Free Republic

Beijing instructed South Korea to halt rare material products such as transformers, EVs, aerospace and medical equipment.. Beijing has asked South Korean companies to cease exporting products containing Chinese-originated heavy rare earth metals to U.S. defense firms, warning that Seoul could face sanctions. China’s Ministry of Commerce sent official notices to at least two South Korean companies recently, the Korea Economic Daily reported on Tuesday, citing sources in the South Korean transformer industry. The outlet said the letters did not specify what type of penalties South Korean companies could face if the industry continues to export equipment to the U.S....

Two teenage girls from Germany were detained, arrested, and deported at an airport in Hawaii after immigration officials said it was suspicious they had not booked a hotel room. Backpackers Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu from Auckland while undergoing a round-the-world trip. The duo planned to spend five weeks in Hawaii before moving onto California and Costa Rica for the next legs of their journey. But despite having ESTA travel authorization, immigration officials accused them of attempting to enter the U.S. to work illegally, and they were placed in handcuffs and taken to a nearby...

It looks as though trade progress is being made with Japan, as concessions about automobiles were reported on this weekend, signaling that Trump administration could be heading towards a revised agreement with the key ally nation. Japan may loosen auto safety rules for U.S. imports to address President Trump’s concerns over the low number of American cars sold there, Nikkei reports. With differing safety standards between the two countries, Tokyo is eyeing crash test regulations as a possible trade concession, according to Nikkei. During a White House meeting, Trump criticized Japan’s trade surplus and poor U.S. auto sales. Cabinet-level talks...

April 18, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of Ernie Pyle’s death on the battlefield Eighty years ago, Ernie Pyle, one of America's most recognized war correspondents, was killed while covering the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -- Eighty years ago, one of America’s most recognized war correspondents was killed while covering the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. When it came to telling the story of the American soldier fighting the good fight overseas, no one compared to Ernie Pyle. “He exemplified the courage and the willingness to hear the story of the common soldier,...

Only 13 per cent of Japanese people are satisfied with their quality of life, and just 15 per cent expect it to improve, according to a new global survey – the lowest levels among 30 countries polled – reflecting what experts describe as deepening sense of disillusionment amid rising living costs, demographic strain and political inertia. The survey, conducted by France-based research firm Ipsos, gathered responses from nearly 24,000 people across Europe, Asia and North America, including about 2,000 from Japan. The results revealed that life satisfaction in Japan lagged behind even many developing nations such as Colombia, India, Indonesia...

President Trump said Japan is set to kick off tariff negotiations with the US in Washington on Wednesday — becoming one of the first countries to test his willingness to relent on the sweeping tariffs. “Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS’,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!” It comes a day after the Trump administration said it had been presented with offers from...

Takeshi Niinami, who is also chairman and CEO of Japanese drinks manufacturer Suntory Holdings, pointed out Japan was the biggest foreign investor in the U.S. and the largest holder of U.S. Treasury bonds. Japan should therefore talk about more opportunities to invest in the United States, and will keep its massive stock of U.S. Treasurys, Niinami said, adding “We know that the President is [very concerned] over the bond market,” Japan has “many cards” to play in tariff negotiations with the United States, according to Takeshi Niinami, senior economic advisor to Japan’s prime minister. His comments comes ahead of a...

Japan expressed interest Tuesday in participating in the NATO command for its Ukrainian mission based in Germany in what would be a major boost in ties with the largely European alliance. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced his country’s interest during talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Tokyo. After providing the war-torn country with defense equipment and support, Japan now wants to join NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or NSATU, headquartered at a U.S. base in the German town of Wiesbaden. Nakatani said Japan wants to further deepen security cooperation with NATO and that participation in...

Asia-Pacific markets extended their sell-off Monday as fears over a global trade war sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs fueled a risk-off mood. Japanese markets led losses in the region in early trade. The benchmark Nikkei 225 plunged 8.03% while the broader Topix index plummeted 8.64%. Over in South Korea, the Kospi index fell 4.34% at the open, while the small-cap Kosdaq fell 3.48%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 6.07% at the open. The benchmark slid into correction territory with an 11% decline since its last high in February, in its previous session.

President Trump’s tariffs are already having an impact. Earlier this week, Trump announced a sweeping new trade policy that included a universal 10 percent tariff on all imports into the United States. In addition to this baseline measure, the administration introduced a system of reciprocal tariffs targeting countries with significant trade surpluses over the U.S. The tariffs vary in severity, with higher rates imposed on nations deemed to have particularly unbalanced trade relationships or who refuse to buy American goods. However, many countries are already offering the U.S. concessions: Vietnam — Following the announcement of a nearly 50 percent tariff...

Bangkok -- Search teams in Myanmar recovered more bodies from the ruins of buildings on Friday, a week after a massive earthquake killed more than 3,100 people, as the focus turns toward the urgent humanitarian needs in a country already devastated by a continuing civil war. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, who is also the emergency relief coordinator, will visit the area on Friday in an effort to spur action following the March 28 quake. Ahead of the visit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the international community to immediately step up funding for quake victims “to match the...

The three nations announced on Sunday that they have agreed to accelerate negotiations on their trilateral free trade agreement and enhance cooperation in supply chain management and export controls, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. Amid tariff increases by the United States and growing economic fragmentation worldwide, China, Japan and South Korea — three manufacturing powerhouses that depend heavily on foreign trade — are likely to form closer ties to preserve Asia’s economic stability and create a buffer against unilateralism, said trade experts and business leaders on Monday. The three nations announced on Sunday that they have agreed to accelerate...

The president launched a new chapter in U.S. trade, imposing a 10 percent universal tariff on trading partners and higher reciprocal levies on some.. WASHINGTON—Just 72 days after taking office, President Donald Trump announced on April 2 sweeping trade policy changes, introducing what he called “reciprocal tariffs” for all countries and declaring it “Liberation Day in America.” For decades, the United States has kept low trade barriers, promoting free trade agreements with minimal or zero tariffs—at least on its part. Those days are now over. ​​At a White House event, Trump presented a large chart outlining baseline and reciprocal tariff...

March 25 (UPI) -- Japan's Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that the country's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The court's ruling is the fifth decision to call Japan's same-sex marriage ban a violation of the country's constitution following similar rulings in the high courts of Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya. Presiding Judge Kumiko Honda of the Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday in favor of three same-sex couples who filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking 6 million yen -- or $39,900 -- in compensation. While Honda dismissed the couples' appeal for compensation, he reversed Osaka District Court's prior ruling...

A court in Japan has ordered the disbandment of the controversial Unification Church, which came under scrutiny after the shock killing of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. The alleged assassin had confessed that he held a grievance against Abe because of the ex-leader's ties with the church - he blamed the church for bankrupting his family. Japan's education and culture ministry sought the church's dissolution and accused it of manipulating followers into making huge donations and other financial sacrifices. But the church, more popularly known as the "Moonies", argued that the donations were part of legitimate religious activities....

Grok: Expressed in billions of dollars list the five countries and five corporations that will benefit most from the U.S. military activity to eliminate shipping disruptions caused by the Houthi near the Red Sea. China is 1st. 🇺🇸 isn’t in the top 5... ...

DONALDSONVILLE — Hyundai is planning a nearly $6 billion investment in Louisiana, Gov. Jeff Landry, President Donald Trump and other officials announced at the White House on Monday. The South Korean car manufacturer will be opening its first North American steel facility in Donaldsonville, the governor said during the afternoon announcement. According to Louisiana Economic Development, the $5.8 billion facility will be located on 1,700 acres of sugarcane fields in the RiverPlex MegaPark industrial center. The facility is expected to create 1,300 direct jobs and 4,100 indirect jobs in the capital region. “Hyundai’s decision to invest nearly $6 billion in...

Hyundai plans to invest $20 billion to bring manufacturing operations to the U.S., a White House official confirmed to FOX Business. Part of the investment from the South Korean automaker will go toward building a next-generation steel plant. The materials will be used in two of its U.S. plants and will employ 1,500 people. The rest of the money will be earmarked to expand manufacturing in the U.S. The automaker is the latest among a growing number of companies announcing plans to increase investment in the U.S. under the Trump administration, which has been using tariffs to encourage companies to...

U.S. President Donald Trump complained Thursday that his country's bilateral security arrangement with Japan, signed in 1960, was one-sided. In response, Japan pointed out the cooperative nature of the agreement. “I love Japan. We have a great relationship with Japan. But we have an interesting deal with Japan where we have to protect them but they don't have to protect us,” Trump told reporters. “That's the way the deal reads. We have to protect Japan. Under no circumstances do they have to protect us,” the president said, adding that Japan was making a fortune off the U.S. economically. The Japanese...

“We have an interesting deal with Japan, that we have to protect them, but they don’t have to protect us…. who makes these deals?” he said, adding that Japan “makes a lot of money,” referring to the trade deficit with Japan. The security agreement, last revised in 1960, also allows the U.S. to establish and use military bases on Japanese soil. As a result of the treaty, the United States received a kind of outpost in deterring the communist bloc during the Cold War, and continues to be vital for countering threats from China and North Korea. Trump also questioned...