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U.S.

Members of the People's Liberation Army stand guard as the strategic strike group displays DF-61 nuclear missiles during a military parade in Beijing on Sept. 3, 2025.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan risks a nuclear escalation, study finds
The International Institute for Strategic Studies says the world is on the cusp of a new nuclear arms race “with the Asia-Pacific at its core.”
U.S. troops take part in a counter-landing live fire exercise as part of the annual Balikatan joint military drills in the Philippines on May 4.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 28, 2026
As Europe weighs less reliance on U.S. military, Asia doubles down
Tokyo, Seoul, Canberra and other capitals in the region believe U.S. military power is critical to counter the challenges from China and North Korea.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
May 28, 2026
Iran and U.S. trade airstrikes after Trump dismisses report of Hormuz deal
The escalation in hostilities sent oil prices surging again and dampened hopes for a peace deal for a war that has killed thousands.
Seven-member group Hana kicked off California music festival Zipangu with a high-energy performance showcasing the act’s wide-ranging sound.
CULTURE / Music
May 28, 2026
Girl group Hana channels positivity into every performance
Before joining Hana, the group’s members were told “no” by the entertainment industry. Now they’re part of one of Japan’s most talked-about new acts.
At music festival Zipangu’s inaugural edition, headliner Ado performed original songs as well as classic J-pop hits such as Miki Matsubara’s 1979 track “Mayonaka no Door: Stay With Me.”
CULTURE / Music
May 28, 2026
Music festival Zipangu offers a glimpse of J-pop’s future beyond anime
Ado, Chanmina, Atarashii Gakko!, Yuki Chiba and more turned a Pasadena golf course into a showcase for the breadth of Japanese music and its growing appeal abroad.
Mori Building's Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Tokyo. The firm and SL Green Realty are building an office tower near the Grand Central Terminal in New York.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2026
SL Green partners with Japan’s Mori to build NYC office tower
The new 46-story building will be close to One Vanderbilt, SL Green’s prized skyscraper that has commanded some of the highest office rents in New York.
Then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence inspects a Self-Defense Force Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptor in Tokyo in February 2018. U.S. production bottlenecks are now slowing weapons deliveries and complicating Japan’s efforts to modernize its defense capabilities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 28, 2026
Indo-Pacific deterrence rests on allied industrial coordination
The decline of the U.S. defense industrial base is not a new story, but it has assumed new urgency with the Iran war.
A chemical tank at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging pulp and paper mill in Longview, Washington, ruptured on Tuesday.
WORLD
May 28, 2026
Death toll from spill at Nippon Paper Group plant in U.S. expected to hit 11
A huge tank holding a highly caustic substance imploded on Tuesday during an early morning shift change at a paper plant in Longview, Washington state.
Cargo cranes are seen at Keelung Port, Taiwan, on April 28, 2021. The U.S. on Wednesday said it will remove derivative aluminum, steel and copper duties from aircraft components imported from Taiwan and modify sectoral levies on certain other products.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 28, 2026
U.S. eases some tariffs on Taiwan to formalize trade agreement
The move forms part of a trade deal previously agreed between Washington and Taipei.
U.S. President Donald Trump and others attend the inaugural Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Feb. 19.
WORLD
May 28, 2026
Board of Peace official Gaza fund is empty despite pledges, source says
Since the board was set up, its fund — administered by the World Bank and endorsed by the United Nations — has received no money from donors, the source said.
As U.S.-backed stablecoins move closer to widespread global adoption, China is preparing to counter growing dollar dominance by expanding the digital yuan and cross-border payment systems in emerging markets.
COMMENTARY / World
May 28, 2026
China will fight back if digital dollars corner global savings
Anything that entrenches the U.S. currency’s hegemony in countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt or Sudan goes against China’s strategic interest.
Construction of a temporary arena that will host the UFC Freedom 250 fight card in June is underway at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 28, 2026
Construction of cage-fighting arena transforms White House grounds
The hulking metal arena rising on the White House’s South Lawn is set to host a night of cage fighting to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
U.S. President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
May 28, 2026
Trump’s Iran bind deepens with Hormuz shut and hawks pushing war
Adding to the challenge are his own comments lambasting his predecessors for deals similar to the one that has the best chance of success.
A large political billboard along Enghelab Square in central Tehran on Tuesday
WORLD
May 27, 2026
Iran says ‘low’ possibility of return to war with U.S.
The statement came a day after Iran accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire in place since April.
At 9:06 a.m. on Wednesday, the 225-issue Nikkei stock average hit a high of 66,428.81, up 1,432.72 points from Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 27, 2026
Nikkei ends almost flat after topping 66,000
The index of 225 selected issues listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime section hit a high of 66,428.81 on Wednesday morning.
Cases in Britain, the United States and Norway highlight growing concerns over alleged Chinese transnational repression and espionage operations targeting dissidents, activists and sensitive infrastructure across democratic countries.
COMMENTARY / World
May 27, 2026
In a single day, three democracies pushed back against Chinese transnational repression
That three liberal democracies acted against Beijing’s long arm on a single day was not coordinated – but perhaps it should have been.
Chris Inglis, who served as the first U.S. national cyber director in 2021-23, speaks during an interview on Tuesday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
Former U.S. cybersecurity chief urges IT reform in Japan
Systems that have been deployed in Japan for 20-30 years have “many weaknesses,” says Chris Inglis, the first U.S. national cyber director.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after arriving at the White House on Marine One in Washington on May 15.
WORLD / Politics
May 27, 2026
Trump raises refugee ceiling by 10,000 to bring in more white South Africans
A signed presidential determination said white South Africans of Afrikaner ethnicity face an emergency situation ‌due to the “incitement ‌of racially motivated violence.”
A person watched the Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites streaks across the sky in a SpaceX launch as viewed from Venice Beach in Los Angeles on April 6.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
Pentagon spars with SpaceX over Starlink price hike during Iran war
The disagreement over Starlink’s use on suicide drones is part of increasing tensions between SpaceX and the Pentagon over Starlink pricing in recent months.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (left), shakes hands with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
May 27, 2026
Rubio seeks to repair U.S.-India relations after Trump-era strains
Several pillars of the U.S.-India relationship have been undermined under U.S. President Donald Trump.

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