China's military moves in Indo-Pacific raise concern
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Japan Times
U.S. backtracks on Japan tariff calculation, taking effective rate lower
The United States will revise its July 31 executive order, which did not include a 'reciprocal' tariff rate ceiling for Japan, Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief negotiator, said Thursday. The revision will take place when the U.S. officially cuts the Trump tariff on Japanese cars in half — total tariff for automobiles will become 15% — another key element in the trade agreement reached by the two countries just weeks ago. Extra tariffs already collected after the new rate took effect on Thursday — which Akazawa said was due to a U.S. clerical error — will be refunded. The 15% reciprocal tariff on Japanese goods was initially to be charged in addition to existing duties, contrary to Japan's interpretation of the July 22 agreement. Japan insisted it had secured a U.S. commitment that, for items with an existing tariff rate below 15%, the total duty including the reciprocal tariff would be capped at 15%. For items with an existing tariff above 15%, no additional tariff would be imposed, Japan said. That language was absent from the executive order signed by the U.S. president on July 31, which shows only the European Union enjoying this more favorable calculation.
NHK
an hour ago
- NHK
Trump's Friday deadline arrives for Russia to agree on ceasefire
Friday is the deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Russia to agree on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump warned earlier this week that if Moscow misses the deadline, he will slap sanctions, such as what he calls "secondary tariffs," on countries that buy crude oil or other products from Russia. Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing an additional 25-percent tariff on goods from India, citing its imports of Russian oil. Trump also said on the same day that "there's a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The comment followed a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. A senior Kremlin official also announced on Thursday that "at the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was in principle reached to hold" a Russia-US summit meeting "in the coming days." However, a Russian diplomatic source said officials in Moscow need to see what sorts of sanctions Washington will impose.
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
LDP lawmakers to meet on Friday to discuss PM Ishiba's fate
Lawmakers of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will attend a session of its official decision-making body on Friday to discuss the fate of Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru following the party's setback in last month's Upper House election. Ishiba also serves as LDP president. All the LDP's roughly 300 parliamentarians have been called on to take part in the session of the Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of Both Houses of the Diet. LDP lawmakers had already gathered under a different framework on July 28 after the election. Ishiba plans to use Friday's session to seek understanding for him to stay in office. He is expected to cite the need to continue addressing domestic and foreign policy challenges, such as US tariff measures, without any disruption. Lawmakers in favor of Ishiba remaining in office plan to urge other members to remain united under the prime minister. They argue that the LDP should first review the results of the election and avoid any political vacuum. There is a perception that the session may only end up hearing arguments similar to those voiced during July's gathering because there is no point in calling for Ishiba to resign. An LDP official had reportedly explained during the closed-door gathering that the party president cannot be stripped of his or her position in a session of the Joint Plenary Meeting. Lawmakers opposed to Ishiba staying in office appear poised to hold the prime minister to account during Friday's session so as to increase pressure on him to step down. They include young and middle-ranking members who belonged to either of two now-defunct intraparty factions -- one previously led by former LDP Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu and another by the late former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Some lawmakers with ties to the agricultural and forestry sectors are dissatisfied with the government. They say it failed to provide advance explanation of its policy switch to boosting rice yields. There are also concerns within the LDP about Ishiba having expressed a positive stance toward holding talks with the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan over how to handle political donations from businesses and other groups.
