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July 18, 2026
 

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JAPAN

The current session of parliament has been extended for eight days through July 25.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Parliament extends current session through July 25
By Eric Johnston
The extension will allow further discussion on a bill to establish the concept of a secondary capital.
A municipal junior high school in the city of Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture, where an unknown spray was released on Friday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 17, 2026
23 injured after substance sprayed at Osaka junior high school
Fifteen students and eight school staff members said they were experiencing?sore throats and skin irritation after the incident, according to the city¡¯s board of education.
Shine Muscat grapes
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Japan passes bill to prevent unauthorized overseas crop sales
The bill aims to better protect the rights related to Japan-developed fruits that are popular overseas and prevent a loss of profit.
Rice Resin's bioplastic garbage bags are getting increased attention after the Middle East conflict began.
JAPAN
Jul 17, 2026
Bioplastic use rising in Japan amid naphtha woes
The ¡°naphtha shock¡± exposed the risk of relying on Middle East crude oil for industrial and daily goods materials.
A bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure was enacted at an Upper House plenary session on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Japan¡¯s parliament passes bill to revise retrial system
The revised code will prohibit prosecutors from appealing court orders to initiate retrials in principle, while some exceptions will be allowed on sufficient grounds.
A package of bills on the imperial family clears the Upper House plenary session on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Bills to preserve imperial family clear Upper House
By Kanako Takahara
They pave the way for the first major revision of the Imperial House Law since its establishment in 1947.
A fan holds Japanese flags at a public viewing in Tokyo for a 2026 World Cup match in June.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Upper House passes flag-desecration bill despite constitutional concerns
By Kenji Yoshida
The law, to take effect in August, will punish anyone who publicly damages, removes or defaces the flag in a way deemed likely to cause ¡°extreme discomfort or disgust to others.¡±
Kashiwa Tanaka Hospital officials apologize during a news conference in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, on Thursday, following the arrest of one of their former nurses.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 17, 2026
Ex-nurse accused of murder researched injecting feces into IV drip
The 51-year-old former nurse was also seen entering the patient¡¯s room several times shortly before his death, according to hospital officials.

ASIA PACIFIC

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other attendees arrive for a group photo before the opening ceremony for the World AI Conference in Shanghai on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 17, 2026
Xi seeks global AI sway as Chinese models spur security alarm
Beijing is now looking to jostle with the U.S. ¡ª the leading AI power ¡ª for influence through a new group of nearly 30 countries.
China has been ramping efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, largely because it views President Lai Ching-te as a separatist.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 17, 2026
China lauds Papua New Guinea over decision to shut Taiwan office
By Philip Glamann
Taiwan¡¯s Foreign Ministry said the decision was made without consultation and it lodged a formal protest with Papua New Guinea, adding that the office continued normal operations.
A Vikram-1 orbital rocket model is displayed at Skyroot Aerospace facility on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jul 17, 2026
India¡¯s space sector takes off as private rocket readies launch
The country¡¯s space economy has rapidly expanded since the sector opened up to private investment in 2020, and is now valued at $8.4 billion.

WORLD

A man fishes at sunset in Anare, La Guaira state, Venezuela, on Tuesday. The town remained unscathed by the twin tremors on June 24 that killed over 4,800 people.
WORLD
Jul 17, 2026
¡®Blessed town¡¯ on Venezuelan coast escapes quake damage
By Margioni Bermudez
The sleep town of Anare¡¯s 4,000 or so residents felt the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude tremors last month, but their hillside homes remained intact.
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington on Thursday
WORLD / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Trump accuses China of 2020 voting interference, contradicting U.S. intelligence findings
By Nandita Bose and Jospeh Ax
U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s 25-minute address underscores his effort to make election security a central political issue ahead of November¡¯s midterm elections.
With the Strait of Hormuz already shut, a Houthi attack on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would leave the Middle East's two main oil export routes disrupted simultaneously.
WORLD
Jul 17, 2026
Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if U.S. hits power network, sources say
By Parisa Hafezi, Samia Nakhoul and Jonathan Saul
Any threat to the Red Sea and its Bab al-Mandab gateway risks exacerbating the global energy crisis and underscores the explosive risks stemming from a new round of warfare.
Most analysts agree a major escalation ?by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Iran would have little chance of being any more effective in forcing Tehran to change course than earlier phases of the war.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jul 17, 2026
Trump threatens new Iran escalation and risks repeating old mistakes
By Matt Spetalnick
While the U.S. and Iran have so far avoided a return to full-scale conflict, increasingly ominous developments have dimmed hopes of finding an off-ramp anytime ?soon.
Protesters in Kyiv rally against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's defense minister, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 17, 2026
Zelenskyy taps new defense chief in bid to quell political crisis
Rare protests erupted in Ukraine over Mykhailo Fedorov being dismissed as defense minister in a surprise government reshuffle.

BUSINESS

The 225-issue Nikkei stock average slipped below 63,000 on Friday for the first time in about a month on an intraday basis.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 17, 2026
Nikkei briefly dives over 4,100 points in afternoon
It slipped below 63,000 for the first time in about a month on an intraday basis.
Kioxia overtook auto giant Toyota in market cap value in mid-June, but its ranking has since dropped to the fourth-largest Japanese company, as traders grow more critical over artificial intelligence.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 17, 2026
Chipmaker Kioxia¡¯s market value halves from peak on AI selloff
By Momoka Yokoyama
Investors are more closely scrutinizing global chipmakers as they question whether the payoff from AI spending can justify lofty valuations.
A new report from a California-based nonprofit says the artificial intelligence features built in to Alphabet¡¯s Google Search pose an "unacceptable risk¡± to children.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 17, 2026
Google Search AI poses ¡®unacceptable risk¡¯ to kids, report finds
By Davey Alba and Julia Love
The ubiquitous search engine¡¯s AI features failed to detect suicide risks, said an eating disorder symptom was normal, and provided instructions for creating deepfakes, it says.
China¡¯s new generation of supersized electric vehicles ¡ª some more than 5 meters long and weighing three tons ¡ª is straining the nation¡¯s roads while starving the government of fuel taxes to maintain them.
BUSINESS
Jul 17, 2026
China¡¯s giant EVs are damaging roads without paying for repairs
The vehicles ¡ª some more than 5 meters long and weighing three tons ¡ª are straining roads while starving the government of fuel taxes to maintain them.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking has hired Kunal Maini, a veteran of BNP Paribas and Morgan Stanley, as international head of macro rates to strengthen its global sales and trading business.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 17, 2026
SMBC bolsters global sales and trading push with macro hire
By Carter Johnson
New hire Kunal Maini was most recently the head of Americas fixed income, currencies and commodities trading at BNP Paribas.
Bloomberg's top-ranked dollar-yen forecaster, Vikram Murarka of Kshitij Consultancy Services, predicts the yen could weaken to ?170 per dollar next year based on a technical analysis-driven model.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 17, 2026
Top currency forecaster says yen may reach ?170 against dollar
By Mia Glass
Kolkata-based Vikram Murarka uses a prediction model that largely ignores the news and focuses on technical analysis instead.
A Zabka convenience store in Warsaw
BUSINESS
Jul 17, 2026
Seven & I said to be in talks to take stake in Poland¡¯s Zabka
By Koh Yoshida
The transaction, if completed, would allow the 7-Eleven operator to accelerate expansion in Europe where growth has lagged behind its main markets in the U.S. and Japan.
A Honda Prologue electric sport utility vehicle at the New York International Auto Show in New York in April 2025
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 17, 2026
Honda to halt sales of last EV in its U.S. lineup
By Chester Dawson
The carmaker has informed American dealers that production of the Honda Prologue will cease later this year.

ENVIRONMENT

Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds the Manhattan skyline in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Thursday.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jul 17, 2026
Heat and wildfire smoke become a dangerous new climate reality
By Emma Court
High temperatures alone are dangerous, as is inhaling polluted air. The harm from each individually can be magnified when people experience both together.

Opinion

F/A?18 Super Hornet launches from the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury at an undisclosed location on April 2.
EDITORIALS
Jul 17, 2026
There is more at stake than the Strait of Hormuz
U.S.-Iran negotiations did not bear fruit. That comes as no surprise. The document was very general and subject to diverging interpretations and expectations.
Smoke rises from Gazprom Neft¡¯s Moscow oil refinery after a deep Ukrainian drone strike on June 18.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 17, 2026
As Ukraine¡¯s deep strikes mount, Putin lets his country burn
By Nina L. Khrushcheva
The war has become the organizing principle of Putin¡¯s regime, leaving no path to lasting peace without a fundamental political transformation.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 17, 2026
Don¡¯t become a casualty in Beijing¡¯s ¡®history war¡¯
By Masahiro Matsumura
Koizumi and the Takaichi administration must quickly shake off the euphoria of their Shangri-La performance and tighten their ideological defenses.
AI leaders have shifted from predicting mass job losses to overlooking how automation may quietly erode the quality and meaning of the jobs that remain.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 17, 2026
The AI jobs crisis no one is talking about
By Parmy Olson
The leaders of big AI labs are changing their stories on employment, with top AI chief executive officers walking back their previous warnings of job destruction.

Sports

France's Kylian Mbappe (left) has scored eight goals during the World Cup and is in contention for the Golden Boot.
SOCCER / World cup
Jul 17, 2026
Dejected England and France prepare for World Cup match neither wanted
By Julien Pretot
France¡¯s hopes ?of ?reaching a third successive World Cup final were emphatically ended by Spain, while England suffered its own heartbreak a day later with a loss to Argentina.
A call is overturned using the automated ball-strike challenge system during the first inning of a game between the Giants and Dodgers at Oracle Park in San Francisco in April.
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 17, 2026
MLB stars praise ABS system for providing accuracy and entertainment
The system has also supported the idea that catchers have the ?best view for determining the strike zone.
The Heat's Giannis Antetokounmpo poses with team president Pat Riley (left) and head coach Erik Spoelstra during his introductory news conference in Miami on Thursday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jul 17, 2026
Giannis Antetokounmpo says Heat provide best route to another NBA title
The Heat are also reportedly in the mix for LeBron James, who is deciding where he will play next after announcing his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers in June.
Japan's Shuhei Takeuchi is tackled by two Ireland players during a Nations Championship contest in Newcastle, Australia, on July 11.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 17, 2026
Japan ready to welcome France to steamy Tokyo for Nations Championship clash
By Andrew MCKIRDY
Both teams head into the game with one win and one loss apiece in the inaugural Nations Championship.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc (left) speaks with Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli during a news conference at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Thursday ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jul 17, 2026
Ferrari¡¯s Charles Leclerc labels Mercedes as favorite for Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes has won five of the seven races.
Japan coach Eddie Jones made six changes to the team that started against Ireland as the Brave Blossoms prepare to host France.
MORE SPORTS
Jul 17, 2026
Esei Haangana set for debut as Japan to face France in hot, humid Tokyo
Japan coach Eddie Jones made six changes to the team that started against Ireland in Newcastle, Australia, including a completely different front row.

LIFE

Retirement can bring unexpected changes to long-established relationships, prompting some Japanese couples to adjust to new routines and a shared daily life.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 17, 2026
Japanese has a word for when your husband makes you sick
By Yaeko Kabe
Explore Japan¡¯s ¡°husband-origin illness¡± while learning vocabulary and grammar about marriage, retirement and relationships.

CULTURE

Sonau Okamoto poses inside the Beatles Art & Culture Museum he founded in Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, after spending decades collecting memorabilia and promoting the band's legacy in Japan.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 17, 2026
It was 60 years ago today: Japan¡¯s top Beatles fan keeps the Budokan flame burning
By Tim Hornyak
A lifelong collector turned one unforgettable concert into a museum celebrating the Fab Four¡¯s enduring impact in Japan.
So-hee (played by the single-named Hanna), a 14-year-old ethnic Korean living in Tokyo, learns some valuable life lessons in Son Myong A¡¯s ¡°Trophy.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2026
Zainichi drama ¡®Trophy¡¯ is a sweet, if slight, coming-of-age tale
By James Hadfield
Son Myong A¡¯s debut feature centers on a Tokyo teen grappling with her Korean heritage, both at home and in the classroom.
Suzuka Chinzei (right) plays a school counselor dealing with a string of deaths in horrormeister Takashi Shimizu¡¯s ¡°Sana: Play With Me.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Jul 17, 2026
¡®Sana: Play With Me¡¯ can¡¯t recapture the simple scares of J-horror¡¯s glory days
By Mark Schilling
The latest film by J-horror director Takashi Shimizu (best known for ¡°Juon: The Grudge¡°) starts with an intriguing premise but becomes overblown by its third act.
A cocaine bust in Spain leads all the way to Wall Street
This handout picture shows cocaine seized by Spanish police from a ship off the Canary Islands, following the detention of its 23-member crew without bail in Europe's largest-ever bust of the drug, in Madrid on May 8.
Tokyo eyes New York University campus in push for global education
Founded in 1831 and based in Manhattan, New York University has about 60,000 students and academic centers in 13 countries.
Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if U.S. hits power network, sources say
With the Strait of Hormuz already shut, a Houthi attack on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would leave the Middle East's two main oil export routes disrupted simultaneously.
The creator of ¡®Cowboy Bebop¡¯ has advice for the anime industry
Shinichiro Watanabe, creator of ¡°Cowboy Bebop¡± and ¡°Lazarus,¡± is known for a stylish aesthetic that one American academic describes as ¡°jagged.¡±
Kudokai yakuza group undergoes leadership change
The Fukuoka Prefectural Police obtained a notice Kudokai had sent to other groups saying its leader, Satoru Nomura, had retired.
¡®Tony Hawk with Japanese trains¡¯: Denshattack! makes derailing a blast
In Denshattack!, your one-car train becomes a kickflipping, wall-riding vehicle up and down a postapocalyptic Japan.
How ¡®The Solitary Gourmet¡¯ became one of Japan¡¯s most enduring TV hits
Actor Yutaka Matsushige performs a dining scene during the filming of an episode of the TV drama series "Solitary Gourmet" at a tuna restaurant in Chiba Prefecture.
Cash is king again at Tokyo¡¯s bars after credit processor fails
Kabukicho entertainment district in Tokyo
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.
A sensory encounter at rare architectural gem KAIT Plaza
Tea practitioner Fukutaro Nakayama moved through the space of KAIT Plaza preparing tea for each guest next to them.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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