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May 07, 2026
 

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Simon Lewis
Europe's approach to free speech differs ?from the U.S., where the Constitution protects virtually all expression.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 19, 2026
U.S. plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere
The move, which Washington views as a way to counter censorship, would allow access to alleged hate speech and terrorist propaganda.
A Thai national flag is seen at the Pha Mo E-Daeng area in Thailand's northeastern Sisaket province, as viewed from Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia, following clashes between the two countries, on Feb. 12.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 18, 2026
Cambodian PM says Thailand occupying territory after Trump-brokered ceasefire
Thailand has said it is maintaining troop positions as part of de-escalation measures and ?denied it is occupying territory.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (L) during a meeting with the people in Tehran on Jan. 17 and U.S. President Donald Trump (R) speaking in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Feb. 3. Trump said in an interview on Wednesday that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be "very worried," as the U.S. builds up its military forces in the region.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 5, 2026
U.S. and Iran agree to Friday talks in Oman but still at odds over agenda
The meeting comes as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East and regional players seek to avoid a military confrontation that could lead to a wider war.
Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt and Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen pose at Denmark's embassy in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 15, 2026
Trump reiterates desire for Greenland following high-stakes meeting
The remarks, which came after a meeting between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials, indicate there are still fundamental differences between how each sees the island¡¯s future.
Immigrant visa processing from 75 countries will be "paused" during a reassessment of immigration procedures, according to the State Department.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 15, 2026
U.S. to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 nations
The move does not impact U.S. visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given ?the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a Christmas event from the Mar-a-lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.
WORLD
Dec 26, 2025
U.S. launches strike against Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria
The U.S. military¡¯s Africa Command said the strike was carried out in coordination with the Nigerian authorities and killed multiple ISIS militants.
U.S. President Donald Trump (left), Rwandan President Paul Kagame (center) and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi hold up a signed document during a signing ceremony at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Dec 4.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 24, 2025
Trump¡¯s recall of ambassadors compounds staffing problems at posts in Africa
The mass recall will complicate America¡¯s efforts to push its agenda in a region that has faced military coups and devastating conflicts in recent years.
The U.S. State Department has declined to provide a list of the diplomats being ?recalled after sources disclosed that nearly 30 senior envoys were among those ordered back to Washington.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 24, 2025
As Trump pulls envoys in ¡®America First¡¯ push, critics say it weakens U.S. abroad
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other senior career diplomats to ensure embassies reflect its ¡°America First¡± priorities.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington on Tuesday. From left: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Dec 4, 2025
Trump's Ukraine peace effort tests his unconventional diplomacy
The unexpected plan to end the war in Ukraine has stirred harsh criticism from Republican lawmakers, exasperation from European allies and confusion inside the administration.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a statement that justified the move, said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has concluded that the Temporary Protected Status designation for Myanmar is no longer needed.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Nov 25, 2025
U.S. ends temporary status for Myanmar nationals, cites upcoming polls as ¡®progress¡¯
The move sparks concern for individuals who may be forced to return to Myanmar, which has been in political turmoil since the military seized power in a 2021 coup.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Nov 20, 2025
Behind Trump defense of Saudi crown prince, a deeper U.S. shift on human rights
Trump's remarks threw into stark relief just how far his administration has shifted away from the traditional U.S. support for human rights globally.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walks beside U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson ahead of a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 20, 2025
Saudi crown prince hosted at friendlier U.S. Congress
The second day meeting aimed to tout stronger-than-ever economic and security ties while brushing off scrutiny of the prince's human rights record.
Many analysts said that U.S. President Donald Trump, who often tries to project strength as a negotiation tactic, likely was seeking to send a message to Moscow and Beijing with his remarks about resuming nuclear testing.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Oct 31, 2025
Nuclear curveball: Trump's testing plan raises fears and confusion in Washington
Such a move, if implemented, could end up benefiting adversaries.
Displaced Palestinians move with their belongings southwards as smoke billows from Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 15, 2025
Israel intensifies Gaza City bombing as Rubio arrives
Aid agencies say an Israeli takeover of Gaza City would be catastrophic for a population already facing widespread malnutrition.
Palestinians queue for a portion of hot food distributed by a charity kitchen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Monday.
WORLD
May 9, 2025
U.S. says solution for Gaza aid is 'steps away' as aid groups raise alarm
Anticipation has built up about a new aid plan for Gaza, laid waste by 19 months of an Israeli military campaign against Hamas.
U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in Washington on April 24.
WORLD / Politics
May 3, 2025
Now a trusted ally, 'Little Marco' gets Trump's big jobs
Marco Rubio's expanding resume underscores President Donald Trump's increasing trust in the former Florida senator, officials said.
U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's president, during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Monday
WORLD / Politics
Apr 15, 2025
El Salvador's Bukele won't return man the U.S. mistakenly deported
The Trump administration has deported hundreds of people to El Salvador, which is receiving $6 million to house the migrants in a high-security mega-prison.
Ukrainian soldiers from the Shkval Special Forces Assault Battalion during training exercises in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on Thursday
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 15, 2025
Trump team makes confused start to Ukraine diplomacy
This was a disorienting week for those anxious over how the new Trump administration will fulfill Donald Trump's vow to end the Ukraine war.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while signing a variety of executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday. Trump said on Monday that he could cut aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refused his demand to permanently take in most Palestinians from Gaza, substantially increasing the pressure on key allies in the region to back his audacious proposal to relocate the entire population of the territory in order to redevelop it.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 11, 2025
Trump says Hamas should free all hostages by Saturday or 'let hell break out'
Trump cautioned that Israel might want to override him on the issue and said he might speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinians, who were displaced to the south at Israel's order during the war, make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza on Jan. 27.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 11, 2025
Trump says Palestinians would not have a right to return to Gaza
U.S. president's statement on Fox News contradicts his own officials who had suggested Gazans would only be relocated temporarily while the strip is redeveloped.
The weight of not knowing: Japan¡¯s long-missing children
A signboard urging people to call the police if they have information on the whereabouts of Kaori Nomura, who went missing in 1991 at the age of 8, is seen in Yokohama in early April.
China's rare defiance of U.S. sanctions sparks showdown over banks
A Chinese flag flutters in front of the Shanghai Gaoqiao Company Refinery in Shanghai.
¡®Keep phones on,¡¯ Tokyo warns as yen battle intensifies
The yen has traded in a narrow ?158 to ?159 range against the dollar for two months as Japan steps up efforts to contain further weakness.
Japan-China tensions have no visible off-ramp
A policeman stands guard at an entrance to the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo on March 25. A man was apprehended in Tokyo March 24 after he trespassed onto the grounds of the embassy.
Soviet architecture vanishes as Central Asia drifts away from Moscow
Monuments of Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the U.S.S.R., are an awkward reminder of an era that no longer fits with the times in Central Asia.
Amid shortage concerns, Japan works to secure sufficient supplies of key raw materials
Since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, concerns have emerged over what a shortage of oil and naphtha ¡ª a raw material for plastic products including food-packaging containers ¡ª could mean to not only industries but also supply chains and individual consumers.
The LDP is losing local elections. Should Takaichi be worried?
Despite Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s sustained high approval ratings after more than six months in office, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party she leads continues to suffer losses in local elections.
Fujisawa flashpoint: A mosque project stokes nativist fears
Muslims pray at Tokyo Camii in the Yoyogi-Uehara neighborhood. Though Muslims account for only 0.3% of Japan¡¯s population, rhetoric in online spaces and by conservative politicians has fomented social tensions.
As Iran war sends oil prices soaring, some see fresh potential for solar in Japan
An agrivoltaic crop, in which solar panels are raised about 3 meters off the ground so that agricultural machinery can freely operate on the crops underneath, in Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.
No longer shushed: Japan¡¯s cultural venues make room for children
In 2019, Saitama Arts Theater started permitting children under 3 to some of its shows. Previously, children under 4 were not permitted.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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