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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...

While trying to catch President Donald Trump’s solicitor general nominee in a “gotcha” moment, Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin apparently defended enforcement of the infamous Supreme Court ruling that upheld the internment of more than one hundred thousand Japanese Americans during World War II. “Let’s go back to Korematsu — describe for me that circumstance that you think relieved an official from obeying a court order,” Durbin said to solicitor general nominee Dean John Sauer. “As bad as it was, that court order was followed for years, was it not?” In Korematsu v. U.S., the Supreme Court upheld the internment of...

BMW’s conservative approach to EV adoption, investing in platforms that can accommodate internal-combustion, hybrid, and electric powertrains, is now paying off as the company navigates the uncertain transition to electric vehicles. Inside EVs reports that as the automotive industry grapples with the challenges of transitioning to electric vehicles, BMW’s strategic decision to invest in flexible platforms is proving to be a wise move. Unlike some of its rivals, such as Mercedes and Audi, who have focused heavily on dedicated EV platforms, BMW has taken a more measured approach by developing architectures that can support multiple powertrains, including internal-combustion engines (ICE),...

At least one person is dead after two jets collided on the runway at Scottsdale Airport in Arizona on Monday afternoon... The accident happened just before 3 p.m. when a Learjet 35A “veered off the runway after landing,” the Federal Aviation Administration said ... It collided with a Gulfstream 200 parked at a nearby ramp ... We do not know how many people were on board. The FAA is temporarily pausing flights into the airport ... Three people were injured in the accident, with two being taken to trauma centers and one in stable condition, Scottsdale Fire Department Captain Dave...

he budding romance between Honda and Nissan may have already come to an end. On Thursday, Nissan president Makoto Uchida informed his counterpart, Honda president Toshihiro Mibe, that he was pulling out of merger talks, according to several media reports. A withdrawal ends months of behind-the-scenes conversations between the two Japanese carmakers. The two auto giants, along with fellow carmaker Mitsubishi Motors, announced in late December that they would explore a merger, possibly creating the world’s third-largest automaker. Honda, No. 57 on the most recent Fortune Global 500 ranking, reported $141.3 billion in revenue for 2023; Nissan, at No. 136,...

Japan Airlines plane collides with parked Delta Air Lines aircraft at Seattle Airport https://x.com/i/status/1887231726960922732