Afghanistan ISIS attack aimed at the Shia kills at least 24 Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Another barbaric terrorist attack by ISIS (Islamic State – IS) aimed at Shia Muslims in Kabul killed at least 24 young people. Over many decades different Sunni Islamist terrorist groups have targeted the Shia in…
Iran and its endless Covid-19 crisis Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times The coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis in Iran is never-ending. Indeed, deaths began to emerge in February and since then it is an endless curve of death. Therefore, the longevity of coronavirus is putting enormous strains on society, especially for people already struggling.…
US firm alleges China hacking Japan Covid-19 projects: Skepticism is needed Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga needs a calm head because these days China is being blamed for countless things. Often, without clear evidence that it is related to state involvement. According to an information security firm…
Japan to support the United Kingdom joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Recently the United Kingdom (UK) and Japan, in principle, signed an important trade deal. Of course, for the UK, this comes at an opportune time because of ongoing issues with the European Union (EU). It is…
French teacher beheaded by Islamist for teaching: Why refugee status? Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Another brutal Islamist terrorist attack struck France once more. This time, the victim was beheaded for being a teacher and having the audacity to believe in freedom. However, in the mindset of the Islamist, his God…
PM Suga of Japan to visit Vietnam and Indonesia: Anti-China hawks need silencing Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga claims to want to preserve the mantle of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. Yet, some individuals in his Cabinet appear more hawkish towards China and the Russian Federation. Therefore, if…
Southeast Asia: Crucible of Indigenous Survival Special Contribution: Gideon Sim The misleading portrayal of Southeast Asia as an oasis of economic growth and calm in global media belies the boiling over of ethnic tensions and discontent. From Mindanao where Philippine government forces extrajudicially kill indigenous Lumad and Moro minorities; to West Papua where the Indonesian…
Turkey increased military sales six-fold to Azerbaijan: Nagorno-Karabakh Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Military sales by Turkey to Azerbaijan have increased six-fold this year. Alongside this, Turkey is utilizing international Islamist terrorists just like in Northern Syria and more recently Libya. Therefore, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh – and Turkey’s historical animosity…
Japan protests after China patrol incursion: Early test for PM Suga Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan is facing his first geopolitical test after two Chinese patrol ships entered the vicinity of the Senkaku Islands. This comes shortly after recent anti-China stances according to political elites…
Armenian losses mount in Nagorno-Karabakh: NATO Turkey, terrorism, and France Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Under President Erdogan of Turkey, this nation continues to meddle against the Arabic speaking and regional Christian world. It matters not if upsetting Gulf states by supporting Qatar and its role in backing the Muslim Brotherhood,…
Brutal rape and murder of a two-year-old girl in Pakistan Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times According to the charity Sahil in Pakistan, approximately 1,500 children have been raped in the first six months of this year. Hence, the latest murder and rape of a little girl aged two highlights a major…
Covid-19 deaths and infections in China are estranged: Why mainly Hubei? Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Over one million people are known to have died from coronavirus (Covid-19) internationally. However, the initial epicenter of Hubei province in China remains an enigma. Therefore, while Wuhan in Hubei is synonymous with the coronavirus,…
DRC and another sex scandal involving the WHO during the Ebola crisis Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Various organizations within the United Nations (UN) – just like charities and humanitarian groups outside the UN – have been involved in countless sex scandals and the rape of children. Hence, even during the…
Prime Minister Suga showing early nationalist signs Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is showing early nationalist signs even if not overtly. Hence, it is striking that several members of his Cabinet and policies announced seem to have a nationalist slant. Of course, some of this is natural…
Armenia and Azerbaijan clash over Nagorno-Karabakh: Russia needs to warn Turkey Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh are nothing new in recent times. However, with Armenia announcing a general mobilization and imposing martial law, this time the situation appears more dangerous. Both nations have blamed…
PM Suga of Japan and President Xi of China talk by phone Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan and President Xi Jinping of China held their first talks by phone since Suga became the new leader of Japan. Unsurprisingly, both leaders promised to foster closer relations…
North Korea apologizes to South Korea over the recent killing Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe Modern Tokyo Times Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, made a rare apology to South Korea over the recent killing of a South Korean citizen. He made the apology to show his sincerity in what appears to be a…
Sanctions likely to be lifted in Mali once Interim President takes office Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The military coup that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita appears to be winning trust regionally. Thus ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) is showing signs of compromise. At first, ECOWAS had tried to…
Trillions of dollars laundered by financial institutions: Drug cartels to terrorism Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Allegations are emerging over enormous money laundering scandals covering the period 1999-2017. More than likely, this is only the tip of a much bigger iceberg. However, once more, the image of banks and multinational financial…
Belarus crackdown prompts Hackers to release info of security forces Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times President Lukashenko of Belarus is using the state apparatus against opposition forces. This applies to mass arrests and other methods of coercion. At the same time, the Russian Federation is increasing its support of Lukashenko. However,…
Japan and diplomacy with China: Australia, India, Japan, and America to meet Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Prime Miniter Yoshihide Suga is the new leader of Japan. Thus, the meeting between senior officials from America, Australia, India, and Japan in Tokyo early next month will be analyzed carefully. It is known…
Mozambique and useful humanitarians in the shadow of Islamists Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Sunni Islamists are involved in various conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and in other parts of the world including the Caucasus. Similarly, religious terrorist attacks in Europe belong to the same Takfiri mindset. However,…
Japan reaches 80,000 centenarians but Covid-19 deaths are low unlike in Europe Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times In parts of Europe, many elderly people died in care homes, nursing homes, and throughout society from the coronavirus (Covid-19). This notably applies to Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. However, Japan,…
Ebola in the DRC threatens to spread to the Republic of Congo Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is threatening to spread to the Republic of Congo (ROC). This applies to the border areas of the Equateur province in the…
Iran hangs Navid Afkari who denied any wrongdoing Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The government of Iran ignored international appeals and instead hanged a young wrestler on flimsy charges. Navid Afkari, 27 years old, pleaded his innocence after being forced to confess earlier under torture. Of course, for Iran, irrespective if…
Bahrain recognizes Israel similar to the UAE: Geopolitics and the Muslim Brotherhood Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The nation of Bahrain – just like the United Arab Emirates recently – is to normalize ties with Israel. This will further strengthen Israel in the Arabic speaking world, while also highlighting the need…
Japan and the UK sign a trade deal but eyes are on Trans-Pacific Partnership Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The United Kingdom (UK) and Japan, in principle, have signed an important trade deal for the UK. For Japan, the real focus is on continuity and not having supply related issues –…
Over 900,000 Covid-19 deaths and little sign of decreasing Sawako Utsumi and Sawako Uchida Modern Tokyo Times The international coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis is continuing unabated in terms of deaths and infections per day. Hence, over 900,000 deaths from coronavirus internationally. Therefore, the international situation remains bleak. Indeed, in parts of Europe, infections are increasing once…
Pakistan Christian sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy Murad Makhmudov and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times Another verdict in Pakistan will rock all minorities because the fear of blasphemy weighs heavily. Hence, the sentence of death passed on Asif Pervaiz is a firm reminder of institutional religious discrimination in Pakistan. Asif Pervaiz, a Christian…
PM of Sudan signs an accord to separate religion and state Noriko Watanabe and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The Prime Minister of Sudan, Abdalla Hamdok, signed an accord to separate religion and state. In a nation led by Islamic Sharia law for decades – and that ultimately led to the division of Sudan…
The foreign policy of Japan in the post-Abe period: America, China, Mekong, and Russia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The geopolitical challenges for Japan throughout Northeast Asia and the Asia Pacific are enormous. Thus with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigning then a challenging period will ensue. After all, unlike many other…
Iran and father gets only 9 years for beheading his daughter Kanako Mita and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The oppressive Islamic Republic of Iran arrests women for not covering-up and speaking freely, persecutes Muslim apostates, the Baha’is reside in fear, and females are betrayed by bias within the Sharia legal system. Therefore, the…
