Free Republic

Japanese pop singer Maki Otsuki was in the middle of a concert in Shanghai on Friday when her performance was abruptly cut short, her sound system was turned off, and the organizers ordered her to leave the stage. Otsuki was never given a reason for the rude treatment, but it appears to be part of China’s escalating feud with Japan over Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae’s comments on Taiwan. Otsuki was performing at the Bandai Namco Festival 2025 in Shanghai, an event dedicated to animation and video games produced by a massive Japanese entertainment company. One of her songs is...

North Korea is ready to conduct another nuclear test at any time, South Korea's defence ministry has claimed - just days after Pyongyang sparked worldwide condemnation with its fifth and most powerful test. Officials in Seoul say South Korea's military has been placed on full combat readiness to respond to 'further nuclear tests, ballistic missile launches or land provocation' by the North. It comes as it emerged that the South is planning to 'annoy' its neighbour by blasting loud K-pop girl band music over the border. The army wants to set up a huge block of speakers and a giant...