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July 12, 2026
 

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MIDDLE EAST

Smoke rises in Lebanon following an airstrike, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 2, 2026
Lebanon announces partial ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but attacks continue
Iran insists ‌on a halt to Israeli attacks in Lebanon as a condition of any deal to end the war, while the U.S. says the two conflicts are separate.
Most traders and analysts expect the Strait of Hormuz to reopen relatively soon because the economic consequences of a prolonged closure would be too severe.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2026
What if the Strait of Hormuz didn’t reopen?
History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. So what if something similar were to happen in the Strait of Hormuz? It’s a nightmare few contemplate.
Lacquer thinner in short supply at a home improvement store in the city of Kagoshima on May 27
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Housing industry hit by shortage of naphtha-derived materials
It is unclear when the situation will improve, and it could also have an impact on consumers in the form of higher housing prices or delayed construction.
Japan's trucking industry is looking into introducing fuel surcharges amid uncertainties caused by the Iran war.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 1, 2026
Trucking industry eyes fuel surcharges as Iran conflict drives uncertainty
The move comes amid ongoing uncertainty over the long-term impact of the Iran war on crude oil supply.
The USS Thomas Hudner at sea on May 19. U.S. strikes on Iran's Gulf coast over the weekend were in response to "aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters," the U.S. Central Command ⁠said in a post on X.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2026
U.S. says it struck Iranian military sites as Tehran responds with air base attack
Air defenses in Kuwait, where a major U.S. base is located, were intercepting missile and drone attacks on Monday as ⁠sirens sounded across the country.
Yen underperformed all its Group-of-10 peers in May despite record spending by Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 1, 2026
Yen defies record intervention as wait for BOJ hike raises risks
The currency underperformed all its Group-of-10 peers in May despite record spending by Japan, putting it in danger of weakening to 160 against the dollar before June 16.
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Japan’s firms cut spending over Iran stress despite record profits
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, the Finance Ministry reported Monday.
Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, following Israeli strikes, as seen from Nabatieh, Lebanon, on Sunday.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2026
U.S. and Iran trade drafts of deal as Israel expands Lebanon assault
Israel is not party to the talks between the U.S. and Iran and it’s unclear whether it will agree to stop its side war in Lebanon if the war in Iran is resolved.
An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade fly above Beaufort Castle, as seen here from Marjayoun, in southern Lebanon, on Sunday.
WORLD
May 31, 2026
Israel plants flag on medieval castle and pushes Lebanon ground operation
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said troops had captured the historic strongpoint, which commands sweeping views of south Lebanon, as they expanded their ground operations.
People wave Iranian national flags during an anti-U.S. and Israel protest in Tehran on Friday.
WORLD
May 31, 2026
U.S. says capable of resuming war with Iran as deal remains elusive
The White House had signaled Trump was close to a decision on a potential deal, though Tehran denied there was a final agreement on ending the conflict.
Kazuhiko Shigetoku, Lower House parliamentary affairs chief of the Centrist Reform Alliance (center, left), and Yoshitaka Saito, Upper House parliamentary affairs chief of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (center, right), meet in parliament on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 30, 2026
Japan ruling and opposition parties at odds over extra budget
The budget committees of both the upper and lower chambers will each spend one day deliberating the extra budget for the fiscal year that started in April.
People wave Iranian flags during a rally in Tehran on Friday.
WORLD / EXPLAINER
May 30, 2026
Iran’s strongest card in nuclear talks: its highly enriched uranium
Iran and the United States are in discussions to extend their ceasefire so as to start negotiations on issues including Tehran’s nuclear program.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 30, 2026
Trump insists on red lines as Iran deal remains elusive
An Iranian state media report also rebutted several key elements of Trump’s characterization of the deal, with sources calling his remarks a “mixture of truth and lies.”
The government's 2026 white paper on manufacturing industries says that companies need to make management decisions from a medium- to long-term perspective without being deterred by short-term costs, in order to make progress on economic security efforts.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2026
Few Japan firms take steps toward economic security, government paper finds
Only about 30% of Japanese companies have taken substantive measures to ensure economic security, such as diversifying procurement sources and strengthening cybersecurity.
Some manufacturers are passing on increased costs for packaging materials and energy to consumers amid the uncertain situation in the Middle East.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 29, 2026
Prices for over 1,000 food items in Japan set to rise in June
Seasoning accounted for the largest share of products set to see higher prices, followed by processed food.
The Japanese government's fiscal 2025 white paper on food, agriculture and rural areas noted that private-sector rice imports surged after retail prices of the grain in May 2025 roughly doubled from a year before.
JAPAN
May 29, 2026
Japan voices concern over rice imports in white paper
Private-sector rice imports experienced a sharp increase after retail prices roughly doubled year on year in May 2025.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 29, 2026
Trump’s room to maneuver narrows as U.S., Iran close in on framework deal
The dilemma became clear during a week of hectic diplomacy marked by word of an emerging framework deal that would extend a current ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 29, 2026
Iran and U.S. reach deal to extend ceasefire, pending Trump’s approval
The agreement would extend the truce for another 60 days ​and allow traffic to flow through the Strait of Hormuz while negotiators tackle issues such as Iran’s nuclear program.
Toyota's global sales in April, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor, fell 3.7% from a year earlier to 902,015 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2026
Toyota sales slide for third month in April on Middle East conflict
Toyota has weathered the conflict better than other carmakers, with Honda Motor and Nissan Motor reporting bigger drops.
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.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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