Militärschiff in Taiwanstraße: China wirft Japan vor, „bewusst Ärger zu provozieren“

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Ein Schiff des japanischen Militärs soll durch die Taiwanstraße gefahren sein. China spricht von einem „gefährlichen“ Vorgang.

Screenshot stammt aus diesem Artikel. | Der Sprecher des chinesischen Außenministeriums, Guo Jiakun | Kyodo News/imago
Die Spannungen zwischen China und Japan haben sich erneut verschärft. Ein Schiff der japanischen Selbstverteidigungsstreitkräfte (SDF) ist nach chinesischen Angaben am Freitag in die Taiwanstraße gefahren, wogegen China protestierte.

„Dies entlarvt einmal mehr den gefährlichen Versuch bestimmter Personen in Japan, militärisch in die Taiwanstraße einzugreifen und Frieden und Stabilität über die Straße hinweg zu untergraben“, sagte Chinas Außenministeriumssprecher Guo Jiakun laut der staatlichen Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua am Freitag. » | Anika Schlünz | Freitag, 17. April 2026

A War of Regression: How Trump Bombed the US into a Worse Position with Iran

THE GUARDIAN: Analysts fear Iran has played a weak hand well and the US has blundered into a defining strategic failure

Four weeks into a war that was going to take four days, and that has so far cost the US about $30-40bn and Israel $300m a day, Washington is further away from a diplomatic agreement with Iran than it was in May 2025.

Not only has the war failed to persuade Iran to agree to dismantle its nuclear programme in the comprehensive and irreversible way the US demanded in a 15-point paper that it tabled on 23 May last year, Washington is now having to negotiate to reopen the strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that has been open ever since the invention of the dhow, with a short exception of a tanker war in the 1980s between Iran and Iraq.

This regression is proving to be perplexing for the American high command. Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defence, recently said that “the only thing prohibiting transit in the strait right now is Iran shooting at shipping”, but this was not quite right. Iran has not been shooting at shipping that much in recent weeks. Instead, it is the fear of Iran shooting at shipping that is scaring off insurers and tanker owners.

Still worse from the US perspective, Iran has set up a waterside stall whereby prime ministers and tanker owners can bargain with the Iranian navy over the toll they are willing to pay for their tankers to be given “free passage”. Iran plans to turn the strait into a money spinner, just as Egypt charges for access to the Suez canal. By some calculations, given the massive scale of the traffic that passes through the strait each year, Iran could raise $80bn a year. If a law currently being rushed through the Iranian parliament passes, tankers carrying oil from favoured non-hostile nations such as India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea and China will be waved through or offered cheaper rates. » | Patrick Wintour | Diplomatic editor | Friday, March 27, 2026

Stock Markets Plunge after Trump’s Ultimatum on Iran

THE GUARDIAN: Stocks slump in Asia and Europe, gold slides and investors brace for higher oil prices after US president’s threat

Global stock markets dropped sharply on Monday after Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants unless the strait of Hormuz is opened.

Stock markets in Asia and Europe slumped at the start of the week. Japan’s Nikkei share index dropping by 3.4%, China’s CSI 300 down 2.8%, and the South Korean Kospi fell 6.5%.

In Europe, Spain’s Ibex was off 1.9%, France’s CAC 40 index declined 1.5%, Germany’s Dax dropped 1.9% and the FTSE 100 fell nearly 1.5%.

The US president said on Saturday that he was giving Iran 48 hours – until shortly before midnight GMT on Monday – to open the strait, which carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

Tehran has said it will “irreversibly destroy” essential infrastructure across the Middle East, including vital water systems, if the US follows through on Trump’s threat. » | Lauren Almeida | Monday, March 23, 2026

U.S. Allies Rebuff Trump’s Appeal for Help in Strait of Hormuz

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Germany and other nations rejected President Trump’s call for warships to reopen the vital oil route. The Israeli military escalated ground attacks against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Trump is expected to speak soon.

American allies around the world have responded coolly to — or outright rebuffed — President Trump’s call to send warships to escort merchant vessels in and out of the Persian Gulf, illustrating the consequences of his dismissive approach to global alliances.

The sharpest refusal came Monday from Germany, whose defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said, “This is not our war; we did not start it.” Top officials of Japan, Italy and Australia said Monday that their countries would not participate in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Others were noncommittal, including France, South Korea and Britain, whose prime minister, Keir Starmer, said his country would not be “drawn into wider war.”

Mr. Trump’s call on social media on Saturday for other nations to join the United States in an escort effort came just a week ago, he turned down Mr. Starmer’s offer to send two British aircraft carriers to the region. “We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” Mr. Trump said at the time.

As Iran blockades most traffic through the oil shipping choke point, Mr. Trump’s appeal was the first time he had sounded eager to build a broad coalition against Iran. But he was asking for backup from allies who were not consulted ahead of the U.S.-Israeli decision to go to war, and who were derided by Mr. Trump in the past.

The American-Israeli air war against Iran, now in its third week, has killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and has drawn in much of the Middle East, as Iran has launched rockets and drones at neighboring countries and at ships in the Gulf. Global energy prices have skyrocketed with tanker traffic all but stopped through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for around a fifth of the world’s oil shipments. The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, briefly reached $106 on Monday.

The United States appears to have been unprepared for the extent of that retaliation and the need to escort ships through the strait — something that administration officials have discussed publicly since the first week of the war, but has not yet begun.

Mr. Trump said NATO member nations should help, and told The Financial Times on Sunday, “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.” He called on China to send naval escorts, too, but Beijing has little incentive to cooperate; Iran, which sells oil to China, is letting its ships pass safely. Mr. Trump has threatened to postpone a planned summit meeting with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, as he focuses on the war. Iran War Live Updates » | David E. Sanger, Christopher F. Schuetze, Megan Specia and Aaron Boxerman | Monday, March 16, 2026

Goldilocks started this war, so let Goldilocks finish it! — © Mark Alexander

Trump attackiert Selenskyj: Brauche keine Hilfe von ihm im Iran

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Der US-Präsident sagt, Selenskyj mache mehr Schwierigkeiten als Putin. Drohnen aus der Ukraine brauchen die USA im Iran demnach nicht.

In einem telefonischen Interview mit NBC News hat der Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, Donald Trump, das Angebot des ukrainischen Präsidenten Wolodymyr Selenskyj abgelehnt, ukrainische Drohnen im Iran-Krieg einzusetzen. Selenskyj hatte zu Beginn des Krieges den USA und ihren Verbündeten im Nahen Osten seine Unterstützung beim Abfangen iranischer Drohnen angeboten und dabei die Erfahrung des ukrainischen Militärs im Abschuss russischer Drohnen hervorgehoben. Trump sagte dazu: „Wir brauchen keine Hilfe“ und fügte hinzu: „Der Letzte, von dem wir Hilfe brauchen, ist Selenskyj.“

Trump forderte dagegen China, Frankreich, Japan, Südkorea, Großbritannien und andere Länder auf, Kriegsschiffe in die Straße von Hormus zu entsenden, um die Öllieferungen zu sichern. Die US-Streitkräfte hatten am Samstag erstmals die für die Öl-Exportinfrastruktur wichtige Insel Kharg unter Beschuss genommen. Trump sagte bei NBC: „Wir haben die Insel Kharg komplett zerstört, aber wir werden sie vielleicht noch ein paar Mal zum Spaß angreifen.“ » | Michael Maier | Sonntag, 15. März 2026

Die Geschichte Chinas (1/3) | Doku HD Reupload | ARTE

Feb 8, 2026 | Die dreiteilige Doku erzählt anhand außergewöhnlicher Archivbilder von Chinas Aufstieg und Fall im Laufe der Geschichte. Dank der Einordnungen internationaler Historiker:innen entsteht eine völlig neue Perspektive auf 150 Jahre chinesischer Geschichte. Teil 1: China ist den Europäern Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts unheimlich. Das "Reich der Mitte" schottet sich ab ...

Mehr als 2.000 Jahre lang wähnte sich China im Zentrum der Welt, ohne ernstzunehmende Gegner und hermetisch abgeriegelt von Fremden, die allesamt als unbedeutende Barbaren galten. Doch im 19. Jahrhundert sah sich das Reich der Mitte mit der geballten Macht der Europäer konfrontiert. Ein brutaler Schock, der das Land fast vernichtet hätte.

Aber China gab sich nicht geschlagen, sondern interessierte sich zunehmend für neue Ideen aus aller Welt – aus Russland, Deutschland, Japan und den USA – und machte sie sich zunutze.

Von den luxuriösen Kaiserpalästen bis zu den überfüllten Straßen Pekings, von durch Krieg und Hungersnot verwüsteten Landstrichen bis zu den Kreisen der im Exil lebenden chinesischen Intellektuellen erfanden außergewöhnliche Frauen und Männer das Land neu. Wie wurde China in anderthalb Jahrhunderten wieder zu dem, was es zwei Jahrtausende lang war: eine führende Weltmacht? Die dreiteilige Dokumentation sucht nach Antworten.

Die erste Folge beginnt in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, als China angegriffen wird und begreift, dass es sich neu erfinden muss, um nicht unterzugehen. Rebellenführer, Mandarine und mächtige Frauen kämpfen im Namen von Idealen, die uns heute widersprüchlich erscheinen, indem sie Anschauungen aus der chinesischen Tradition mit Elementen aus dem Christentum, dem Nationalismus oder dem Feminismus verbinden. In diesem halben Jahrhundert steht die Nation am Rande des Abgrunds und versucht einen Weg zu finden, zu überleben. Ohne ihre Identität zu preiszugeben, erfindet sie sich neu.

Dokureihe, Regie: Karim Miske und Ilana Navaro (F 2022, 54 Min)
Video verfügbar bis zum 14/07/2026

Japan’s Leader Wins in a Landslide, Clearing Way for Hard-Line Agenda

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a sweeping mandate from voters for her economic agenda and tough stances on immigration and China.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan made a big gamble on Sunday, holding a snap election only 110 days after she became the first woman to serve as the country’s prime minister. It paid off, with voters offering a resounding mandate for her economic policies and tough stance on immigration and China.

Ms. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party won in a landslide, securing an absolute majority in Japan’s 465-member House of Representatives, the lower house of Japan’s bicameral Parliament, according to NHK, the public broadcaster. As of early Monday in Japan, the party had won at least 310 seats, up from 198, NHK said.

The result clears the way for Ms. Takaichi to enact a conservative agenda on defense and social issues and to strengthen her position on the global stage, with President Trump having given her candidacy a ringing endorsement.

The outcome is a remarkable reversal of fortune for Ms. Takaichi’s party, which governed Japan for much of the past seven decades but has suffered a series of bruising defeats in recent years, leaving it in the unusual position of being a minority in both houses of Parliament. » | Javier C. Hernández, River Akira Davis, Kiuko Notoya and Hisako Ueno | Reporting from Tokyo | Sunday, February 8, 2026

Heavy Snowfall in Japan Kills Dozens

February 3, 2026 | Two weeks of heavy snowfall has buried homes, caused deadly accidents and stranded travelers, with local officials warning that the death toll could rise. | By Meg Felling
Watch the NYT video here.
Article connexe en français ici.

With Threats to Greenland, Trump Sets America on the Road to Conquest

THE NEW YORK TIMES: After a century of defending other countries against foreign aggression, the United States is now positioned as an imperial power trying to seize another nation’s land.

It seems safe to assume that when Harry Truman forged NATO at the dawn of the Cold War, he never imagined that over the course of nearly eight decades the only country that would wage economic war and threaten actual war against the allies for the purpose of territorial conquest would be the United States itself.

And yet that is the reality of this upside-down, might-makes-right world of President Trump’s creation as he slaps tariffs on America’s treaty partners and holds out the possibility of using military force to strong-arm Denmark and its European friends into giving up Greenland, a territory whose citizens do not want to become part of the United States.

Never in the past century has America gone forth to seize other countries’ land and subjugate its citizens against their will. Since the days of World War I, America was the country that resisted conquest, standing up to Hitler’s Germany, Tojo’s Japan, Stalin’s Soviet Union, Kim Il-sung’s North Korea and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq when they seized foreign terrain. Now Mr. Trump aspires to put America into the category of conquerors.

Coercing a loyal ally into giving up territory over its adamant objections would have been seen not long ago as preposterous, even mad — indeed, one of Mr. Trump’s own cabinet secretaries in his first term privately considered it delusional when he raised it back then. But it is a measure of how much Mr. Trump has changed the definition of normal that his appetite for seizing land that does not belong to him is debated as a serious proposition rather than dismissed out of hand as a brazen violation of U.S. treaty obligations and international law. » | Peter Baker | Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent. He and his wife, Susan Glasser, asked President Trump about Greenland during a 2021 interview for their book on his first term. | Tuesday, January 20, 2026

And religious freaks insist that there is a loving, merciful, omnipotent, just God worthy of worship! Please don’t make me laugh! — © Mark Alexander

Trump Plunges the U.S. Into a New Era of Risk in Venezuela

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump opened a new chapter in American nation building as he declared that the United States had toppled Venezuela’s leader and would “run” the country for an indefinite period.

President Trump’s declaration on Saturday that the United States planned to “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, issuing orders to its government and exploiting its vast oil reserves, plunged the United States into a risky new era in which it will seek economic and political dominance over a nation of roughly 30 million people.

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago private club just hours after Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, and his wife were seized from their bedroom by U.S. forces, Mr. Trump told reporters that Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Mr. Maduro’s vice president, would hold power in Venezuela as long as she “does what we want.”

Ms. Rodríguez, however, showed little public interest in doing the Americans’ bidding. In a national address, she accused Washington of invading her country under false pretenses and asserted that Mr. Maduro was still Venezuela’s head of state. “What is being done to Venezuela is a barbarity,” she said.

Mr. Trump and his top national security advisers carefully avoided describing their plans for Venezuela as an occupation, akin to what the United States did after defeating Japan, or toppling Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Instead, they vaguely sketched out an arrangement similar to a guardianship: The United States will provide a vision for how Venezuela should be run and will expect the interim government to carry that out in a transition period, under the threat of further military intervention. » | David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager | David E. Sanger and Tyler Pager are White House correspondents. | Published: Saturday, January 3, 2026. Updated: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Just imagine how much safer and stabler the world would be today had the powers-that-be had the courage to incarcerate Trump when they had a golden opportunity to do so! Many Americans must surely be rueing the lack of courage. Now, we have to ask how many innocent Americans are going to have to lose their lives in the ensuing conflagrations after this extra-judicial kidnapping of a world leader.

The USA has lost its lustre as a result of this military operation which has questionable legitimacy. For certain, the world can no longer look up to the USA for leadership for moral clarity.

Donald Trump was re-elected on the promise that he would put an end to the ‘forever wars’. But here Americans are again: up to their necks in military conflict. And Venezuela won’t be the last. In fact, it is almost certainly just the start. We already know that Trump is suffering from megalomania. We also know that he has several countries in his crosshairs. Greenland, Canada, and Panama to name just a few. Cuba had better start preparing for the worst, too.

Not so long ago, many feared that Trump was planning on taking the country back to the 50s. To the previous century would be a more accurate description! — © Mark Alexander

Bericht: Nordkorea verstärkt Raketenbasen nahe China – Reichweite bis in die USA

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Nordkorea baut einem Bericht zufolge unterirdische Raketenbasen nahe China aus. Einige Standorte sollen Raketen aufnehmen können, die bis in die USA reichen.

Nordkorea treibt einem Bericht zufolge den Ausbau mehrerer strategisch wichtiger unterirdischer Raketenstützpunkte voran. Die Führung unter Kim Jong-un verstärke mehrere Anlagen, die nahe der Grenze zu China liegen und als Schutzräume für ballistische Raketen sowie als Führungsbunker dienen sollen, berichtet die Asia Times.

Nach Einschätzung des Berichts verfolgt Pjöngjang damit das Ziel, im Falle eines militärischen Konflikts mit den Vereinigten Staaten, Südkorea oder Japan über geschützte Startkapazitäten zu verfügen. Einige der dort gelagerten ballistischen Raketen könnten nach Analyse der Asia Times die USA erreichen, was Teil der angestrebten Abschreckungswirkung sein soll. Zugleich erhofft sich Nordkorea offenbar einen Schutz durch die Nähe zur chinesischen Grenze, da Angriffe auf diese Anlagen das Risiko bergen könnten, China in einen Konflikt hineinzuziehen. Der Bericht nennt die Standorte Sinpung-dong, Hoejung-ni und Yongjo-ri als zentrale Elemente dieser Strategie. » | Alexander Schmalz | Montag, 1. Dezember 2025

Wall Street and Bitcoin Plunge over AI Bubble Fears

THE TELEGRAPH: Global stocks fell sharply and Bitcoin plunged below $100,000 as fears mount that an artificial intelligence bubble is about to burst.

The price of the cryptocurrency dropped by as much as 6.7pc on Tuesday, briefly falling to $99,936 (£76,747) - the first time it has fallen below $100,000 since June.

It means Bitcoin has now officially entered a bear market, with the prices falling by more than 20pc since its last peak in October.

Global share prices also slumped as the bosses of Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Sachs predicted major stock market falls and the US investor depicted in the film “The Big Short” placed a $1bn bet against AI.

America’s benchmark S&P 500 index fell by 1.18pc while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped by 1.84pc.

Share indexes in France, Germany and Japan also all sank by more than 1pc on Tuesday amid fears the AI-led market boom is running out of steam. » | Chris Price. Melissa Lawford US Economics Correspondent | Tuesday, November 4, 2025

This is How TAKAICHI Wants to Change Japan Forever

Oct 30, 2025 | Japan has just made history with the appointment of its first female Prime Minister: Sanae Takaichi. But her arrival in power could not have happened at a more delicate moment.

With the economy stagnant, inflation hitting wallets, the yen at historic lows, and an internal political crisis following the break with its coalition partner, Japan is facing a perfect storm.

Who is really the Japanese "Iron Lady"? What can we expect from her economic policy, marked by the return of the controversial Abenomics? And how will this shift affect relations with China, South Korea, and the United States?

Trump äußert sich über dritte Amtszeit als US-Präsident

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Donald Trump hatte in der Vergangenheit immer wieder öffentlich mit einer dritten Amtszeit geliebäugelt. Nun weist er die Idee erstmals klar zurück. „Es ziemlich eindeutig“, sagt er über die Verfassung.

Nach zahlreichen Andeutungen, er könne vielleicht einen Weg für eine weitere Amtszeit finden, hat US-Präsident Donald Trump am Mittwoch eingeräumt, er dürfe nicht erneut kandidieren. Auf dem Flug nach Südkorea sagte Trump amerikanischen Medienberichten zufolge, es sei klar, dass ihm die Verfassung eine erneute Kandidatur nicht erlaubt. „Wenn man sie liest, ist es ziemlich eindeutig“, sagte Trump am Mittwoch gegenüber Reportern an Bord der Air Force One auf dem Flug von Japan nach Südkorea. „Ich darf nicht kandidieren. Schade.“

Diese Einschätzung gab am Vortag auch der republikanische Sprecher des Repräsentantenhauses, Mike Johnson, ab. Demnach sagte er gegenüber Reportern am Dienstag im US-Kapitol, er sehe „keinen Weg“, dass Trump für eine dritte Amtszeit kandidieren könnte. Seit der Verabschiedung des 22. Verfassungszusatzes im Jahr 1951 ist in den USA vorgesehen, dass „niemand mehr als zweimal“ zum Präsidenten gewählt werden darf. » | Sophie Barkey | Mittwoch, 29. Oktober 2025

Donald Trump's Speech to Troops in Japan Was HORRIFYING

Oct 28, 2025 | While addressing US troops in Japan, Donald Trump revealed the dangers of his regime while blaming fellow Americans for the problems of our country. Steve Schmidt reacts to the speech and emphasizes the widespread decline across America since Trump took over.

IHIP News: Confused Trump Rambles and Wanders Off during Disastrous International Dementia Tour

Oct 28, 2025 | Trump's trip to Japan was filled with confused speeches and our president being led around like a dog.
Because the language is so strong, I am not going to embed this. You can watch and listen to the video on YouTube here instead.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines

October 28, 2025

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

The new Japanese leader is most unimpressive. Another a-scraper. She is pro-Trump, but anti rights for gays. Japan can look forward to dark days ahead. — © Mark Alexander

Japan’s Parliament Elects First Female Prime Minister. She’s Against LGBTQ+ Rights.

LGBTQ NATION: She's a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage and gender equality.

Japan’s parliament on Tuesday elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female prime minister, ending a three-month power struggle after disastrous election losses in July for the governing Liberal Democratic Party.

Takaichi, 64, replaces Shigeru Ishiba, who lasted just a year as prime minister.

The struggling LDP joined the country’s right-wing Japan Innovation Party to form the fragile alliance enabling Takaichi’s election.

Takaichi still lacks a majority in both houses of parliament, throwing prospects for a successful premiership into doubt from the outset.

Japan has had four prime ministers in the last five years.

While Takaichi breaks a glass ceiling for women in Japan as the country’s first female head of government, she is well known for her hostility to women’s rights, gender equality, and diversity.

Takaichi opposes same-sex marriage, separate surnames for married couples, and female succession for Japan’s imperial family. » | Greg Owen | Sunday, October 26, 2025

Sanae Takaichi to Become First Female Prime Minister of Japan | BBC News

Oct 4, 2025 | Japan's ruling conservative party has elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader, positioning the 64-year-old to be Japan's first female prime minister.

Takaichi is among the more conservative candidates leaning to the party's right.

She faces many challenges including uniting a struggling ruling party after a turbulent few years which saw it rocked by scandals and internal conflicts. She also has to contend with a sluggish economy and Japanese households struggling with relentless inflation and a stagnant wages.


If this lady is going to do a Thatcher on the Japanese, they can look forward to lots of turbulence ahead! I hope for the sake of the longsuffering Japanese that she doesn’t have a chainsaw, too! — © Mark Alexander

Is China the World's Greatest Military Superpower?

Sep 5, 2025 | The People’s Liberation Army put on one of the largest military displays in China’s modern history this week as the country marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War.