Free Republic

In the week before his fatal shooting, right-wing U.S. political activist Charlie Kirk cheered the boom of conservative young men in South Korea and warned about a "globalist menace" in Tokyo on his first speaking tour of Asia. In Seoul on Friday, he spoke about how he "brought Trump to victory", while addressing Build Up Korea 2025, a conservative conference that has previously featured speakers including Donald Trump Jr. "The phenomenon of young people, especially men, turning conservative is occurring simultaneously across multiple continents," Kirk told the audience, who waved their phones and chanted 'USA' as he entered the stage...

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prince Hisahito is the first male royal to reach adulthood in 40 years. Many people in Japan worry he could be the last.The elaborate palace rituals to formally recognize Hisahito as an adult on Saturday are a reminder of the bleak outlook for the world’s oldest monarchy. Much of this comes down to its male-only succession policy and dwindling numbers.Hisahito is second in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne and is likely to become emperor one day. After him, however, there is nobody left, leaving the Imperial family with a dilemma over whether they should reverse a...

A desert covered in solar panels and sheep could mark the beginning of the end for coal in China. Aerial view of solar panels at Gansu Dunhuang Solar Park in Dunhuang, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province of China. Credit: VCGChina is building a ‘city of mirrors’ on the roof of the world.High on the Tibetan plateau, solar panels stretch across the desert in every direction. They shimmer like a second horizon. Sheep wander between them, grazing on plants that have taken root in the shelter of the glassy rows. Locals call them “photovoltaic sheep.”The project is billed as the world’s largest...

I had no idea things were this bad in Japan, it looks like Dublin on a Friday afternoon.

Banda Aceh, Indonesia: Two men were publicly flogged 76 times each in Indonesia’s conservative province of Aceh on Tuesday after they were found guilty of sexual relations by a court operating under strict Islamic law. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code, but it is not illegal elsewhere in the world’s most populous Muslim majority country. The men were part of a group of 10 who were flogged Tuesday at a park in the provincial capital Banda Aceh for a range of alleged crimes. The pair were flogged separately with a...

TOKYO - The Japanese government asked European and Asian countries to refrain from attending a military parade and other events that China will hold next month to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, diplomatic sources said Sunday. Japan seeks to prevent China's interpretation of history from spreading, with the parade slated to be held in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3 to commemorate what Beijing calls its victory in the 1937-1945 "War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression" and the "World Anti-Fascist War." According to the sources, Japan conveyed to other nations through its embassies abroad...

Myanmar’s rebranded State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC) has announced elections for December 28, in a flurry of domestic dictatorial reformation. But they also want to deceive world opinion too, with the early-August announcement of a US$3 million contract with Washington DC-based public relations firm DCI Group. The filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) claims the contract is to “provide public affairs services to Client (SSPC) with respect to rebuilding relations between the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the United States, with a focus on trade, natural resources, and humanitarian relief.” The contract will run through...

Beneath red banners and a gold bust of revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi’s central party school, Communist Party chief To Lam declared the arrival of “a new era of development” late last year. The speech was more than symbolic— it signaled the launch of what could be Vietnam’s most ambitious economic overhaul in decades. Vietnam aims to get rich by 2045 and become Asia’s next “tiger economy” — a term used to describe the earlier ascent of countries like South Korea and Taiwan. The challenge ahead is steep: Reconciling growth with overdue reforms, an aging population, climate risks...

The writing has been on the wall for a long time: South Korea’s birth rate has dropped throughout much of the past decade, spelling trouble for the military as regional threats and global conflicts simmer. Now, a new report has found that the number of South Korean troops declined by 20% in the past six years, in large part because of the dwindling pool of young men – reflecting the shrinking workforce and swelling elderly population in one of the world’s most rapidly aging countries. The Defense Ministry report attributed the drop to “complex factors” including population decline and fewer...

The population of Japan shrank by 0.75% in 2024, marking a record high since records began in 1968, according to official data. The decline amounted to 908,574 people, the largest population drop since records began in 1968. This is the 16th straight year in which the Japanese population has shrunk, reducing it to 120.65 million people down from a peak of 126.6 million in 2009, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry. Japanese nationals aged 65 or over made up 30% of the country's population, while 60% of Japanese nationals were between 15 and 64. Although many more economically developed countries...

The iconic American sports car, Corvette, has made its official debut in Singapore, following a glitzy launch event held at Ion Orchard on July 28. More famously known as the Chevrolet Corvette, the event also marked the introduction of Corvette as a standalone brand in its own right. The brand will be represented by Alpine Motors, which was previously the distributor of Opel cars in Singapore, and it marks the first time that the Corvette is available for sale here through official channels in right-hand-drive form. The latest iteration of one of America's most famous sports cars is dubbed the...

Donald Trump recently announced that the United States would help Pakistan develop its "massive oil reserves," suggesting it could export oil to India in the future. In response, Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch has written an open letter to the US president, highlighting how encouraging the exploitation of Balochistan's oil reserves would make the US complicit in enabling ISI to enhance its global terror networks. In his letter, the Baloch leader warned against allowing Pakistan's radicalised military and rogue ISI, long accused of sponsoring Al-Qaeda and various proxy groups responsible for the deaths of thousands of US soldiers in Afghanistan,...

A Japanese restaurant owner’s call to action shed light on the scourge of transnational child sex tourism – and forced Japan’s government to respond.A Rare, Direct Warning From Japan Signals a Shift in the Fight Against Child Sex Tourism in Asia Credit: Depositphotos Japan’s embassy in Laos and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs have issued a rare and unusually direct advisory, warning Japanese men against “buying sex from children” in Laos. The move was sparked by Ayako Iwatake, a restaurant owner in Vientiane, who allegedly saw social media posts of Japanese men bragging about child prostitution. In response, she launched...

"Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire - unconditionally - and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute," said Phnom Penh's UN ambassador.Thailand and Cambodia clashed for a third day on Saturday (Jul 26), as the death toll from their bloodiest fighting in years rose to 33. A long-running border dispute erupted into intense conflict involving jets, artillery, tanks and ground troops on Thursday, prompting the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday. After the closed meeting in New York, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. "Cambodia...

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a new 19% tariff rate for goods from the Philippines after what he called a "beautiful visit" by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the White House, saying U.S. goods would pay zero tariffs. "It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff," Trump said, calling Marcos a "very good and tough negotiator." Trump said the two Pacific allies would also work together militarily but gave no details. Marcos, the...

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines have reached a trade agreement. Shortly after, he also revealed more detailed terms of an agreement with Indonesia. Both agreements call for 19% tariffs on goods the US imports from the two countries, paid by American businesses, while American goods shipped there won’t be charged a tariff. Trump’s announcement of the agreement with the Philippines came after he met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House on Tuesday. “It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal,” Trump wrote on his social...

Boat carrying 48 passengers, including 20 children, tipped over during a sudden thunderstorm. A tourist boat has capsized in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, killing at least 37 people and leaving five others missing, according to Vietnamese state media. The Wonder Sea Boat, carrying 48 passengers and five crew, tipped over during a sudden thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon, according to the reports. More than 20 children were among the passengers. The official Vietnam News Agency said rescue teams had found 10 survivors by Saturday evening and recovered 37 bodies by Sunday morning. Four of the victims have yet to be identified....

Rice prices in Japan soared 99.2 per cent in June year-on-year, official data showed Friday (Jul 18), piling further pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ahead of elections this weekend. The price of the grain already rocketed 101 per cent year-on-year in May, having jumped 98.4 per cent in April and more than 92.5 per cent in March. Overall, Japan's core inflation rate slowed to 3.3 per cent in June from 3.7 per cent in May, the data from the internal affairs ministry showed.

Japan just dropped a data nuke that’s shattering the “safe and effective” narrative around Covid mRNA “vaccines.” In a move that’s sending shockwaves through the medical establishment, a grassroots coalition called the United Citizens for Stopping mRNA Vaccines has released the vaccination records for a staggering 21 million Japanese citizens. The government records were obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The records include vaccination dates, batch numbers, and post-vaccine death reports. The findings are nothing short of devastating. While analyzing the data, Professor Murakami of Tokyo Science University uncovered a consistent and alarming pattern. The renowned scientist confirmed...

This morning I finalized an important Deal with the Republic of Indonesia after speaking with their Highly Respected President Prabowo Subianto. This landmark Deal opens up Indonesia’s ENTIRE MARKET to the United States for the first time in History. As part of the Agreement, Indonesia has committed to purchasing $15 Billion Dollars in U.S. Energy, $4.5 Billion Dollars in American Agricultural Products, and 50 Boeing Jets, many of them 777’s. For the first time ever, our Ranchers, Farmers, and Fishermen will have Complete and Total Access to the Indonesian Market of over 280 million people. In addition, Indonesia will pay...