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July 01, 2026
 

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TRADE

Cargo ships in the Persian Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, on March 11
BUSINESS / Economy
May 18, 2026
Iran war saddles global companies with $25 billion bill — and counting
Businesses are grappling with soaring energy prices, fractured supply chains and trade routes severed by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.
A farm in Ruleville, Mississippi, on March 31. While the fresh disclosure of China agreeing to purchase agricultural products from the U.S. will likely be welcomed by farmers, the amount may not be large enough to satisfy growers looking to turn around tough economic conditions.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2026
U.S. says China agrees to spend billions on agricultural goods
Previous efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to get China to purchase more U.S. goods have fallen short, raising questions about whether the latest pledges will be fulfilled.
A steel factory in Duisburg, Germany. The European Union is attempting to reduce reliance on China by requiring companies to buy critical components from at least three different suppliers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
EU to force companies to buy components from non-Chinese suppliers, FT reports
Under the new legislation, companies would be limited ⁠to buying about 30% to 40% of components from a single supplier.
A truck transports a Maersk container at APM Terminals at the Port of Los Angeles on March 4.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2026
G7 finance chiefs seek to tackle imbalances as trade strains unity
The two-day meeting follows a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing that yielded few concrete economic breakthroughs.
Unlike his predecessors, U.S. President Donald Trump didn’t divest or move his assets into a blind trust with an independent overseer.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 18, 2026
Trump’s more than 3,700 trades astonish Wall Street insiders
In the first quarter, the U.S. president bought at least $1 million each in companies including Nvidia, Oracle, Microsoft, Boeing and Costco Wholesale.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te speaks at an event to mark the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Progressive Party in Taipei on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 18, 2026
Lai says Taiwan won’t be sacrificed as Trump weighs arms deal
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te rejected characterizations that Taiwan seeks independence, and repeated his position that the island is already a sovereign democratic state.
Leaders and other officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations pose for a group photo during the opening ceremony of the 48th ASEAN summit in Cebu, Philippines, on May 8.
COMMENTARY / World
May 17, 2026
Why ASEAN chose silence amid the growing Gulf crisis
In Cebu, much of the summit’s energy went into drafting a statement broad enough to avoid offending any member state.
A farm in Nanzui village in China's Gansu province in March
BUSINESS
May 17, 2026
China says it will cut levies and expand farm trade after talks with U.S.
The outcome shows that both countries “can find solutions to the problems through dialog and cooperation,” China’s Commerce Ministry said.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before his departure from Beijing Capital Airport on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 15, 2026
Trump claims ‘fantastic trade deals’ as summit with China’s Xi wraps up
The U.S. leader touted what he portrayed as economic wins at a summit that was overshadowed by Xi’s warning of the possibility of conflict over Taiwan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters about her phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
Trump gives Takaichi ‘detailed explanation’ of talks with China’s Xi
Trump called his Japanese counterpart from aboard Air Force One on Friday, with Taiwan and other matters facing the Indo-Pacific region believed to have been discussed.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai, the tightly guarded headquarters of China’s ruling Communist Party, in Beijing on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
May 15, 2026
Strategic stalemate: Xi and Trump summit to test limits of managed competition
By the time U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China ended, it was clear that the relationship had moved into one where Beijing operates from a position of assumed parity.
The Strait of Hormuz has remained largely blocked since the Iran war began in late February and has been subject to an international diplomatic arm wrestle ever since.
BUSINESS
May 15, 2026
Hormuz oil flows creep higher as more supertankers exit
Four ships each hauling 2 million barrels of mostly-Iraqi crude have exited since May 10 — a rate close to 2 million barrels a day — according to vessel tracking data.
U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcome ceremony with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 14, 2026
Xi warns Trump that Taiwan missteps could lead to U.S.-China conflict
The meeting also saw the Chinese leader emphasize a “new positioning” of ties with, highlighting Beijing’s growing confidence in its ability to grapple with the U.S.
David Cheung, co-owner of Shaoguan Guanghua Plastic & Hardware Products, speaks during an interview in the company's showroom in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, China, on May 9, 2025.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 14, 2026
U.S. tariff whiplash pushed toy factory in China to brink of collapse
Had the United States kept tariffs on Chinese imports at triple digits for even one more day last year, toy manufacturer Huntar Company would have collapsed.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed industry minister Ryosei Akazawa to work to further increase the rate in July of crude oil procurement from sources outside the Middle East.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2026
Japan to procure 70% of its oil for June from outside Middle East
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also instructed industry minister Ryosei Akazawa to work to further increase the rate of crude oil procurement from alternative sources in July.
Japan’s current account surplus in March rose to the highest on record, as the nation has apparently benefited from strong global artificial intelligence-related demand and a weaker yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2026
Japan’s current account surplus hit record high in March
Data on the nation’s balance of payments with the rest of world showed that the surplus climbed in March to ¥4.7 trillion, up 29.1% from a year earlier.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington on Tuesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
May 13, 2026
Trump faces emboldened Xi in China as Iran war clips U.S. leverage
As the war extends into its third month, China appears to hold unique sway as the biggest buyer of the Islamic Republic’s oil and a strategic partner of Tehran.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a dinner at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 6, 2017. Trump informed Xi that night that he had ordered missile strikes on Syria.
COMMENTARY / World
May 13, 2026
Trump’s superpower, unpredictability, has given way to unreliability
It is an open question whether commitments made this week in Beijing will survive the flight home.
“Areas connected to southern China such as Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam will be potential regions that the company will look into,” said Sojitz Chief Financial Officer Makoto Shibuya.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Japan’s Sojitz eyes Southeast Asia for new rare earths supply
The company will also consider India and other countries if suitable rare earths investment opportunities exist there.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30 last year.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 13, 2026
Investors say they want Trump and Xi to stay out of AI’s way
Whether the U.S. will relax chip export restrictions will be a point of focus at the two leaders’ summit.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

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
By Alex K.T. Martin

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