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July 12, 2026
 

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U.S.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump arrive at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14. Pool / via REUTERS
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 21, 2026
Why the Trump-Xi summit ended in an impasse
Given Xi’s reluctance to address Trump’s Iran concerns, he should be unsurprised that the U.S. has not fully endorsed his new framework for U.S.-China relations.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping greets U.S. President Donald Trump during an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14.
COMMENTARY / World
May 21, 2026
China’s messaging is as important as its policy
That gap between public understanding of what China is doing and why and the reality of Beijing’s policy speaks to a broader failure that deserves more attention.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists as he makes his way to board Marine One before departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on May 8.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Trump’s $1.776 billion ‘weaponization’ fund sparks outrage, but court challenges will be tough
Congressional Democrats have derided what is known as the Anti-Weaponization Fund as a slush fund to steer taxpayer dollars to Trump’s political allies.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets with Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, at Downing Street in London on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Britain clinches $5 billion Gulf trade deal in shadow of Iran war
The deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council comes after U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran prompted Iranian attacks on countries in the region, straining energy and food supplies.
Vessels sail through the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday.
WORLD
May 21, 2026
Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with checkpoints and diplomatic deals
With Iran now in de facto control of the strait, the system can involve intense vetting by the Iranian government and sometimes fees in exchange for safe passage.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to resume attacks on Iran, but added that he could wait a few days to "get the right answers."
WORLD / Politics
May 21, 2026
Trump says willing to wait for a few days to get ‘right answer’ on Iran peace deal
The ceasefire has yielded little progress, and soaring gasoline prices continue to ​weigh on the president’s approval ratings.
Group of 20 leaders hold a working lunch at the group’s summit in Osaka in June 2019. Japan is facing growing economic and geopolitical challenges as globalization gives way to a more fragmented world. 
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 20, 2026
Japan’s challenge in a world moving beyond old alliances
The emerging world order is likely to be more fragmented, more competitive and more uncertain.
Shipping containers are stacked while semitrucks are parked at Yangshan Port outside Shanghai on May 7.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2026
U.S. indicts seven Chinese over shipping container conspiracy
The indicted companies manufacture about 95% of the world’s standard dry shipping containers, and the alleged scheme impacted some $35 billion in commerce, officials said.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te delivers an address on the second anniversary of his taking office at the Presidential Office in Taipei on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 20, 2026
If they spoke, Taiwan president would tell Trump China was undermining stability
A conversation between the two ​presidents has not taken place since Washington shifted diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping greets U.S. President Donald Trump outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during their two-day summit on May 14.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 20, 2026
How will Japan react to Trump’s China pivot?
For Tokyo, the critical issue is whether the U.S. is fundamentally rethinking its approach toward China — and whether that shift could leave Japan dangerously exposed.
A reporter tries out a Kindle tablet at a news conference in New York in 2011.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 20, 2026
Kindle loyalists scramble as Amazon turns page on old e-readers
For longtime users, the end of support for devices released in 2012 or earlier feels like “complete betrayal.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believes China will accept prior U.S. tariff rates being restored through new Section 301 duties as long as they don't go higher.
WORLD
May 20, 2026
U.S. not in a hurry to extend China trade truce, Bessent says
The U.S.-China truce negotiated over several months last year averted a total collapse of trade between the world’s two largest economies.
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, on April 22
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
NATO not drawing up plans for Hormuz mission, top commander says
Any decision to launch ​a mission would require the approval of all NATO’s 32 members and several have already signaled opposition.
A subsidiary of Itochu will take over the Japan sales operations of U.S. medical equipment maker SunMed Group Holdings, which does business in the country as AirLife.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 20, 2026
Itochu expands healthcare business with takeover of AirLife’s sales
The move comes as Japan’s trading houses cement healthcare as a key pillar of their businesses, placing it alongside traditional mainstays such as oil, gas and metals.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) speaks with Roland Lescure, France's economy, finances and industry minister, prior to a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, in Paris on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
G7 finance ministers urge action on economic imbalances; some point to China
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors have met in Paris to discuss the fallout from the Iran war and volatility on ​global markets but were light on concrete measures.
A SkyFall P1-Sun interceptor drone during trials in Ukraine in March. Through a combination of new technology and tactics, Kyiv’s forces have been able to strike deep into Russian territory, to slow and in some cases even reverse battlefield gains by Moscow’s bigger army and inflict significant damage on oil facilities that help finance the Kremlin’s war machine.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
U.S. seeking transfer of intellectual property rights in drone deal, Kyiv says
Washington appears interested in getting access to critical technologies and rights that would allow it to replicate the equipment, a source said.
U.S. Army soldiers walk in formation during the Sword 26 exercise, in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, on May 11.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
U.S. plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources say
U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear he ⁠expects European countries to take over from the United States primary responsibility for the continent’s security.
Kevin Warsh, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be next chair of the Federal Reserve, at the end of a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 21
BUSINESS / Economy
May 20, 2026
World awaits new Fed chair’s vision on independence
Incoming Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh raised eyebrows by implying that outside monetary policy, the Fed should closely work with the presidential administration and Congress.
The Internal Revenue Service headquarters in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has secured a settlement with the IRS, dropping a lawsuit filed in January, despite concerns that he effectively controlled both sides of the litigation.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
Trump’s IRS settlement includes dropping tax cases and audits
The accord represents a major triumph by U.S. President Donald Trump over the Internal Revenue Service, but has also been called “a breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pose for a photo during their meeting in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 19, 2026
At talks, Takaichi and South Korea’s Lee agree to bolster energy security
The move comes as concerns over energy supplies continue to rattle Asia amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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
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