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June 22, 2026
 

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Olivia Le Poidevin
A cotton farm worker in the Xinjiang region of China. Trade and human rights experts said U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff threats would do little to solve widespread issues of abusive employment practices in the global supply chain.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 6, 2026
Trump¡¯s latest tariff salvo no fix for global issue of forced labor
Experts, business groups and some human rights groups say the move could actually make things worse.
A person in a hazmat suit is escorted to an ambulance from a medical aircraft allegedly carrying some of the passengers from the cruise ship MV Hondius believed to be infected with the hantavirus, at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam on Wednesday.
WORLD
May 7, 2026
Countries scramble to track passengers of virus-hit cruise ship
Three people have died in the outbreak on the luxury cruise ship, and a total of eight people are suspected to have contracted the virus.
A woman feeds her malnourished child at a hospital in Somalia on April 20 amid a shortage of lifesaving therapeutic foods caused by shipping disruptions due to the Iran war.
WORLD / Society
Apr 28, 2026
Iran war is latest blow to Somalia¡¯s malnourished children
Shortages of lifesaving therapeutic foods are forcing clinics to turn away severely malnourished children and ration supplies.
Delegates attend the World Trade Organization 14th ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 30, 2026
WTO talks end in deadlock after Brazil blocks deal over e-commerce duties
The WTO countries are negotiating an extension to a moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions such as digital downloads.
Any substantial move toward an agreement between longtime foes Washington and Tehran could reduce the imminent prospects for U.S President Donald Trump to carry out a threatened attack on Iran.
WORLD
Feb 27, 2026
U.S.-Iran talks end with no deal but potential signs of progress
The two sides plan to resume negotiations soon, with technical-level discussions scheduled to take place next week in Vienna.
A woman walks past a wall painting in the colors of the Iranian flag in Tehran on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 26, 2026
U.S.-Iran nuclear talks to resume in Geneva against backdrop of military threat
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will attend the indirect talks with Iran¡¯s foreign minister.
Kremlin chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky walks out the InterContinental hotel on the day of U.S.-mediated peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, in Geneva on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 19, 2026
Ukraine dissatisfied with ¡®difficult¡¯ talks but U.S. sees ¡®meaningful progress¡¯
At the conclusion, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations said they would meet again, without providing a date.
U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (right), and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22. Some experts said the two lack the depth of knowledge and experience to go up against veteran negotiators like Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and their Russian interlocutors and that they were in over their heads in such complicated conflicts.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 18, 2026
U.S. envoys juggle two crisis talks, raising questions about prospects for success
The shuttle diplomacy by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner has raised questions about the likelihood of them resolving either of the crises, experts say.
Palestinians carry aid supplies in Gaza. UNICEF said it faces serious challenges getting 1.6 million syringes and solar-powered fridges to store vaccine vials into Gaza.
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 12, 2025
UNICEF says Israel blocking 1 million syringes needed to vaccinate Gaza children
The blockage comes amid Israeli concerns that items such as syringes and refrigerators could be repurposed for military use.
A displaced Palestinian woman shows her torn tent, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, on Tuesday.
WORLD
Nov 5, 2025
Gaza not getting enough tents and food as winter approaches
Aid agencies say supplies are still far short nearly four weeks into a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Displaced Palestinians move southward along a road in the Nuseirat refugee camp area in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 24, 2025
Israel seeks permanent Gaza control and Jewish majority in West Bank: U.N. inquiry
Israel maintains that its war is not against the population of Gaza but against the Hamas militant group whose fighters led the attack on Israel that precipitated the war.
Staff of United Nations agencies gather to denounce the killing of their colleagues in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, outside the global organization's European headquarters in Geneva on Thursday.
WORLD
Sep 19, 2025
U.S. and Israel criticize U.N. staff over Gaza war stance amid protests
Hundreds of U.N. staff protested outside the global organization¡¯s European headquarters on Thursday.
Plastic bottles and other refuse collected from Border Field State Park Beach in San Diego in May
ENVIRONMENT / ANALYSIS
Aug 16, 2025
Tough U.S. stance casts gloom over plastics pollution deal after Geneva flop
Many states and campaigners blamed the failure on oil-producers including the U.S, which they said urged others to reject caps on new plastic production.
A chicken stands in a garbage dump filled with plastic in Rodriguez, Rizal province, the Philippines, on Nov. 28, 2024.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Aug 7, 2025
Trump administration memo urges countries to reject plastic production caps
The U.S. stance broadly aligns with the positions laid out by the global petrochemicals industry.
Activists stage a demonstration in front of the United Nations Offices in Geneva on Monday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Aug 5, 2025
Pressure from oil producers and U.S. threaten global pact on plastics pollution
Plastic production is set to triple by 2060 without intervention, choking oceans, harming human health and accelerating climate change, according to the OECD.
Palestinians crowd a coastal path west of the city of Beit Lahia in the Gaza Strip after managing to get aid parcels on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 30, 2025
Britain warns Israel it could recognize Palestinian state as Gaza starves
The warning, which drew a harsh Israeli rebuke, came after a hunger monitor warned a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding and immediate action is needed.
Palestinians carry aid supplies which entered Gaza through Israel in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on Sunday.
WORLD
Jul 29, 2025
Gaza death toll hits 60,000 as global monitor demands action to avert famine
Famine is unfolding in Gaza and immediate action is needed to end fighting and allow unimpeded aid access, the hunger monitor said.
Palestinian children stand in line for food distributed by a charity kitchen at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jul 16, 2025
One in 10 children in its clinics are malnourished, U.N. Palestinian refugee agency says
More than 5,800 children have been diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza, including more than 1,000 children with severe, acute malnutrition.
Palestinian children line up to receive a hot meal at a food distribution point in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
Over 170 charities call for end to deadly new Gaza aid distribution system
More than 500 people have been killed in mass shootings near aid distribution centers or transport routes since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating.
A U.N. report found that 9.6% of traditionally female jobs were set to be transformed compared with 3.5% of those carried out by men as AI increasingly takes on administrative tasks.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 20, 2025
AI poses a bigger threat to women¡¯s work than men¡¯s, says U.N. report
Human involvement will still be required for many tasks ¡ª and roles are more likely to be radically changed rather than eliminated, the report said.
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Japanese mother sues state over teen¡¯s ¡®hostage justice¡¯ death
A lawyer representing the mother (left, blurred for privacy reasons) of a girl who died after being detained speaks during a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Distracted walkers in Japan are a real safety risk. My mother knows firsthand.
In Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, <i>aruki-sumaho</i> ¡ª walking while using a smartphone ¡ª has become a persistent safety concern as commuters navigate crowded stations and sidewalks while focused on their devices.
Japan¡¯s World Cup picture comes into focus after rout of Tunisia
Japan&#039;s Ko Itakura clears the ball during the first half against Tunisia during a Group F match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday.
Can automation offset Japan¡¯s military manpower shortage?
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.
Heading into its second year, AUBL aims to get Japan more involved
Hakuoh University&#039;s Rento Saito attempts a shot during an Asian University Basketball League contest.

Podcast

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

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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