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United States
Trump talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi off to positive start
Two leaders tout bilateral relationship and pledge to work cooperatively on trade despite Trump joke about Pearl Harbour.
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Japan
Blooming marvellous: Tokyo’s cherry blossom season officially begins
19 Mar 2026 - 5:46PM
South Korea
‘Cold-hearted’ South Korean cafe’s US$1 ‘toilet-only’ menu flush with criticism
19 Mar 2026 - 2:00PM
Japan
Japan gets tough against teachers’ sexual misconduct, voyeurism after arrests
Sexual offences involving mostly male teachers targeting students remain high despite stricter rules against the menace in recent years.
19 Mar 2026 - 4:26PM
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A man taking an upskirt photo. The wide use of mobile technology has encouraged misbehaviour among some Japanese teachers, analysts say. Photo: Shutterstock
North Korea
Nuclear or nothing: why North Korea’s Kim expects the US to come ‘cap in hand’
With Washington tied up in Iran, Kim Jong-un’s message is clear: if the US wants a summit, it must pay his nuclear price.
19 Mar 2026 - 9:30AM
Japan
Russian hypersonic jets buzz Japan’s coast in ‘thinly veiled threat’
The exercises send a message that Tokyo should avoid antagonising Moscow or risk ‘repercussions’, observers say.
19 Mar 2026 - 5:23PM
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Japan
Japanese atomic bomb survivor who hugged Obama in Hiroshima dies at 88
Earlier this month, Shigeaki Mori warned that the world was at risk of another nuclear attack over the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
18 Mar 2026 - 3:15PM
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Then US president Barack Obama hugs Shigeaki Mori, a survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, during a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in 2016. Photo: AFP
Japan
Will Japan follow Australia’s lead and ban children from social media?
A new panel is studying how prolonged social media exposure affects young people, with youth suicide among issues likely to be addressed.
18 Mar 2026 - 3:50PM
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Singapore
Singapore’s Lawrence Wong seeks stronger ties with Japan amid global tensions
Wong and Takaichi are expected to discuss economic stability and AI, and tread cautiously amid superpower rivalries, analysts say.
17 Mar 2026 - 11:15PM
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Japan
‘Poor’ foreigners not welcome? Japan bets on AI while upping visa fee
Critics say the fee rise is designed to keep ‘poor’ foreigners out, as Japan bets on AI and robots to plug its growing staffing shortfall.
17 Mar 2026 - 12:58PM
South Korea
BTS’ concert puts ‘K-safety’ to the test as 260,000 fans to throng Seoul
Over 8,000 officials will be deployed at Saturday’s event in Seoul amid heightened scrutiny over crowd safety.
17 Mar 2026 - 11:42AM
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Stage construction is under way at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul ahead of BTS’ comeback concert. Photo: Korea Times
Japan
Japan identifies 1,500 new missile shelters as ‘front line’ fears grow
Underground car parks and subways are being repurposed as Tokyo warns of the most severe security threat since the second world war.
17 Mar 2026 - 3:13PM
South Korea
‘Catch-22 situation’: South Korea walks tightrope over Trump’s Hormuz call
Seoul is expected to seek national consensus and wait for the outcome of the Takaichi-Trump summit before deciding, observers say.
17 Mar 2026 - 7:07PM
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Japan
2 dead after Japanese school boats capsize off US military base site in Okinawa
A 17-year-old female student and a boat captain were pronounced dead after all 21 on board the two vessels were thrown into the water.
16 Mar 2026 - 5:37PM
Japan
Trump wants Japanese warships in Hormuz. Can Takaichi ‘dodge the bullet’?
The Iran war complicates Trump-Takaichi talks, putting her in a bind between US demands and constitutional limits on military action.
16 Mar 2026 - 8:00AM
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A naval vessel sails in the Strait of Hormuz on March 1. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
North Korea
North Korea launches 10 missiles as South Korea, US conduct military exercises
North Korean leader’s sister Kim Yo-jong has slammed both countries for proceeding with the drills at a perilous time in global security.
14 Mar 2026 - 3:11PM
US, Israel war on Iran
More than 2,000 Marines leave Japan for Middle East as Iran war intensifies
Trump has ordered the Okinawa-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Tripoli assault ship to be redeployed to the Persian Gulf.
14 Mar 2026 - 12:52PM
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North Korea
Trump tells South Korea he is only leader who can break North Korean deadlock
Trump was interested to know if North Korea’s Kim Jong-un would be open to meeting him, South Korean prime minister said.
14 Mar 2026 - 9:47AM
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President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas on June 30, 2019. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy
Beyond Pax Silica: Japan, France and Canada seek rare earth autonomy
Wary of both Beijing’s grip and Washington’s whims, three G7 allies are charting their own independent critical mineral course.
14 Mar 2026 - 8:01AM
Japan
Japanese man gets 14 years for deadly tequila-fuelled rape attempt
The victim died from acute alcohol poisoning after Hiroki Itaya forced her to drink 32 tequila shots at a bar in Nagoya.
14 Mar 2026 - 7:10AM
China trade
Japan taps oil reserves as Iran war spreads. Could it give China leverage?
With Tokyo and Beijing still at loggerheads over Taiwan, analysts warn Japan’s decision exposes its economic vulnerability.
13 Mar 2026 - 6:00PM
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China's population
Can AI help China cushion economic fallout from its rapidly ageing population?
As fertility rates fall, Asian economies face a daunting challenge – sustaining growth with fewer workers.
13 Mar 2026 - 3:04PM
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A robot serving food and drinks on the China Mobile stand, taken on March 3 in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress, the world’s biggest mobile technology showcase and fair. Photo: AFP
Japan
In Japan, video of exhausted Takaichi sparks health fears ahead of US trip
The prime minister is expected to announce Tokyo’s participation in the US’ ‘Golden Dome’ missile defence system when she meets Trump.
13 Mar 2026 - 3:21PM
North Korea
US sanctions 2 firms, 6 individuals for funding North Korean weapons
North Korea-linked IT workers raised nearly US$800 million in 2024 by defrauding or stealing data to blackmail American companies.
13 Mar 2026 - 9:35AM
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South Korea
Too little, too late: South Korea’s Itaewon inquiry lays bare chain of failures
The hearing comes over three years after the tragedy, hindered by political gridlock, accountability disputes and investigative delays.
12 Mar 2026 - 3:43PM
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