AI boom drowns out war fears to fuel Asia’s great market divide
Investors are punishing economies exposed to higher energy costs while looking past near-term risks to gain exposure to industries seen as critical to future growth.
Taiwan's defense minister downplayed the impact of Chinese sanctions on European companies over arms sales to the island, saying it was not the first time China had taken such action.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/27/asia-pacific/taiwan-chinese-sanctions-european-arms/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #taiwan #defense #china #eu #europe
Taiwan downplays impact of Chinese sanctions on European arms makers
China's Commerce Ministry banned exports on Friday of dual-use items to the seven companies over arms sales to Taiwan, placing them on its export control list.
U.S. presses Taiwan parliament to pass 'comprehensive' defense budget
Taiwan's government has said delays in passing the budget could mean Taiwan risks losing its place in the production and delivery queue for U.S. weapons.
Hibakusha, the survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have called for the abolition of nuclear weapons in a demonstration in New York.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/27/japan/hibakusha-nuclear-weapons-abolition/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #atomicbombings #nuclearweapons #newyork
In New York, hibakusha call for nuclear weapons abolition
More than 200 hibakusha and other people marched for a kilometer to the U.N. headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that Japan would neither impose fuel-saving measures nor compile a supplementary budget, signaling confidence in the country's energy response amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/27/japan/politics/upper-house-oil-debate/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #iran #middleeast #oil #sanaetakaichi
Japan won't impose fuel-saving measures, Takaichi says
The move signals confidence in Japan's energy response as it seeks alternative oil supplies amid disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade.
Toyota saw sales decline in March as demand slipped for its best-selling RAV4 ahead of its refresh, while the conflict in Iran threatens to cut off key supplies and force manufacturers to dial back production.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/04/27/companies/toyota-march-sales-decline/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #toyota #carmakers #middleeast
Toyota sees sales decline as Iran conflict looms over operations
Global sales in March — including those of subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino — fell 5.8% from a year earlier to 983,126 units.
After losing his family home in Iwate Prefecture in a tsunami triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, volunteer firefighter Ryota Haga is fighting to save his town as a wildfire now threatens to consume it.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/27/japan/society/iwate-tsunami-survivor-battles-wildfire/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #society #iwate #otsuchi #wildfires #tsunami #311
#sdf #climatechange
Tsunami survivor battles wildfire to protect hometown in Iwate Prefecture
Volunteer firefighter Ryota Haga is working to contain a wildfire raging for a sixth day that is threatening his community 15 years after it was devastated by a tsunami.
Shimane farming districts face onslaught from rising monkey population
Japanese macaques have become used to humans, stealing persimmons and daikons even with people standing nearby.
A Taiwanese court fined the local unit of Japan's Tokyo Electron in a trade secrets case on Monday, handing jail terms of up to 10 years to five defendants over Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. chip technology.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/04/27/companies/tokyo-electron-worker-tsmc-trade-secret/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #tsmc #tokyoelecron #taiwan #espionage
Former Tokyo Electron staff gets decade in jail for TSMC breach
Taiwan's Intellectual Property and Commercial Court also handed out jail sentences on four others and fined Tokyo Electron's local unit.
Stuck for over a year in a defunct American military base on the edge of Doha, 1,100 former Afghan allies of the U.S. and their families have escaped Afghanistan only to find themselves trapped in uncertainty.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/27/world/politics/us-afghan-allies-qatar/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #afghanistan #taliban #us #immigration #qatar
Caught between wars, Afghan allies of U.S. trapped in Qatar without safe exit
The Afghans were evacuated due to their ties to the U.S. and fear of reprisals by the Taliban authorities, but processing has been halted by U.S. President Donald Trump.
