk said the government will invest in two types of drones: one for the southwest Pacific and another that can operate from ships in the Southern Ocean.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping shakes hands with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the Palace of Serbia during the Chinese president's two-day state visit to Belgrade in May 2024.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 23, 2026
Chinese missiles and robots find warm welcome in EU’s backyard
If the European Union has a red line in Serbia’s relationship to China, President Aleksandar Vucic may be getting close.
Since ‌December, Chinese ‌exports of rare earth minerals like dysprosium, terbium and yttrium oxide, as ​well as specialty metal gallium, to Japan have stopped except for a few tiny shipments of yttrium, Chinese customs data shows.
JAPAN
May 23, 2026
China squeezes Japan over rare earths in repeat of 2010 showdown
The halt to exports ⁠began shortly after a diplomatic row over Taiwan erupted in November.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks at a news conference on the second anniversary of him taking office, at the presidential building in Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 21, 2026
Trump says he’ll speak to Taiwan leader, calling democratic island a ‘problem’
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would speak to Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te — a move that would break with years of diplomatic precedent.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
Japanese-language education is at a turning point
The country is gradually transforming Japanese-language education from a volunteer-driven system into a professional, government-supported network to better serve its growing foreign population. 
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil
Wind turbines generate energy from strong easterly winds on the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture. Despite the oil crisis caused by conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns instability in the region could continue to impact supply and the price of imports, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not seem to be drawing on the war as a pretext to hasten progress toward Japan's renewable goals.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
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."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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