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June 18, 2026
 

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Martin Ivens
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses the crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales in front of an F35 fighter during an eight-month operational deployment in April 2025.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2026
Keir Starmer is headed for a NATO humiliation
In March, ministers tried to reassure voters that the U.K. had everything it needed to defend the country. It wasn¡¯t true and Healey knew it.
Then-British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer receives applause from delegates, including Peter Mandelson (right), after giving an address at the London Labour Regional Conference in January 2023.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 8, 2026
Starmer is facing the final curtain as British prime minister
Like past leaders weighed down by scandal, Starmer may survive in office but struggles to govern effectively amid mounting domestic and political challenges.
Demonstrators protest against the Labour government's plans to introduce a digital ID outside of the party's conference in Liverpool, England, on Sept. 28.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 2, 2025
Starmer¡¯s digital ID plan tests his powers of persuasion
It might seem odd that U.K. political parties of all flavors have been quick to unite against what they deem a step towards an Orwellian Big Brother state.
Britain¡¯s latest defense review highlights a growing gap between its military ambitions and economic constraints, as limited spending, troop shortages and political hesitation hinder readiness amid rising global threats.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 4, 2025
U.K. military rhetoric is not matching fiscal reality
U.K. prime ministers have a habit of over-promising and underdelivering on military commitments.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Oval Office on Feb. 27. U.S. conservatives may be unlikely defenders of free speech but their criticism of censorship in the U.K. and Europe raises real concerns about vague hate laws and curbs on liberty in the name of harmony.?
COMMENTARY
Jun 2, 2025
European kindness is threatening the foundations of free speech
Right-wing U.S. critics of U.K. and European censorship have a point.
Then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in August 2021. From Syria to Ukraine, Merkel and former U.S. President Barack Obama¡¯s missteps still haunt the West.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 15, 2024
Putin¡¯s loss in Syria exposes Western failures
The West¡¯s indecision and failed liberal internationalist policies allowed Putin to bolster Assad¡¯s regime and secure strategic advantages in Syria.
According to a recent survey, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leads in public sentiment, with a majority of voters preferring his previously defeated Conservative government. In another poll, half of voters disapprove of Labour leader Keir Starmer's performance after just three months in office.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 7, 2024
Tories remain the ¡®party party.¡¯ Time for a bouncer.
More of the same could doom Conservatives to a long stay in the wilderness or even organizational collapse. They better get this leadership contest right.
Polls suggest Labour leader Keir Starmer will emerge victorious from Thursday¡¯s U.K. general election despite often being perceived as stiff and acting holier-than-thou.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 3, 2024
Keir Starmer¡¯s character remains as elusive as his policies
Despite his rags-to-ruling-class backstory, Labour leader Keir Starmer isn¡¯t that popular or well understood. But he¡¯ll win Thursday¡¯s election in the U.K. anyway.
NATO, which celebrates its 75th birthday this year, has been successful at keeping the peace ¡ª but American underpinning can¡¯t be guaranteed in perpetuity, especially with the possible reelection of Donald Trump.?
COMMENTARY
Jan 25, 2024
Europe should arm against the barbarians at its gates
Donald Trump told Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, that ¡°NATO is dead.¡± It would be prudent to take him at his word.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed David Cameron as foreign secretary, a shock return to government for a man who previously led the country and whose legacy is defined for calling the Brexit referendum.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 15, 2023
Sunak¡¯s gamble on former U.K. leader Cameron is an act of desperation
The return of the former prime minister creates an unprecedented imbalance at the summit of U.K. power.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 23, 2023
U.K. election results pose mixed questions for Sunak and Starmer
The prime minister narrowly avoided an unprecedented defeat last week. His opponent in the battle for No. 10 was served a policy warning.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 18, 2023
Boris Johnson, the once and perhaps future Tory king
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson isn¡¯t going quietly, and may not be going at all.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 12, 2023
Boris Johnson wants to knight his dad? That¡¯s Britain.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson may be causing the latest dismay, but much of Britain¡¯s political class no longer knows how to behave.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2022
Britain¡¯s Rishi Sunak is trapped in a Tory civil war
The Conservative Party has broken into antagonistic camps. Can the conflict-averse prime minister quell the rebellions rising within his own party?
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 22, 2022
The prince of Wales and his discontents
Queen Elizabeth II has kept the monarchy popular ¡ª and the country united around it ¡ª by keeping her opinions to herself. Charles should master the discipline
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 3, 2022
Britain¡¯s queen has had far more triumphs than failures
In some senses, life in the British royal household is less about grandeur than survival. And that is also true of the institution itself.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 22, 2022
How will the elite at Davos deal with the war in Ukraine?
The global elites such as those meeting in Davos have yet to confront the harsh realities of power politics and nationalism.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 27, 2022
Is time up for the British monarchy? Not so fast
The appeal of the royal family remains potent. Its adaptability to changing times is a hereditary trait.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 6, 2022
The court of Britain¡¯s prime minister is collapsing
Even if Boris Johnson survives the current round of resignations and scandals, he faces a perilous, friendless few months ahead.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 17, 2022
The fate of U.K.¡¯s Boris Johnson now hinges on three factors
The U.K. prime minister is accused of whooping it up in a garden party at his No. 10 Downing St. office while the rest of the country was locked down.
¡®Customer harassment¡¯ continues in Japan despite moves to end it
A "customer harassment" prevention awareness poster at the entrance of an Aoki Super supermarket in Aichi Prefecture
Magnitude 5.5 quake jolts Tokyo area
Seismic intensity information about Tuesday evenning's earthquake
Tokyo launches scholarship program for students bound for top global universities
Students at the campus of Harvard University. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Tuesday announced a scholarship for top-level students who are looking to pursue higher education abroad.
Starbucks in South Korea to close all stores early for history training
Activists put stickers on an image of Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin during a rally calling for a boycott of the Starbucks coffee chain in Seoul on May 27.
Five fall ill from E. coli outbreak at Nagoya Costco store
At least five people, including a child in serious condition, fell ill after eating ¡°high rollers¡± deli wraps sold a Costco store in Nagoya, according to media reports.
Cultural aspects dominate coverage as sumo enthralls Paris
<i>Yokozuna</i> Hoshoryu waves to reporters during a news conference at the Japanese Culture House of Paris on June 11.
Japan steps on the gas in unprecedented regional defense export push
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi walks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, as the two inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on May 4.
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
Seen here in an archival shot, Osamu Tezuka&#039;s influence on Japanese anime has been monumental.
Why more bears are entering urban areas
Hikers walk past a bear warning sign in the Okutama area in western Tokyo on Sunday as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.
In Tokyo¡¯s Mitaka, a search for traces of Osamu Dazai
Cafe Phosphorescence, owned by Osamu Dazai fan Miyuki Daba, is located about 15 minutes away from where the novelist used to live.

Podcast

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

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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