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May 21, 2026
 

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Tom Barfield
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday. Only one repair vessel for cables, owned by United Arab Emirates-based e-Marine, is currently in the Persian Gulf.
WORLD / FOCUS
May 21, 2026
Iran¡¯s threat to Strait of Hormuz submarine cables
Iran's threat to impose "permits" on submarine fiber-optic cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz "calls international law into question," said a former French naval officer.
A woman uses her phone as smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran on March 7. Despite an internet blackout, people are still finding ways to send and receive information in Iran.
WORLD / EXPLAINER
Mar 16, 2026
How Iranians are communicating through internet blackout
An internet blackout that one connectivity monitor says is government imposed hasn't stopped information from getting in and out of Iran.
People cast their early ballots at a polling station in Lansing, Michigan, in November 2024.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 6, 2025
AI chatbots can sway voters¡¯ political views, studies say
The most common tactic used by chatbots to persuade was "being polite and providing evidence."
A worker walks in front of rolls of steel at a steel company in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 12, 2025
Canada, Mexico and EU slam ¡¯unjustified¡¯ Trump steel tariffs
The European Union and Canada vowed to firmly retaliate against the tariffs.
French President Emmanuel Macron attends an interview for national television ahead of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris on Sunday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 10, 2025
Macron beats French investment drum ahead of AI summit
The two-day event in Paris has stated aims that include "mapping" AI governance around the world, and promoting the idea of more ethical, accessible and frugal AI.
Phishing and its social-engineering cousin "pretexting" together accounted for more than 20% of almost 10,000 data breaches worldwide last year.
WORLD / Society
Jan 30, 2025
Age of deepfakes means internet users must be more alert than ever
AI chatbots powered by large language models save attackers time and allow for more elaborate fake messages.
French President Emmanuel Macron and French First Lady Brigitte Macron leave after voting in the second round of French parliamentary elections at a polling station in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2024
France in limbo after Macron gamble deepens political deadlock
No political party wields an outright majority after the French election, and no obvious candidate for prime minister has emerged.
Female death row inmate sues Japan government over 24/7 surveillance
Tokyo Detention House guidelines dictate that CCTV surveillance can be used when detainees are at risk of suicide or self-harm, or when there is concern they may try to escape.
Almost half of foreign residents have experienced discrimination: government survey
Japan¡¯s foreign resident population rose 9.5% to a record 4.12 million at the end of 2025, topping 4 million for the first time, according to data from the Immigration Services Agency.
¡®There was no village¡¯: Japan¡¯s troubling pattern of family murder-suicides
Akiko Hashiguchi is one of the few people in Japan to publicly share her personal experience with muri shinj¨± under her own name. She has since been involved in parents¡¯ support work and advocacy around developmental disorders.
Japan arrests Americans over stunt at baby monkey Punch¡¯s zoo
Visitors gather in the rain to catch a glimpse of Punch the monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in April.
Visitors to Japan down 5.5% in April
Japan Tourism Agency chief Shigeki Murata has emphasized that the government will work on implementing "strategic promotions to attract visitors from more countries and regions."
¡®There was no village¡¯: Japan¡¯s troubling pattern of family murder-suicides
Akiko Hashiguchi is one of the few people in Japan to publicly share her personal experience with muri shinj¨± under her own name. She has since been involved in parents¡¯ support work and advocacy around developmental disorders.
Before city pop went global, there was Anri
Anri says younger overseas listeners first surprised her during a 2023 performance in Los Angeles, where most of the audience was in their 20s. Nearly five decades after her debut, songs such as ¡°Last Summer Whisper¡± and ¡°I Can¡¯t Stop the Loneliness¡± continue finding new fans.
Trump says ¡®nothing¡¯s changed¡¯ on Taiwan. But his words belie a big shift.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One en route to the U.S. following his official visit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, on Friday.
Japan¡¯s new emissions trading program: Key climate tool or paper tiger?
A production line at a Nippon Steel plate rolling mill in Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, in May 2025.
For all its nonsense, ¡®Mystery Arena¡¯ is weirdly entertaining
Afro-wigged host Momotaro Kabayama (Toshiaki Karasawa) presides over the eponymous game show in Yukihiko Tsutsumi¡¯s ¡°Mystery Arena.¡±

Podcast

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

Longform

Anri says younger overseas listeners first surprised her during a 2023 performance in Los Angeles, where most of the audience was in their 20s. Nearly five decades after her debut, songs such as ¡°Last Summer Whisper¡± and ¡°I Can¡¯t Stop the Loneliness¡± continue finding new fans.
Before city pop went global, there was Anri
By Patrick St. Michel

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