• Politics

    Politics

    Japanese F-2Bs fly with American F-35s over the Sea of Japan in June 2023. (U.S. Indo-Pacific Command/Airman 1st Class Alexis Redin)
    U.S. lawmaker Ami Bera, in an interview in Tokyo on Oct. 24, stressed the importance of speeding up arms sales to Taiwan that he said the Trump administration has held up. (Photo by Akira Kitado)
    Defense

    US lawmaker to press Trump to expedite Taiwan arms sales

    Ami Bera says president has slowed deal despite congressional approval

    24 October 2026
    Killer drone on display outside Russia's National Defense Management Center in Moscow. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters)
    Interview

    SF writer Daniel Suarez warns of AI-powered authoritarianism

    Leader armed with killer robots, mass surveillance could imperil democracy

    24 October 2026
    A North Korean customs building at the end of the newly opened New Yalu River Bridge, which links the country to China: The crossing is expected to ease logistics bottlenecks and boost economic ties.
    North Korea tensions

    North Korea's Kim Jong Un visits China via newly opened bridge

    Crossing over Yalu River expected to boost bilateral trade after years of disruption

    24 October 2026
    Christopher Landau, U.S. deputy secretary of state, speaks on the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance to deterrence via video message at Mt. Fuji Dialogue on Oct. 24. (Photo by Shintaro Ino)
    Defense

    Stronger Japan alliance needed for deterrence: Senior US official

    PM Takaichi stresses partnership is cornerstone in time of regional instability

    24 October 2026
    Micronesia President Wesley Simina, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Oct. 23 in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Suzuki)
    Indo-Pacific

    Japan, Micronesia affirm cooperation on free and open Indo-Pacific

    Tokyo to explore giving the Pacific island country a cargo-passenger ship

    24 October 2026
    A member of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force uses a drone during a joint exercise with France in September.
    Defense

    Japan weighs rebranding energy, AI as defense spending under Trump pressure

    Proposals would be a step closer to achieving 3.5% of GDP

    24 October 2026
    Turkish manufacturer Aselsan's Steel Dome, a multilayered integrated air and missile defense system, and Korkut, a very short range air defense system on display at a trade show in Istanbul in May. 
    Aerospace & Defense Industries

    Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar pact complements Mecca alliance

    Nations see growing need for defense ties to diversify from US, as Houthis attack Saudi

    23 October 2026
    Brazilian presidential candidates Flavio Bolsonaro, left, and incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva take part in a debate in Sao Paulo on Oct. 18, ahead of the runoff vote.
    Supply Chain

    Brazil election to impact rare-earth race as West seeks China balance

    Lula and Bolsonaro offer competing visions for investment in critical minerals

    23 October 2026
    Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at a security forum in Tokyo cohosted by Nikkei and CSIS on Oct. 23. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama)
    Defense

    Japan to reorganize defense research around AI, cyber

    Defense Minister Koizumi says revamp aims to detect threats, speed decisions

    23 October 2026
    Japan's government is calling on social media platforms to clamp down on the spread false and misleading information during elections. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Mayumi Tsumita and Masayuki Terazawa)
    Politics

    Japan urges social media platforms to curb misinformation in elections

    Tokyo call for steps from Google, X and others, including halting monetization

    23 October 2026
    The yen-dollar exchange rate has fluctuated in a narrow band since early October.
    Currencies

    Yen on track to gain from US midterm elections and France unrest

    Japanese currency appreciated after 9 out of 10 US midterms, data shows

    23 October 2026
    Games, anime, manga, music and live-action productions are the focus of the government's efforts to boost the content industry.  (Photo by Kento Hirashima)
    Media & Entertainment

    Japan to promote anime, games overseas through centralized support

    Planned entity will not be public-private fund like ailing Cool Japan

    23 October 2026
    Residents of the South Korean city of Gwangju look up at a sign saying, "Semiconductors are coming," touting a large public-private investment in chip manufacturing in the area.  (Photo by Ahn Seong-bok)
    Policy Asia

    South Korea's Lee bets $1tn on Gwangju as future tech hub

    President aims to secure economy, legacy by investing AI gains in faded southern city

    23 October 2026
    An aerial view shows the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) in Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 3, 2025. (Photo by Rebecca Noble)
    Opinion

    Tightening credit conditions put pressure on Asian investments in US

    Japan, South Korea and Taiwan must turn pledges into return-delivering projects

    23 October 2026
    Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will host Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman at an upcoming summit meeting in Japan. (Source photos by Nikkei)
    International relations

    Japan to arrange $6bn in private-sector investment in Bangladesh

    Auto and energy sectors to form part of effort to reduce China's sway

    22 October 2026
    Aung San Suu Kyi speaks by phone with her younger son, Kim Aris, on Oct. 22. (From the Myanmar presidential spokesperson's social media account)
    Myanmar Crisis

    Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi speaks to son for first time in over five years

    Detained former leader remains under house arrest following 2021 military coup

    22 October 2026
    Energy is a key foreign policy issue for both Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Nikkei and Reuters)
    International relations

    Energy keeps Japan-Russia ties hanging on by a thread

    Moscow leverages Tokyo's need for fossil fuels in bid to boost war-battered economy

    22 October 2026
    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, right, and U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor raise a toast during a reception in Mumbai on Oct. 20. (Pool via Reuters)
    International relations

    India pushes for 'competitive advantage' over peers in US trade deal

    New Delhi's hope resonates with Trump's 'much different' deal than previous ones

    22 October 2026
    A krill fishing ship of unknown nationality is seen in Half Moon Bay, Antarctica, on Feb 18, 2018.
    International relations

    Krill fishing and the shifting order at the bottom of the world

    Tensions on display at meeting in Australia over China's growing Antarctic ambitions

    22 October 2026
    Moderna, known for its COVID-19 vaccine, has "a number of ongoing discussions in greater China" about potential partnerships, according to its CEO.
    Interview

    Moderna CEO eyes China partnerships despite geopolitical tensions

    COVID vaccine maker aims to fight cancer, other diseases in world's No. 2 economy

    22 October 2026
    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a growth strategy council meeting on Oct. 1. (Photo by Ken Suzuki)
    Economy

    Japan growth strategy to focus on chips in short term, AI in medium term

    Roadmap for first 5 years of plan to be drawn up by year-end

    22 October 2026
    The incumbent KMT mayor of Taipei, Chiang Wan-an, right, is facing what would be a humiliating defeat at the hands of first-term legislator Puma Shen of the DPP. (Source photos by Reuters)
    Opinion

    Could Taipei elect its first DPP mayor in more than 30 years?

    Puma Shen has used local issues to take a surprise lead over KMT's Chiang Wan-an

    22 October 2026
    South Korean soldiers walk during training. Under current rules, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea -- who doubles as head of the United Nations Command -- has operational control over South Korean forces in wartime. (Photo by Nikkei)
    Defense

    South Korea, US spar over transfer of wartime command

    American general says 'new standards' need to be upheld before transfer

    22 October 2026
    Xi Jinping finds a new cudgel to use on Japan: Mao Zedong's stance backing Japan's claim on four islands that Russia administers. Above, Russian President Vladimir Putin samples salmon roe at a fish-processing plant on one of the disputed islands in the company of workers. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and TASS/Kyodo)
    China Up Close

    Analysis: China defies Mao's support for Japan in Russia islands row

    A subtle shift in stance comes as Beijing-Moscow partnership deepens

    22 October 2026
    Japan's new farm minister, Arata Takebe, speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Oct. 21. (Photo by Hajime Tsukada)
    Politics

    Japan's new farm minister says to verify facts on alleged illegal donation

    Predecessor was effectively dismissed from PM Takaichi's cabinet

    21 October 2026
    Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, are likely to meet in Moscow by the end of 2026 and in Pakistan in 2027. (Source photos by Reuters)
    International relations

    Pakistan warms to Russia with Sharif-Putin summit possible

    Moscow's links to Kabul, New Delhi and US sanctions impede Islamabad

    21 October 2026
    The U.K. is BYD's largest market outside of China. It and other Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers may soon face higher import tariffs to the U.K. 
    Politics

    UK under pressure to align with EU duties on Chinese EVs

    Turkey, Japan, South Korea also want exemption from Europe's localization rules

    21 October 2026
    Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi prepares for a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Sept. 17. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
    Politics

    What's next for Takaichi? 5 challenges ahead for Japan's PM

    A year into office, leader faces tests on growth, taxes, markets and diplomacy

    21 October 2026
    Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, which operates out of these buildings in Astana, has been raising funds through yuan bonds this year. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters) 
    Bonds

    Kazakh borrowers issue billions of yuan debt as China ties tighten

    Low rates, need to pay Chinese suppliers spark rush to panda and dim sum bonds

    21 October 2026