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July 24, 2026
 

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Andrew Gray
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 10, 2026
NATO weathers another Trump storm but braces for more after Ankara summit
The summit ended with relief after months of severe strains triggered by Trump¡¯s efforts to take Greenland from ?fellow NATO ?member Denmark and divisions over the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.
Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, on April 22
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
NATO not drawing up plans for Hormuz mission, top commander says
Any decision to launch ?a mission would require the approval of all NATO¡¯s 32 members and several have already signaled opposition.
U.S. Army soldiers walk in formation during the Sword 26 exercise, in Bemowo Piskie, Poland, on May 11.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
U.S. plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources say
U.S. President Donald Trump has made it clear he ?expects European countries to take over from the United States primary responsibility for the continent¡¯s security.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte walks into the White House, as seen through a fence, in Washington on April 8.
WORLD / Politics
May 5, 2026
Trump¡¯s Germany troop cuts show limits of NATO efforts to keep U.S. on board
European diplomats say they fear Trump may make further moves that could test the alliance before a summit of its 32 national leaders in Ankara in July.
U.S. President Donald Trump leaves a press conference at a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands on June 25, 2025.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2026
Bruised by Trump, NATO alliance considers end to annual summits
Trump has engaged repeatedly in scathing criticism of many of NATO members, most recently for not providing more assistance to U.S. military with Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron chairs a video conference of G7 leaders in Paris on March 11 to discuss the impact on the world economy of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 26, 2026
G7 chief envoys meet amid deepening conflicts and erratic U.S. policy shifts
Allies and adversaries alike have spent the past year scrambling to respond to abrupt moves by Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a news conference on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, on Feb. 24.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2026
European capitals push back as Ukraine seeks fast-track EU membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants a 2027 date to join the EU as part of a settlement to end Russia¡¯s war.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during the spring session of parliament in Budapest on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 24, 2026
Hungary blocks Russia sanctions and EU cash for Kyiv on eve of war anniversary
Ukraine says the oil flows stopped after a Russian attack on pipeline infrastructure in ?January and it is fixing the damage as fast as it ?can.
A Danish soldier stands at a checkpoint in the harbor of Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 26.
WORLD
Feb 16, 2026
Europe aims to rely less on U.S. defense after Trump¡¯s Greenland push
In another sign of the nervousness surrounding U.S. security commitments, Merz ?said he had ?begun talks with Macron about a European nuclear deterrence.
The Hotel Bayerischer Hof, the venue of the annual Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany
WORLD / Politics
Feb 13, 2026
Trump¡¯s upheaval of the Atlantic alliance to loom over Munich security forum
A year after Vice President JD Vance attacked EU allies, Washington¡¯s partners will be seeking to chart a more independent course, while preserving the basis of the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday
WORLD / FOCUS
Jan 23, 2026
¡®Trump whisperer¡¯ Rutte steers NATO around Greenland crisis
The NATO chief¡¯s strategy with Donald Trump is not subtle ¡ª?it is built on lavishing praise on the U.S. president even as other European leaders grow increasingly critical.
A Danish military patrol vessel sails near Nuuk's old harbor in Greenland on Thursday.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Jan 16, 2026
Trump¡¯s Greenland push prompts NATO scramble for Arctic security ideas ¡ª and survival
The U.S. president has insisted nothing less than ownership of Greenland will do, leading many European officials to conclude he is motivated by a desire to expand U.S. territory.
The European Union's executive body says to cover Ukraine's military and basic services against Russia's war, it favors a "reparations loan" using Russian state assets immobilized in the EU.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 4, 2025
EU proposes using frozen Russian assets or borrowing to give Ukraine €90 billion
Russia has warned the EU and Belgium against using its assets, which it says would be an act of theft.
A firefighter stands at the site of a private home that went up in flames after it was hit by a Russian drone during a night of attacks on Kyiv on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Dec 2, 2025
Trump¡¯s push to end Ukraine war raises fears of ¡®ugly deal¡¯ for Europe
Although Ukrainians and other Europeans pushed back against parts of a U.S. plan to end the fighting that was seen as pro-Russian, any deal could carry risks for the continent.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks during a news conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday after the alliance held urgent talks about a Russian jet incursion over Estonia last week.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 24, 2025
NATO warns Russia to stop ¡®escalatory¡¯ actions after Estonian airspace violation
Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes before NATO Italian fighter jets escorted them out last week.
Ukrainan Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga (right) and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski (center) look at drones as they visit an exhibition showcasing Ukrainian unmanned vehicles in Kyiv on Sept. 12.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 17, 2025
Trump¡¯s public shrug over drone incursion in Poland fuels unease in Europe
Many NATO members already question U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s commitment to their defense in the event of an actual Russian attack.
Soldiers walk next to a site where a roof of a house was destroyed after suspected Russian drones violated Polish airspace during an attack on Ukraine, in Wyryki, Lublin Voivodeship, Poland, on Wednesday.
WORLD / ANALYSIS
Sep 11, 2025
Suspected Russian incursion in Poland raises drone defense questions for NATO
NATO¡¯s more traditional air defense systems were designed to protect against missiles and manned aircraft.
A serviceman of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces works with an Mk 19 U.S.-made automatic grenade launcher near the front-line town of Vovchansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, on March 13.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 16, 2025
Europeans open to buying U.S. arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details
Much of the plan remains undisclosed, including the amounts and precise types of weapons to be provided, how quickly they would be supplied and how they would be paid for.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a news conference during the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2025
NATO¡¯s Trump flattery buys time but dodges tough questions
Sooner or later, NATO will have to deal with tough topics of vital importance to it, such as the war in Ukraine, Russia strategy and a likely drawdown of U.S. troops in Europe.
Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich speaks at a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington on March 17. Grynkewich is expected to be the U.S. nominee for the positions of both Supreme Allied Commander Europe and U.S. European Command.
WORLD
Jun 1, 2025
America¡¯s next top general in Europe will also lead NATO forces
Since taking office in January, Trump¡¯s administration has pressured Europe to ramp up its own defense spending.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

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

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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