Australian student feared detained in North Korea

AUSTRALIA on Thursday said it was "urgently seeking clarification" on the fate of a citizen feared detained in North Korea. The post Australian...

Possible outcome of Trump-Xi meeting: A truce in trade war

American businesses are bracing for a painful escalation in President Donald Trump's trade war with China. Yet they might just get a reprieve. If...

Toward Tyranny of the Majority in Israel

On Monday of this week the Canadian Province of Quebec, at its government’s initiative, passed a secularism law, “an act respecting the laicity of...

G-20 summit a chance to shine for Osaka-style griddle snacks

Sen no Rikyu (1522-1591), arguably one of the most prominent masters of the Japanese tea ceremony, sometimes served thin, crepe-like griddle cakes...

Combating disinformation in Indonesia

LAST month, the Indonesian government temporarily blocked access to social media for three days following violent post-election protests in the...

Service industry innovation

Ambitious strategy will get nowhere without action plans The government unveiled a comprehensive strategy to innovate the nation's lagging services...

Trump's Iran stand down shows total policy incoherence

By Trudy Rubin What on earth is America's policy on Iran? That is the operative question after President Donald Trump ordered, then called off, a...

Chinese baguette king’s dream goes stale

CHINESE conglomerate Reward, whose CEO had ambitious plans to open 1,500 bakeries in China using flour produced on swathes of French land that he...

Egypt regime targets ‘Coalition of Hope’ opposition with arrests

Report. State security forces arrested eight people at dawn Tuesday, including lawyers and journalists. Zyad Elelaimi, one of those arrested,...

Can Trump and Xi find a landing zone in Osaka?

Naredimo Ameriko spet Veliko Britanijo

Molimo, da Boris Johnson postane naslednji britanski predsednik vlade, odcepi Evropo od Anglije in ZDA priključi Veliki Britaniji. Punk rock bo...

Young Israeli Labor Star’s ‘New Beginning’ Plays With the Facts

Musings / June 13, 2019

Novelist Ryunosuke Akutagawa was born in Tokyo in the mid-Meiji era (1868-1912). His mother soon fell ill and he became an adopted child of the...

Upper House poll can help restore a sound democracy in Japan

With the end of the regular Diet session, political attention is shifting toward the Upper House election, which has been scheduled for July 21...

Problematic aide

It goes against public sentiment to promote Cho Kuk President Moon Jae-in is reportedly considering a reshuffle next month to replace some...

Why Despair Is Beating Hope

WELLINGTON – Wherever one looks – the media, political leaders’ rhetoric, or online discussions – one finds a bias toward bad ideals. This is...

Exercises in summitry

By Donald Kirk Summit fever is upon us. The mere idea of two leaders sitting down and talking suggests the ultimate panacea. Surely they can come...

'Turtleneck syndrome'

By Park Moo-jong "Who do you think will be one of the most popular medical specialists in the coming decades and who is losing popularity?" A...

Remunerative languages

By William Roger Jones When economic statistics are presented and one reads "median", it means the typical figure or number that separates the...

Border crisis: taking long-term view

By Joe Guzzardi In one of her final appearances before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, former DHS Secretary...

New era, new Self-Defense Forces

NIIGATA - The Reiwa Era began last month, and just like Heisei stood apart from Showa before it, this new period in Japanese history promises to...

Japan’s cold-blooded approach to the Rohingya crisis

In Omelas, a fictional town envisioned by the science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin, everyone is happy, but they embrace a paradox; the...

The shameful ‘deal of the century’

Much has been said about the so-called “deal of the century” promoted by the US government, although those with different perspectives might use...

Bolton and Pompeo are America’s disastrous duo

It never ceases to amaze me how some of the most mediocre and uninspiring people somehow manage to reach the top of their profession. Among the...

Cannabis Catch-22: Is Medical Marijuana Israel's Next Big Export, or a Pipe Dream?

Israel has the R&D prowess and global demand is growing, but if there’s really gold in them thar spliffs, others will probably get it

G20: all eyes on Trump and Iran, but Putin’s date with Xi and Modi is one to watch

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a busy time ahead of him at the G20 summit in Osaka.If Russia is to follow its standard playbook, it is likely...

A Young Gazan’s Dream, Amputated