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The vessel's captain was ordered to stop for an inspection, but failed to comply and fled, Japan's fisheries agency said.Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities said on Friday (Feb 13), an incident that could deepen a spat between the Asian giants. The episode on Thursday off southern Japan came three months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force. "The vessel's captain was ordered to stop for an inspection by a fisheries inspector, but the vessel failed to comply and fled," Japan's fisheries agency...

Having a two-thirds majority allows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government to override decisions by the upper house, where her coalition is in a minority.Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 315 seats in weekend snap elections, giving it a two-thirds majority, official results confirmed on Tuesday (Feb 10). The outcome is the LDP's best in its history and allows Japan's first woman prime minister to stamp her mark on the country of 123 million people over the next four years. The LDP's coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), won 36 seats, giving the ruling bloc 351...

Summary Takaichi's ruling party delivers supermajority in Sunday vote Takaichi repeats pledge to suspend food tax Says govt will not issue fresh debt, discuss funding with others Focus on debate over funding, risk of market revolt TOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed a pledge on Monday to cut a sales tax on food, after a historic election win brightened chances for stimulus measures that have rattled financial markets. Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) romped to victory in Sunday's poll, helped by a pledge to ease household living costs by suspending for two years the...

Japan's conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has won a decisive victory in the country's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls ...

Bounties as high as $100,000 are being offered to contract killers for the murder of dozens of Israeli researchers, including some in the US, on the website of a hateful anti-Zionist group. “The Punishment for Justice Movement” website offers between $50,000 for murdering one of the Jewish academics listed — and twice that amount for the killing of “special targets” — claiming the high-achieving researchers are complicit in child murder. Home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts were listed for at least 40 academics, according to The Jerusalem Post. The website offered a $2,000 USD as reward...

Ireland has joined 10 other European countries calling for Israel to halt demolitions of the headquarters belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. Earlier this month, Israeli bulldozers began demolishing the compound, having effectively banned the organization from operating in the country in January 2026. The joint letter was signed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee and the foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK. It described the demolition as an unprecedented act which marked the “latest unacceptable move” to undermine a UN...

The distinctive black-and-white animals, loaned out as part of China's "panda diplomacy", have symbolised friendship between Beijing and Tokyo since they normalised diplomatic ties in 1972.Two popular pandas are set to leave Tokyo for China on Tuesday (Jan 27), leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years as ties between the Asian neighbours fray. Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were transported by truck out of Ueno Zoological Gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds. "Although I can't see them, I came to share...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon released a priority-shifting National Defense Strategy late Friday that chastised U.S. allies to take control of their own security and reasserted the Trump administration’s focus on dominance in the Western Hemisphere above a longtime goal of countering China.The 34-page document, the first since 2022, was highly political for a military blueprint, criticizing partners from Europe to Asia for relying on previous U.S. administrations to subsidize their defense. It called for “a sharp shift — in approach, focus, and tone.” That translated to a blunt assessment that allies would take on more of the burden countering...

An employee of Japan's nuclear regulator lost a smartphone, possibly in China, containing a confidential list of contacts, an official and local media reports said... …The smartphone contained the names and contact details of staff members in the authority's nuclear security division, according to major media, including Kyodo News and the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. Information on staff in the division is not made public due to the sensitivity of their work, local media said. The employee is believed to have lost the smartphone at an airport in Shanghai on November 3 while taking items out of carry-on luggage during a...

Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts, restricting seafood imports, and even recalling pandas. Today on the show, what does it look like for a state to organize a boycott, and does it work? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

An earthquake with ⁠a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 hit the western Chugoku region of Japan on Tuesday (Jan 6), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, followed by a series of sizeable ‍aftershocks. The tremor was recorded at 9.18am local time in Shimane prefecture, JMA said.

Given all that’s at stake, how would Japan respond in a scenario that could lead to the world’s first great power war since 1945?Imagine this scenario: it’s finally happening. China is moving to take Taiwan by force. Chinese warships are blockading the island of Taiwan and the surrounding area, while missiles and UAVs rain down destruction on the Taiwanese people from above. In this hypothetical scenario, what is Japan doing? This is a question of some urgency for Tokyo these days. For one thing, Japan’s westernmost island is only about 110 kilometers away from Taiwan – much closer than...

A group of Western and allied states issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli security cabinet’s approval of 19 new communities in Judea and Samaria, stating that the move was "part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank." The statement, issued by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom, described the decision as a unilateral action and claimed that such steps "not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability." According to the statement, the decision risks undermining "the implementation of the Comprehensive...

The kanji 熊 (kuma), meaning “bear,” came out on top in popular voting for the kanji of the year for 2025. Powerful wild animals encroaching into human settlements were an irresistible image propelling the character past 米 (kome, “rice”) in a closely contested race.

A surgeon who has practiced in Manhattan for nearly three decades may be extradited to his native Japan to face charges of damaging two ancient religious sites, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling means that the extradition of the doctor, Masahide Kanayama, will most likely be carried out. The U.S. State Department, which has the final say on extraditions, said last month that it would authorize the step. The Justice Department has said that it would delay any removal until the doctor’s legal appeals were complete. Dr. Kanayama, 63, is an expert in endometriosis, a gynecologic condition...

When it comes to the future of work, Japan is caught in a tug-of-war. Tokyo officials are pushing for a four-day workweek, hoping a shorter schedule will ease the nation’s notoriously punishing work culture and curb “karoshi”—which translates to death from overwork. With birthrates falling and burnout rising, many see the shift not as a perk, but a necessity for Japan’s economic survival. But the country’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, is signaling a very different approach. The 64-year-old drew scrutiny this month for summoning staff to a meeting at 3 a.m.—not for a national security crisis, but simply to...

When Japan’s newly promoted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the nation’s first female leader, first met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, she said she wanted to pursue a “mutually beneficial” relationship as well as to “deepen their personal ties.” “As Japan and China are important partners, the long-term, stable and healthy development of bilateral ties aligns with the common expectations of both our peoples as well as the international community,” Xi said. But just two weeks later, the neighboring countries have fallen into a diplomatic spat that neither side seems eager to climb out from. In Nov. 7 parliamentary remarks, Takaichi...

The quake that hit northern Japan on Sunday caused temporary power outages and train delays. No injuries or damage were reported, and a tsunami advisory was cancelled. A powerful 6.9 magnitude quake rattled northern Japan Sunday evening, followed by several aftershocks, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). A tsunami advisory was issued, but it was later cancelled. Waves measuring 20 centimetres were recorded in some areas. The earthquake hit off the coast of Iwate prefecture at a depth of 10 kilometres below the sea surface, at about 5 pm Japan time (9 am CET). There were no immediate reports...

The Ronald Reagan Foundation has just announced that Canada has fraudulently used an advertisement, which is FAKE, featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about Tariffs. The ad was for $75,000. They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts. TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A. Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT

Staunch conservative Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s first female prime minister by parliament on Tuesday, in a landmark moment for the historically patriarchal country where both politics and workplaces are dominated by older men.Takaichi steps into the role as Japan faces mounting economic woes and a fractured politics, and just days before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit. The 64-year old Takaichi, who is a heavy metal drummer and motorcycle enthusiast, grew up in Nara near Osaka. Her arrival at the pinnacle of Japanese politics tops a remarkable rise, from TV presenter to flag bearer of traditional and...