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May 16, 2026
 

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Smoke rises behind buildings following an Israeli airstrike in the southern city of Tyre, in Lebanon, on Friday.
WORLD
May 16, 2026
Israel and Lebanon say extending ceasefire despite new strikes
Envoys from Israel and Lebanon's government met for two days in Washington and said they would extend the ceasefire that was set to expire Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels back to the U.S. from China on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 16, 2026
Trump warns Taiwan on declaring independence after China visit
The U.S. president also hinted that he would speak with Taiwan's president about American arms sales and make a decision on the issue "over the next fairly short period."
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.
A Japan Meteorological Agency map shows where shaking was felt in Friday evening's earthquake.
JAPAN
May 15, 2026
Strong earthquake jolts Tohoku region
The quake struck off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 8:22 p.m. following an emergency earthquake warning for the region.
Shota Inoue, who was arrested for allegedly luring a junior high school girl into prostitution, enters Ayase Police Station in Tokyo's Adachi Ward on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Tokyo man arrested for luring girl into prostitution
The Tokyo resident has admitted to the charges and says he knew the girl was 15 years old at the time.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has presented a draft bill proposing penalties for both public vandalism of the Japanese national flag and the posting of related videos and images on social media, but it withheld approval amid concerns over freedom of expression.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
LDP seeks to penalize sharing national flag vandalism online
The outline also calls for penalties of up to two years in prison or fines of up to ¥200,000 for individuals who publicly damage the flag.
A Cabinet meeting on Friday that approved a revised bill on the retrial system
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Cabinet approves revision of controversial retrial system
Critics of Japan's retrial system have said prosecutors' right to appeal is prolonging the court procedures needed for those seeking a retrial, with it sometimes taking decades.
Toyota's manufacturing facility in San Antonio
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Toyota files to build $2 billion assembly plant in Texas
The forthcoming factory would create 2,000 new jobs and deepen Toyota's manufacturing footprint in its largest market.
Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly broke into a home in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday and killed a woman.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 15, 2026
Police arrest teenage suspect after woman killed in Tochigi home invasion
A 16-year-old-boy is suspected of breaking into the home of 69-year-old company executive Eiko Tomiyama Thursday morning and killing her while searching for valuables.
A Kioxia semiconductor manufacturing plant in Japan
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Kioxia prepares U.S. shares after riding AI boom to big profit
The Tokyo-based firm's meteoric rise encapsulates the booming demand for memory as hyperscalers rush to build AI infrastructure.
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.
While Nissan held a shareholder meeting in 2025, protesters distributed leaflets.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 15, 2026
Japan could soon tighten rules for shareholder proposals
The threshold for forcing the acceptance of proposals is now just 30,000 shares.
Masami Ouchi (left), a professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Kimihiko Nakajima, an associate professor at Kanazawa University, at the education ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 15, 2026
Japanese researchers gain glimpse into the universe’s first stars
The team observed an ultra-faint galaxy dating to roughly 800 million years after the Big Bang.
The culture agency is looking to pass the copyright revision in the current parliamentary session ending in July and aims to have the law take effect within the next three years.
JAPAN / Society
May 15, 2026
Copyright law revision to extend compensation for artists
The Cabinet on Friday pushed forward the bill, which, once passed by parliament, aims to pass on usage fees to musicians.
An advertisement promoting contract military service in the Russian Army's unmanned systems units in St. Petersburg.
WORLD
May 15, 2026
Russia presses college students to fill ranks of drone pilots
The campaign to recruit students underscores how the Kremlin is adapting to sustain its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its fifth year.
Ndey Ndiaye (center) with her grandsons Fallou (left) and Bara (right) at their home in Mbour, Senegal. Ndey is raising her two grandsons after losing her daughter when the boat she was traveling in capsized trying to reach Europe.
WORLD / Society
May 15, 2026
Senegal's children mourn in silence when migrant parents disappear
The number of such dead, missing and their children is at least in the thousands in Senegal in recent years, an advocate has said.
Nadeshiko Japan interim head coach Michihisa Kano was given the job on a permanent basis on Thursday.
SOCCER
May 15, 2026
Michihisa Kano named as Nadeshiko Japan head coach on full-time basis
Nielsen, the first foreigner to coach Japan's women's team, was ousted less than two weeks after winning the Women's Asian Cup.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu speaks during a news conference to announce Japan's squad for the 2026 World Cup.
SOCCER / World cup
May 15, 2026
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu names squad for 2026 World Cup
Japan reached the Round of 16 at the last edition of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Jockey Jose Ortiz celebrates after Golden Tempo's win in the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 2.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
May 15, 2026
Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Jose Ortiz will take on Preakness on new mount
Only two jockeys have won the Derby and Preakness in the same year on different horses.
Alphabet, the parent of Google, sold ¥576.5 billion ($3.6 billion) in bonds in the largest ever yen deal by a non-Japanese company as competition to fund data centers and AI infrastructure intensifies.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Alphabet sells biggest yen bond on record by foreign issuer
The Google parent sold ¥576.5 billion ($3.6 billion) of bonds as competition to fund centers and AI infrastructure intensifies.
United Airlines will launch daily round-trip service between Narita International Airport and Chicago from Oct. 24, becoming the first U.S. carrier to operate the route.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
United Airlines to open two new routes to Japan from Chicago and San Francisco
The U.S. airline will have one daily flight connecting Narita International Airport with Chicago and three per week between New Chitose Airport and San Francisco in the winter.
Japan’s corporate goods prices in April posted their biggest rise in 12 years, driven by higher oil and naphtha prices, the Bank of Japan said.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 15, 2026
Japanese producer prices jump by the most since 2014, backing case for rate hike
The measure of input prices for Japanese firms rose 2.3% in April from a month earlier, a full point above the highest estimate in a survey of economists.
After rule change, Japan see 96% drop in business manager visa applications
Manish Kumar, an Indian national who has run an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture for 18 years, speaks at a rally in Tokyo in protest of new business manager visa requirements.
Strong earthquake jolts Tohoku region
A Japan Meteorological Agency map shows where shaking was felt in Friday evening's earthquake.
Legendary figure skater Kaori Sakamoto announces marriage
Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto smiles as she holds a bouquet of flowers at a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Convenience store operators work to have their stores act as disaster hubs
A conceptual image of a FamilyMart convenience store offering emergency information on electronic displays usually used for advertising
Cyclists issued ‘blue tickets’ in over 2,000 cases since April 1 rollout
Japan implemented a new system in April that penalizes minor bicycle traffic rule violators with a "blue ticket" that carries a fine of up to ¥12,000.
Legendary figure skater Kaori Sakamoto announces marriage
Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto smiles as she holds a bouquet of flowers at a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Hello Panda: A globally loved snack Japan said goodbye to in 1989
Meiji's Hello Panda chocolate cookies are displayed for sale at a store in Manhattan in April.
Takaichi’s Golden Week diplomacy: a cheat sheet
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (left) and her Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, visit the Canberra Nara Peace Park in Canberra on May 4.
Rising bear encounters test Japan’s approach to wildlife management
The nature guides and conservationists at Picchio Karuizawa focus on nonviolent interventions like collaring and tracking bears to keep the animals away from human settlements and oft-used hiking routes.
Path to glory opens for Hoshoryu after injuries to rivals Onosato and Aonishiki
Yokozuna Hoshoryu will be in the spotlight as the favorite during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

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