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April 27, 2026
 

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HUMAN RIGHTS

Hideko Hakamata, of former death-row inmate Iwao Hakamata, speaks during a gathering in Tokyo in June to call for a revision of Japan's retrial system.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 24, 2026
Former death-row inmate's sister further denounces Japan¡¯s review of retrial system
Hideko Hakamata says she opposes the draft government bill, which seeks to ban the use of evidence disclosed during court proceedings on retrial petitions for any other purpose.
Escalating violations of international law by major powers, especially under U.S. President Donald Trump with his conflicts and actions in Iran and Venezuela, expose the fragility of the rules-based order but also create an opportunity for reform.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 24, 2026
Trump has made the case for international law
The task now is to re-imagine an international legal regime that works more reliably for more people, without exception for the powerful.
Nanette Castillo, mother of drug war victim Aldrin Castillo, reacts after the International Criminal Court's rejection of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte¡¯s challenge to the court¡¯s jurisdiction over his crimes against humanity charges, in Quezon City, Philippines, on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 23, 2026
ICC judges reject bid to release former Philippine President Duterte
The Philippines formally withdrew its International Criminal Court membership in 2018, and the defense had argued this meant ?the court had no jurisdiction over the case.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on Tuesday for a discussion on suspending a pact governing the EU's ties with Israel, which came into force in 2000.
WORLD
Apr 22, 2026
EU divided on suspension of Israel pact as Spain pushes for action
A number of ministers called for suspending the pact with Israel over concerns about settlements in ?the West Bank, ?the humanitarian situation in Gaza and a new death penalty law.
At least 3,646 people have been arrested in Iran since the war broke out on Feb.?28, nongovernmental organization Iran Human Rights said on Tuesday.
WORLD
Apr 22, 2026
Arrests, hangings and blackout: Iran cranks up wartime repression
At least 3,646 people have been arrested since the war broke out, according to Norway-based nongovernmental organization Iran Human Rights, with hangings a near daily occurrence.
Young Afghan evacuees play soccer in a residential compound in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. is offering Afghan refugees at a camp in the country the choice to emigrate to Congo or returning to their Taliban-ruled homeland, an activist has said.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 22, 2026
U.S. tells Afghans to choose Taliban-run homeland or Congo, activist says
More than 1,100 Afghans have been in limbo in a refugee processing camp in Qatar after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a halt to a resettlement program.
The leaders of Russia, Israel and the United States are seeking to impose a new "predatory" world order while most countries are too cowardly to stop them, rights group Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 21, 2026
Amnesty International warns that 'predator' leaders seek to impose new 'world order'
Certain leaders have rejected the global multilateral system in favor of a "vision without moral compass,"?where "war, not diplomacy, rules,"?a report from the group said.
The Justice Ministry setting up a study panel regarding the misuse of generative artificial intelligence comes amid a sharp rise in such cases and concerns legislation in Japan has not kept up with the rapid advancement of AI.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 17, 2026
Government to launch study panel for generative-AI misuse
With a meeting scheduled for late April, the group will examine civil liability for the unauthorized use of people's likenesses and voices.
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers have asked the Justice Ministry to amend a bill aimed at revising Japan¡¯s retrial system.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 16, 2026
LDP members demand rewrite of bill to revise retrial system
The bill proposes a one-year limit on court proceedings initiated by prosecutors' appeal against a retrial ruling, but party members want such appeals banned entirely.
Men sit along the seaside near an unofficial camp for displaced people in Beirut on Tuesday.
WORLD / Society
Apr 16, 2026
Forced displacements to soar by 4.2 million by 2027, aid group warns
The numbers do not include those affected by the war in the Middle East, the agency said.
U.S. prison populations have dropped sharply since 2008, but gaps in mental health care mean many vulnerable individuals continue to cycle through the criminal justice system instead of receiving treatment.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 15, 2026
U.S. prisons are emptier. Will psychiatric hospitals fill up?
More recent statistics on psychiatric beds in hospitals and resident patients in state psychiatric hospitals show a mostly flat trajectory through 2023.
The Gombe area of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The African country is set to receive more than 30 deportees from the United States this week, none of whom are Congolese nationals.
WORLD
Apr 15, 2026
Congo to receive first group of deportees from U.S. this week, sources say
The move is the latest example of Washington using agreements with African governments to accelerate migrant removals.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a ceremony at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum during a two day state visit to Hanoi in 2023.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 14, 2026
China model gains appeal in Vietnam as police expand power
The two communist neighbors have swung between conflict and cooperation over centuries, with Hanoi now leaning more openly toward Beijing.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during his new year news conference at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Jan. 21.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 11, 2026
South Korea president clashes with Israel on rights and disinformation claims
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday accused Israel of failing to "reflect" on allegations of rights abuses by its forces, after Israel decried him for amplifying social media "disinformation."
A woman holds a handheld fan bearing the image of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's wedding photo, during an election campaign event in Tokyo on Feb. 7.
JAPAN / Society
Apr 11, 2026
Debt-laden Japan should review spending on gender equality, survey finds
The results come from a taskforce, set up in an effort to emulate the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, seeking cost-cutting suggestions from the public.
The government is set to delay the submission to parliament of a bill aimed at amending the country's retrial system.
JAPAN
Apr 9, 2026
Government to delay submission of retrial system reform bill
The move came as the government sees the need to take more time for coordination.
A man views a slavery exhibition at Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. On March 25, the U.N. General Assembly called the transatlantic slave trade the "gravest crime against humanity," with 123 nations voting in favor, three against and 52 abstaining.
COMMENTARY
Apr 7, 2026
Slavery¡¯s atrocities had many global masters
Most historians date the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade to the year 1500, when Portuguese traders sailed down the coast of Africa.
The sons of late former Ohkawara Kakohki executive Shizuo Aishima during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday after suing the state
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 6, 2026
Bereaved family sues over 'hostage justice'
It's the latest in a series of lawsuits challenging 91²Ö¿â criminal justice system that critics say doesn't always presume innocence and relies heavily on coerced confessions.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the first so-called "Patriots' Grand Assembly" of nationalist groups from Europe, in Budapest on March 23.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 6, 2026
Hungary's Viktor Orban: Global ¡®illiberal role-model¡¯
The shrewd prime minister has constantly tweaked his country's political system to rule for 16 straight years as a dominant, albeit divisive figure.
The United States has serious domestic flaws, but its freedoms, alliances and global influence distinguish it from authoritarian states, a distinction its allies must recognize and actively invest in through engagement.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 3, 2026
The Moon and the Turtle: A lesson in false equivalence
Following the United States does not mean following blindly; it means understanding that the CRINKs offer no alternative order worth living in.
The language around Japan¡¯s new bike rules leaves no room for ¡®maybe¡¯
Under the new blue ticket system, cyclists will have one week in which to pay fines for minor traffic violations.
China holds live-fire drills in waters near Luzon as Japan joins military exercises in Philippines
Head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr., speaks during the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Monday.
Trump evacuated as shooter opens fire at Washington gala event
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks, flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel (left) U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin (second right) and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, during a press briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, shortly after a shooting incident at a press gala event Saturday.
Don Quijote owner opens discount grocer as Japan inflation bites
Pan Pacific International Holdings, the owner of discount chain Don Quijote, opened its first Robin Hood store, a new food-focused chain, in Aichi Prefecture on Friday.
Prudential Life Insurance suspends sales for additional 180 days
Prudential Life CEO Hiromitsu Tokumaru (center) and other executives from the firm during a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.
Professional sumo awaits three potential new stars
Bill Christopher Li, now known as Honoikazuchi, at the All-Japan championships at the Kokugikan on Nov. 30
How to prepare when Japan is under an earthquake advisory
Sendai Station is crowded with people Monday after the Tohoku shinkansen line suspended operation following a powerful earthquake off the Sanriku coast.
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
Jimbocho, Tokyo¡¯s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
Stars aligning for Japan as World Cup approaches
Japan defender Shogo Taniguchi (left) heads the ball from a corner kick during Japan's match against Scotland in Glasgow on March 28.

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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