Andrea Shalal - The Japan Times

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Andrea Shalal

The Iranian capital Tehran on Monday, when the United States temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil after Vice President JD Vance said Iran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return to the country following talks in Switzerland.

WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS

Jun 23, 2026

Unraveling U.S. sanctions on Iran unlikely to be quick or easy

At issue is whether an interim U.S. deal with Iran can translate into lasting economic relief.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war at the White House last month.

WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS

May 9, 2026

Trump’s feuds and tensions with allies likely to outlast Iran war

Allies from Europe to the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific are once again fearful that the U.S. might be unreliable in a future crisis.

Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz (left), French President Emmanuel Macron (second left), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (second right) and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni arrive for a news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 17.

WORLD / Politics / FOCUS

May 2, 2026

Trump’s attacks on Europe’s leaders worsen transatlantic frost

The latest U.S. broadsides, fired over disagreements about the Iran war, have raised fresh questions about the best way to handle a mercurial ally.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva at the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23

BUSINESS / Economy

Apr 7, 2026

Middle East war means ‘all roads’ lead to higher prices and slower growth, IMF chief says

Even if the conflict is swiftly resolved, the International Monetary Fund is set ‌to reduce its growth forecast and bump up its outlook for inflation.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland, in January. As recently as February, Rutte had dismissed the idea of Europe defending itself without the U.S. as a "silly thought."

WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS

Apr 3, 2026

Trump’s anger over Iran thrusts NATO into fresh crisis

Angered that European countries have not sent their navies to open the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump declared he is considering withdrawing from the alliance.

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday.

WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS

Mar 7, 2026

One week into Iran war, the dangers for the U.S. and Trump multiply

Even after devastating blows against Iranian forces, the crisis has quickly widened into a regional conflict that threatens a more prolonged U.S. military engagement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits a military training area to observe the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location in Germany on June 11, 2024.

WORLD / Politics

Mar 5, 2026

Iran conflict could divert U.S. weapons from Ukraine

Most of the ballistic missiles and drones Iran has fired have been intercepted, including with PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors Ukraine relies on to defend its infrastructure.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens while monitoring Operation Epic Fury, the military operation against Iran, at an unnamed location on Saturday.

WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS

Mar 1, 2026

Trump’s Iran strikes mark his biggest foreign policy gamble

The U.S. president, who came to office last year promising to avoid “stupid wars,” has also set out a daunting objective of regime change in Tehran.

Overturning the legal basis for federal greenhouse gas rules, which will lead to the repeal of vehicle emissions rules, marks the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump's ⁠most sweeping climate change policy rollback to date.

ENVIRONMENT / Climate change

Feb 11, 2026

White House says Trump plans to rescind climate change finding key to auto rules

Overturning the legal basis for federal greenhouse gas rules will mark the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s ⁠most sweeping climate change policy rollback to date.

U.S. President Donald Trump has rolled back tariffs on more than 200 food products as American consumers lament the high cost of groceries.

BUSINESS / Economy

Nov 15, 2025

Trump cuts tariffs on beef, coffee and other foods as inflation concerns mount

The move marks a sharp reversal for Trump, who has long insisted that the sweeping import duties he imposed earlier this year are not fueling inflation.

The U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington. On Wednesday, Supreme Court justices cast doubt on the approach of imposing tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

BUSINESS / Economy

Nov 7, 2025

A Trump Supreme Court tariff defeat would add to trade uncertainty

Trump is widely expected to shift to other trade tactics if he faces an adverse ruling, raising the specter of additional chaos.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting with journalists in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine

WORLD / Politics

Oct 21, 2025

Zelenskyy paints Trump meeting as a success, contrasting with earlier reports

The Ukrainian leader touted progress on acquiring new Patriot air defense systems from the U.S.

A demonstrator wrapped in a U.S. flag stands amid smoke during a protest at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday.

WORLD / Politics

Oct 8, 2025

Trump’s Insurrection Act threat escalates showdown with Democratic cities

President Donald Trump again left open the possibility of using the Insurrection Act to sidestep any court rulings blocking the dispatch of guard troops into Democratic-led cities.

A cargo ship full of containers is seen at the Port of Oakland, California.

BUSINESS

Aug 29, 2025

U.S. low-value package tariff exemption ends, raising costs for shippers and consumers

The move broadens the Trump administration’s cancellation of the de minimis exemption for packages from China and Hong Kong in May.

The Port of Los Angeles. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said European carmakers could see relief from the current U.S. tariffs within "hopefully weeks."

BUSINESS / Economy

Aug 22, 2025

EU pushes for reduced U.S. auto tariffs to apply retroactively from Aug. 1

The statement came as the partners set out details of a framework trade deal struck in July.

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and others attend a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, at Fort de Bregancon in Bormes-les-Mimosas, France, on Wednesday.

WORLD / Politics

Aug 14, 2025

Trump threatens ‘severe consequences’ if Putin blocks Ukraine peace

The U.S. president did not specify what the consequences could be, but he has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting with Putin proves fruitless.

A terrace of a shopping mall overlooking the central business district of Beijing on Monday. An extension of a trade truce between Washington and Beijing buys crucial time for the autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season, including electronics, apparel and toys, at lower tariff rates.

BUSINESS / Markets

Aug 12, 2025

U.S. and China extend tariff truce by 90 days, staving off surge in duties

The timing of the extension buys crucial time for the seasonal autumn surge of imports for the Christmas season at lower tariff rates.

It may look like U.S. President Donald Trump is winning his trade war, but analysts say significant hurdles remain.

BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS

Aug 8, 2025

Trump may look like he’s winning the trade war, but hurdles remain

Some recent data indicate the tariffs are already affecting jobs, growth and inflation in the U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump meet at the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019.

WORLD / Politics

Aug 7, 2025

Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine as soon as next week, official says

Such a face-to-face meeting would be the first between a sitting U.S. and Russian president since Joe Biden met Vladimir Putin in Geneva in June 2021.

The Cape Town International Convention Center during the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in South Africa in February. Washington is still seen planning to assume the G20 presidency at the end of the year, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the United States.

WORLD

Jul 18, 2025

U.S. eyes ‘back to basics’ revamp of G20 when it assumes presidency next year

Washington has scaled back its participation this year, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent skipping a G20 event twice this year so far.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.

What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival

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