Japan's parliament dissolved ahead of February 8 elections
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi dissolved Japan's parliament on Friday, ahead of new elections on February 8.
World politics
Japan's Imperial Dilemma: Reform or End of the Monarchy
Aiko! Aiko! Aiko! Aiko! The cheers for the Japanese princess drown out the cheers for her parents, the Japanese emperor and queen, as the family visits Nagasaki. But the people's hopes of seeing Aiko as empress are dashed unless Japan resolves a deeply divisive issue: should female succession be allowed - or must the world's oldest monarchy die out?
World
The big China-Japan row: "It's about deterrence"
The political tone in East Asia has been significantly heightened after Japan's new leader Sanae Takaichi's statement that Japan may be forced to intervene if China attacks Taiwan. It is a clear signal to China that Japan will not sit idly by if Taiwan is attacked, says Björn Jerdén, head of the National Knowledge Center on China.
World