The Japan Times - Politics

Oil climbs, stocks fall as markets see no end to war

Oil prices rose and stocks fell Friday as initial optimism over US President Donald Trump's decision to again delay his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets faded.

Lebanon at real risk of 'humanitarian catastrophe': UN

Nearly a month into the Middle East war, Lebanon is facing a deepening humanitarian crisis that now risks teetering over into a catastrophe, the United Nations refugee agency warned Friday.

Iran warns civilians as Trump says talks 'going well'

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned civilians across the Middle East Friday to stay away from areas near US forces, in a mark of defiance after President Donald Trump claimed talks to end the month-long war were "going well".

Putin hopes Iran war will shift focus from 'crimes' in Ukraine: German FM

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping the war in the Middle East will shift the focus from his "crimes" in Ukraine, the German foreign minister said on Friday.

Police probe firebomb attack on Russian centre in Prague

Czech police said Friday they were investigating a firebomb attack on a Russian cultural and scientific centre in Prague.

'I'll never be the same': Iranians recount one month of war

After a month of war with Israel and the United States with no clear end in sight, Iranians tell AFP about how life has changed, about watching missiles fall, and how security forces have tightened their grip.

Japan to boost coal-fired power as Mideast war causes energy turmoil

Japan's government plans to temporarily lift restrictions on coal-fired power plants as it seeks to ease an energy crunch caused by the Middle East war, officials said on Friday.

G7 allies press Rubio on US Iran plans

G7 allies were on Friday pressing US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for clarity on American plans for Iran almost one month into the war in the Middle East, as concern intensifies over the damage to the global economy from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Oil rises, stocks mixed as joy over Trump Iran strike pause fades

Oil prices rose Friday and stocks were mixed as initial optimism over Donald Trump's decision to again push back a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz petered.

Nepali rapper Shah sworn in as prime minister

Nepal's rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year.

Hungarians' growing anger at living in EU's 'most corrupt state'

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's officially declared wealth is fairly modest: some savings and a jointly owned villa in Budapest.

Mexico's navy says two boats ferrying aid to Cuba are missing

The Mexican navy said Thursday that it was searching for two boats transporting humanitarian aid for Cuba with nine crew of different nationalities on board.

Germany eyes Australian 'Ghost Bat' for drone combat era

Germany is considering Australia's "Ghost Bat" robot fighter as it looks to select a combat drone to modernise its air force, defence minister Boris Pistorius said Friday.

Oil drops as Trump pauses Iran strikes, but stock traders nervous

Oil prices fell Friday after Donald Trump again pushed back a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though most equities also dropped as traders shrugged at the news following a series of conflicting messaging from the White House.

Newcomers could threaten Christiania's hippie soul, locals fear

The colourful residents of Copenhagen's libertarian Christiania enclave, long a refuge for anarchists, hippies and artists, fear new housing within its borders could spell the end of the freetown's identity.

German 'green village' rides out Mideast energy storm

While the world frets about surging energy prices pushed up by the Middle East war, one small German village has been reaping the benefits of its turn to climate-friendly renewables.

US in the spotlight at WTO meet

The United States is set to come under scrutiny Friday on day two of the World Trade Organization's ministerial conference, with Washington wanting to shake up the multilateral trade system.

US currency to bear Trump's signature, Treasury says

US paper currency will soon bear Donald Trump's signature, the Treasury Department announced Thursday, in a move that would be a first for a sitting American president and coincide with the country's 250th anniversary.

Ukraine destroys Russian terror-oil exports

Ukraine’s campaign against Russian oil infrastructure has developed into a direct assault on one of Moscow’s most important economic arteries. The focus is not on symbolic targets but on the nodes through which a large share of Russian crude exports is loaded and shipped. Pressure on the Baltic outlets of Primorsk and Ust-Luga is especially significant because they handle a major part of seaborne exports. Add the after-effects of the disruption around Novorossiysk, interruptions in the Druzhba corridor on Ukrainian territory, and growing pressure on tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, and the picture becomes larger than a handful of dramatic fires. What is under attack is the export chain itself: storage, loading, routing, maritime dispatch and ultimately cash flow.Current estimates indicate that roughly 40 percent of Russia’s oil export capacity has at times been disrupted or temporarily knocked offline. That amounts to around 2 million barrels per day that failed to reach the market as planned or had to be rerouted with delay and higher cost. For the Kremlin, this matters because oil is not merely a commodity; it remains one of the pillars of federal revenue. When terminals go down, ships queue, cargoes must be reassigned and transport risks rise, the economic impact widens even if part of the volume is later recovered. The strikes therefore hit the area where Russia, despite sanctions, price caps and alternative shipping arrangements, has tried hardest to preserve hard-currency income.What makes the Ukrainian approach notable is that it is designed less for one-off spectacle than for repeated operational disruption. Every hit on port infrastructure, pumping systems, storage tanks or loading chains can create bottlenecks far beyond the point of impact. A delay of only a few days can alter tanker rotations, export schedules, settlement timing and production planning. The fact that one facility may resume operations relatively quickly does not remove the vulnerability exposed by the pattern. Moscow is being forced to reshuffle volumes, test alternative routes and absorb added risk at nearly every step of the process. That is a structural problem for an export model that depends heavily on a limited set of maritime hubs.

Trump pushes back Iran strikes deadline

US President Donald Trump on Thursday pushed back his deadline for strikes on Iran's energy assets to April 6, saying it was at Tehran's request and that talks were "going very well."

South Africa disinvited from G7 in France

South Africa said Thursday it has been excluded from the G7 summit in France in June, after initially being invited, with Pretoria first blaming US pressure on Paris before later backtracking.

Trump denies he's desperate for Iran deal, Israel short on troops

US President Donald Trump denied Thursday he was desperate for a deal to end the Middle East war, insisting that Tehran was keen to come to the table despite the Islamic republic's cool response to an American peace plan.

US lays it on the line as WTO mulls future of global trading

The United States launched a broadside at the hamstrung World Trade Organization as its main gathering opened Thursday, while China rushed to the WTO's defence, making the case for rules-based global trade.

Trump denies being 'desperate' for Iran deal

US President Donald Trump denied being "desperate" to make a deal with Iran Thursday, as he mixed threats with diplomacy in a push to wrap up his war in the Middle East.

US envoy to UK warns against cancelling king's visit

Washington's envoy to the UK said Thursday it would be a "big mistake" to cancel King Charles III's planned state visit to the US, following calls to abandon the trip over the Middle East war.

Oil climbs, stocks slide on uncertainty over US-Iran talks

Oil prices jumped and equities slid Thursday as hopes for a peace deal between the US and Iran wavered after Tehran rejected Washington's bid to wind down the nearly four-week war.

G7 meets in France hoping to heal transatlantic Iran rift

European and allied nations on Thursday looked for ways to narrow differences with the United States on the Middle East war as a two-day meeting of G7 foreign ministers got underway outside Paris.

Trump insists Iran operations 'extremely' ahead of schedule

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the Iran war was "extremely" ahead of schedule, as he pushed Tehran to make a deal at his first cabinet meeting since the conflict began nearly a month ago.

Bab al-Mandeb Strait: another key shipping route under threat

Here are facts and figures about the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea that Iran has threatened to target if US forces launch a ground assault on its territory.

Venezuela's Maduro back in court after stunning US capture

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was back in a New York court Thursday for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid.

Trump's Iran war tests MAGA 'America First' creed

For a decade or more, "America First" has been a rallying cry against foreign wars. But as US bombs fall on Iran, many of President Donald Trump's supporters are embracing a muscular campaign abroad -- and insisting it still fits the doctrine.

What's happening with Iran-US 'talks'?

Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Iran are gathering pace, even though Tehran continues to insist talks with the United States are not happening.

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