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June 30, 2026
 

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The government plans to invest ¥150 billion in Rakuten Mobile in a push to develop a homegrown satellite communication system and reduce reliance on firms such as Starlink.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to invest ¥150 billion in Rakuten’s domestic satellite project
The investment is part of a push to develop a homegrown satellite network and to reduce Starlink’s dominance in the field.
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods, including instant noodles, and bread products.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to see price hikes for 2,566 food items in July
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods like instant noodles.
Soccer fans watch the opening FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa in New York.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 30, 2026
Spain’s war on football piracy is breaking the internet
LaLiga’s aggressive campaign against sports piracy knocks out thousands of websites in Spain as collateral damage every weekend.
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in fiscal 2024, the lowest on record.
JAPAN
Jun 30, 2026
Japan’s food waste falls to lowest on record in fiscal 2024
The food waste amount dropped by 30,000 tons from the previous year to 4.61 million tons in 2024, decreasing for a third consecutive year.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House committee session in Tokyo on June 22.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Will Takaichi invoke 60-day rule to pass controversial bills?
The ruling coalition aims to pass bills to trim Lower House seats and establish the concept of a secondary capital in the current session of parliament, which ends in three weeks.
The industry ministry announced ¥387.3 billion in funding to develop a domestic foundation model for physical AI that controls robots, aiming to strengthen the country's competitiveness against the United States and China.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Japan announces aid for domestic AI development project
The industry ministry aims to help the country catch up with the United States and China in AI technology.
Private hire driver Ali Haydor is reflected in his vehicle wing mirror in Southampton, Britain, on Feb. 23. The 44-year-old, who moved from Bangladesh at age five, says he sometimes wishes he could hide his heritage and identity.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Anti-migrant politics sparking resurgence of racism in the U.K., polls suggest
A focus on crimes committed by members of ethnic minorities by right-wing activists and politicians has tapped into tensions over national identity and immigration.
A man walks past the empty display windows of a closed shop in Moscow on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Russia’s small businesses pay the price of spiraling Ukraine war
Amid huge outlays on Moscow’s war in Ukraine, tax rises, stubborn inflation and nervy consumers are all weighing on Russian small companies.
Morocco players celebrate after beating the Netherlands to qualify for the last-16 stage of the World Cup, in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday
SOCCER
Jun 30, 2026
Morocco advances after penalty shootout win over Netherlands in Monterrey thriller
Thousands of Morocco supporters erupted at the final whistle in the last World Cup match to be played in Monterrey.
According to the 2025 reports on lawmakers' incomes, the average income among nine party leaders stood at ¥24.53 million.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Takaichi tops 2025 income rankings for Japan party heads
The prime minister earned ¥36.41 million in 2025 while the average income among nine party leaders stood at ¥24.53 million.
The bill stipulates that imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to ¥200,000 be imposed on acts that publicly damage the national flag.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
LDP’s flag desecration bill clears Lower House
Under the bill, desecrating the flag is punishable by up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥200,000.
Japan's industrial production in May climbed 0.5% from the previous month as manufacturers were able to cope with the fallout from the war in Iran.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan’s factory output rises as Iran fallout stays manageable
The government says it can secure enough crude oil through March 2028 by cultivating alternative procurements to the Strait of Hormuz.
A tactical short-range unmanned aerial vehicle during a military exercise at a military facility in Taichung, Taiwan, on Saturday. Taiwan’s debate over drone procurement is being closely watched because the successful use of unmanned systems by Ukraine and Iran have underscored the ways in which the technology can be used to defend territory against larger adversaries.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Taiwan opposition pitches $7.5 billion drone plan after stalling government bid
The debate is being closely watched because use of unmanned systems elsewhere has shown how the technology can be leveraged to defend against larger adversaries.
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 30, 2026
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Tochigi Prison, which houses 456 inmates, is a microcosm of what female prisons across the nation are facing, from a rising foreign population to mental health issues.
The raiding of Super Micro Computer offices and several of its local affiliates mark an expansion of Taiwan’s first public crackdown on artificial intelligence chip diversion after years of pressure from Washington.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Taiwan raids Super Micro in widening China chip smuggling probe
The raids mark an expansion of Taiwan’s first public crackdown on artificial intelligence chip diversion after years of pressure from Washington.
A television screen shows a news report on patrol and law‑enforcement operations around Taiwan conducted by the China Coast Guard, at a restaurant in Beijing in late December.
JAPAN / ANALYSIS
Jun 30, 2026
More than a boundary: Why Japan-Philippines maritime talks matter for China
Beijing says the talks infringe on maritime rights it claims through Taiwan and sees discussions as part of a broader effort by Manila and Tokyo to deepen strategic coordination.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a government meeting on ocean policy on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to revise its Arctic policy as region’s geopolitical importance grows
The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important for national security as China and Russia intensify their activities.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant smiles after forcing a turnover against the Utah Jazz at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Dec. 12.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Jun 30, 2026
Blazers acquire Morant in three-player deal with Grizzlies
The Trail Blazers acquired the two-time All-Star in exchange for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group propelled foreign-currency bond sales by Japanese companies to a record.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Mizuho and SMFG fuel record Japanese corporate bond sales overseas
The surge in issuance in overseas currencies is in part being fueled by the depreciating yen, which slid to its weakest level against the dollar since 1986 this week.
Japan's Naomi Osaka warms up ahead of her first-round match against Elsa Jacquemot at Wimbledon, London, on Monday.
TENNIS
Jun 30, 2026
Naomi Osaka serves up a fashion slam at Wimbledon
Osaka, the 14th-seeded player and former world No. 1, did her walk-on in an all-white look by Hana Yagi, an independent Japanese designer, titled “Evolving Ceremony.”
Peruvian presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, speaks at her campaign headquarters in Lima on June 24.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 30, 2026
Dynasty daughter Keiko Fujimori wins Peru presidency on fourth go
The daughter of disgraced late President Alberto Fujimori won by the slimmest of margins.
A fan looks dejected after the match as Germany is eliminated from the World Cup by Paraguay in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Monday.
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 30, 2026
Paraguay stuns Germany on penalties to reach World Cup last 16
For the Germans, who had a goal disallowed in extra time, ​it was a bitter defeat and the first time they lost a penalty shootout at a World Cup.
The Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex at the east exit of Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex opens after full renovation
The building, which previously housed Sogo & Seibu’s flagship Seibu Ikebukuro department store, also houses sporting and variety goods stores and restaurants.
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.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
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.

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