Framing global conflicts as battles between democracy and autocracy distorts the meaning of democracy, alienates the Global South and enables authoritarian regimes like China to exploit the narrative. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/26/world/democracy-not-an-ideological-weapon/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #unitenations #democracy #russia #ukraine #russiaukrainewar #israel #gaza #iran #war
The U.S. is shifting away from broad multilateralism toward smaller minilateral alliances, compelling allies like Japan to boost defense commitments and align more directly with Washington’s strategic priorities. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/26/world/trump-and-death-of-multilateralism/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #nato #g7#aukus #quad #indopacific #china #us #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations #chinausrelations #euusrelations
Trump’s strike on Iran has reached a fragile ceasefire, but without diplomacy, the conflict risks becoming an unwinnable, prolonged war — the kind he once vowed to avoid. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/25/world/trump-abandons-america-first/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #israel #us #donaldtrump #benjaminnetanyahu #iran #nuclearweapons
Online outrage over the Nintendo Switch 2’s price, terms and features was loud but meaningless, as record-breaking sales showed once again that internet backlash rarely reflects real consumer behavior. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/25/japan/nintendos-switch-2-secret/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #nintendo #switch2 #tiktok #youtube #influencers #apple #internet
As the global race for AI domination heats up, Republican lawmakers are working to block state-level legislation while the Trump administration pressures foreign regulators to go easier on U.S. tech giants. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/25/world/washington-effect-decides-ai-race/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #donaldtrump #us #eu #china #ai #bigtech
The Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities delivered a short-term win, but lasting peace is unlikely, and without renewed diplomacy, the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran remains. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/25/world/no-one-and-done-on-iran/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #israel #us #donaldtrump #benjaminnetanyahu #iran #nuclearweapons
The SoftBank founder has a long-shot ambition to create an AI robot hub in the U.S. desert. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/24/japan/magical-thinking-of-masa-son/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #softbank #masayoshison #openai #arizona #us #robots #ai
Events in Iran are likely to reinforce North Korea’s belief that nuclear weapons ensure regime survival, with Pakistan and Libya providing lessons on how to get them and why giving them up can be fatal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/24/world/kim-jong-uns-nuclear-lessons/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #northkorea #kimjongun #pakistan #india #israel #iran #libya #nuclearweapons #defense
Fifty years after "Jaws" vilified sharks, real-world overfishing, climate change and misunderstanding — not cinematic horror — now threaten their survival, though conservation efforts offer hope for their recovery. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/06/22/world/movie-jaws-demonized-sharks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #jaws #sharks #conservation #climatechange #endangered