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Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles (left) and Japan’s Minister of Defence Koizumi Shinjiro chat after signing the contract for Japan to deliver the first three of Mogami-class warships, in Melbourne on April 18, 2026. Photo: AFP
Japan

Japan, Australia finalise contracts to deliver first 3 of planned frigates

This comes as Japan is set to ease rules on defence equipment exports, which have strict limits on exporting weapons with lethal capability.

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Japan

Magnitude 5 quake hits Japan’s Nagano prefecture

South Korea

In hi-tech South Korea, AI shamans take place of traditional human practitioners

Japan

Japan warned of ‘hellish summer’ as energy fears mount

A prolonged Iran war, combined with an unusually early spell of hot weather, could leave Japan facing power shortages this summer.

People walk under a parasol in Shizuoka, Japan, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, on April 11. Photo: Kyodo
People walk under a parasol in Shizuoka, Japan, where temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, on April 11. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan ditches decades of arm export curbs as US reliability wavers

From drones for Ukraine to warships for Australia, ‘peace-loving’ Japan is fast pivoting towards arming the world.

South Korea

South Korean police investigate mother for feeding rice cake soup to infant

The case went viral after the mother posted a photo on social media and admitted to giving her infant son some of the ‘tteokguk’ broth.

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US, Israel war on Iran

US oil floats to top as Asia looks for Middle Eastern alternatives amid Iran war

Buyers from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand have helped push May sales to over 60 million barrels, the highest in three years.

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Tankers dock at the Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Tankers dock at the Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
North Korea

Nuclear defiance: North Korea’s Kim signals he won’t be the next Iran

Kim Jong-un’s increased appearances at military drills show his confidence in Pyongyang’s nuclear deterrence, analysts say.

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South Korea

BTS comeback drives record 2.06 million tourists to South Korea

Foreigners who went to South Korea for the K-pop group’s concerts spent US$38 million in purchases between January 1 and April 12 ‌.

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Japan

Stepfather tells Japanese police ‘there’s no doubt’ he killed missing boy

About 1,000 people were mobilised to find Yuki, who went missing on March 23. His body was found on Monday in a rural area in Kyoto.

A missing person poster for Yuki Adachi hangs on a wall in Nantan, Kyoto prefecture, on Monday. Photo: Kyodo
Japan

Japan backs a female emperor while Takaichi pushes conservative succession plan

A new poll shows most Japanese support a woman taking the throne, even as the prime minister moves to preserve male-line succession.

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(From right) Japan’s Princess Aiko and her parents, Empress Masako and Emperor Naruhito, wave to well-wishers after arriving at the Historical Archive Museum of Tomioka in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 7. Photo: Kyodo
(From right) Japan’s Princess Aiko and her parents, Empress Masako and Emperor Naruhito, wave to well-wishers after arriving at the Historical Archive Museum of Tomioka in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, on April 7. Photo: Kyodo
North Korea

UN watchdog warns North Korea is boosting nuclear weapons capacity

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi confirms a rapid rise in activity at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex.

Japan

Japan to provide US$10 billion support to help Asia secure oil

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the support will be equivalent to as much as 1.2 billion ⁠barrels of oil.

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South Korea

South Korea jails influencer Johnny Somali for kissing ‘comfort women’ statue

The 2024 incident caused strong public backlash and the video was later removed.

American YouTuber Johnny Somali speaks to reporters at the Seoul Western District Court in South Korea on Wednesday. Photo: Yonhap/AFP
South Korea

South Korea’s former first couple endure a frosty courtroom reunion

The hearing lasted all of half an hour. Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, appearing as a witness, made eye contact only once.

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A combination photo shows South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol (left) exiting court in January and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon-hee, arriving at the special prosecutor’s office in Seoul in August last year. Photos: EPA/AFP
A combination photo shows South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk-yeol (left) exiting court in January and his wife, former first lady Kim Keon-hee, arriving at the special prosecutor’s office in Seoul in August last year. Photos: EPA/AFP
Japan

Japan’s Narita Airport expansion revives row over forced land sales

Authorities are considering forcing the sale of land owned by holdout farmers, recalling disputes that sparked violence during the 1960s.

China energy security

Which countries are most vulnerable as US imposes Persian Gulf blockade?

Nomura says more than 90 per cent of the crude oil imported by Japan and the Philippines comes from the Middle East.

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Japan

Japan jails ex-teacher for sharing voyeuristic student images

He is the first among an alleged teachers’ voyeurism ring to receive a prison sentence in a high-profile case that came to light last year.

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Between July and December 2024, Ishikawa secretly took photos and videos of three female students at a junior school in Kanagawa, where he was working at the time, capturing images on his smartphone that included their underwear, and shared them via a social media group chat. Photo: Shutterstock
Between July and December 2024, Ishikawa secretly took photos and videos of three female students at a junior school in Kanagawa, where he was working at the time, capturing images on his smartphone that included their underwear, and shared them via a social media group chat. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Israel envoy protests Japanese TV pundit’s remarks on Kushner’s Jewish identity

Critics said his comments suggested that Trump’s son-in-law should not be involved in negotiations with Iran because he is Jewish.

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South Korea

What is really behind South Korea’s diplomatic row with Israel?

Lee Jae Myung’s clash was about more than human rights, analysts say – it was about energy security and sending a message to Donald Trump.

Japan

Japan’s Trump tariff deal faces climate backlash over projects’ 20% carbon surge

Campaigners said the three US projects could generate greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 20 per cent of Japan’s annual total.

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US President Donald Trump met Japan’s economic revitalisation minister Ryosei Akazawa and his delegation in Washington on April 16, 2025. The meeting came as Tokyo sought relief from US tariff pressure. Photo: Reuters
US, Israel war on Iran

South Korean president’s Holocaust remarks spark Israel outcry

Lee Jae Myung’s comparing military action against Palestinians to the Holocaust comes as Israel remembers the 6 million Jews killed by Nazis.

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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Photo: via EPA
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. Photo: via EPA
Japan

Japan’s rural rail crisis hits new low as JR East cuts toilet paper service

JR East’s decision to remove toilet paper at some unmanned stations underscores the financial pressures on rural rail services.

South Korea

Solo in Seoul? South Korean capital offers helpers for US$4 an hour

The city’s ‘companion service’ aims to help single-person households move house or visit hospital.

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South Korea

Foreigners with ‘close ties’ to South Koreans will receive cash aid

The limited inclusion of non-citizens in state relief programmes has been a recurring source of controversy in the country.

Foreigners dressed in hanboks walk under lanterns displayed at Jogye temple in Seoul, South Korea, on April 7. Photo: AP
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