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A draft executive order circulating among U.S. diplomats proposes a radical reduction to and restructuring of the U.S. State Department, which, if implemented, would be one of the biggest reorganizations of the department since its founding.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 21, 2025

Trump draft proposes radical reshaping of U.S. State Department

The order would eliminate dozens of positions and departments, including those dealing with climate, refugees, democracy and Africa.
Thunder guard Cason Wallace dunks against the Grizzlies during the second quarter in Game 1 of their playoff series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Sunday.
BASKETBALL / NBA
Apr 21, 2025

Thunder open playoff campaign with record victory

The Thunder's 51-point margin of victory was even more remarkable given that Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his statistically worst performance of the season.
Takaaki Nezu, executive director of Maruto Group Holdings, says it is the company’s social responsibility to help tackle the falling birth rate.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 5, 2025

Fukushima firms seek ways to encourage marriages

One supermarket chain has said such moves reflect a corporate responsibility to tackle the nation’s chronically low birth rate.
Candles and flowers are placed next to images of the late Pope Francis at the entrance of the Buenos Aires Cathedral on Monday.
WORLD / Society
Apr 22, 2025

What happens after the pope dies?

The Catholic Church will first enter a period known as "Sede Vacante," during which a senior cardinal takes over day-to-day affairs.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a government meeting on crime prevention measures at the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 22, 2025

In fight against fraud, Japan seeks new weapon: undercover bank accounts

The government is looking to allow the police to set up bank accounts under false names to track the movement of funds obtained by fraudsters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly offered to halt Russia's invasion of Ukraine at the current front lines.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 23, 2025

Ukraine presses for ceasefire as Russia reported to offer concession

Both sides are trying to demonstrate progress toward ending the war after U.S. President Donald Trump said he could walk away from peace talks if there is no breakthrough.
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola during his club's match against Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Tuesday.
SOCCER
Apr 23, 2025

Guardiola calls season 'bad' even with Champions League within reach

City took a big step toward securing European qualification with its 2-1 Premier League win over Aston Villa on Tuesday.
A combination of images released on April 15 illustrate the end jig passing through the isolation valve during the second fuel debris trial retrieval at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima Prefecture.
JAPAN
Apr 23, 2025

Second debris removal trial at Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is completed

High radiation levels mean removing melted fuel and other debris from the plant is seen as the most daunting challenge in the decommissioning project.
Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, poses with a "Make America Great Again" cap at the White House in Washington on April 16.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Apr 23, 2025

Japan wants to 'separate' tariff and security issues. That may be tough.

Disentangling the two will prove a challenge as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to voice long-held complaints about the alliance’s fairness.
Ukrainian service members fire a multiple rocket launch system toward Russian troops near the frontline town of Pokrovsk, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 19.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 24, 2025

Trump ramps up pressure on Zelenskyy to accept peace deal

U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept a peace deal that critics fear will favor Moscow.
Rory McIlroy celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Georgia, on April 13.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Apr 24, 2025

Rory McIlroy moved by way Masters win resonated with fans

The Northern Irishman completed the career Grand Slam 10 days ago at the Masters, with an emotional playoff win over England's Justin Rose.
Elon Musk confirmed plans on Tuesday to reduce his government time commitment to one or two days a week to focus on his battered car company Tesla.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 24, 2025

Trump's Cabinet ready to take back power with Musk stepping back, sources say

Elon Musk plans to reduce his government time commitment to one or two days a week to focus on his battered car company, Tesla.
The government plans to send Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to the funeral of Pope Francis.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2025

Japan plans to send foreign minister to pope's funeral

The head of the Catholic Church died Monday at the age of 88. His funeral is due to take place at the Vatican on Saturday.
Once known only by his first name, Sasuke Haraguchi scrapped the pretension of a crafted image for bare authenticity. He’s now an in-demand electronic producer and artist in his own right.
CULTURE / Music
Apr 25, 2025

Sasuke Haraguchi’s provocative soundtracks for digital natives

The 21-year-old electronic producer and artist taps into the chaotic nature of modern online life.
Emergency workers search for victims under the rubble of an apartment building that was destroyed by a Russian missile strike early Thursday in Kyiv. The attack, which killed at least 12 people, was the deadliest on Ukraine’s capital in nearly a year.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 25, 2025

Trump tells Putin to 'STOP' after Russian attack kills 12 in Kyiv

The rare rebuke from the U.S. president came after Moscow launched its biggest attack this year on the Ukrainian capital.
The scallop carpaccio with strawberries is a harmonious blend of flavors and textures, and one of the standout recipes in "Umai: Recipes From a Japanese Home Kitchen."
LIFE / Food & Drink
Apr 26, 2025

A modern Japanese cookbook that is ‘a beautiful mess’

With an easygoing tone, Millie Tsukagoshi Lagares’ first cookbook is a vibrant Japanese culinary guide that speaks to a globalized generation.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in Tokyo gained 3.4% in April from a year earlier, as a mixture of impacts from last year’s school fee cuts and higher food and energy costs accelerated inflation, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 25, 2025

Tokyo prices rise most in two years, backing central bank's hike path

Consumer prices excluding fresh food gained 3.4% in April from a year earlier. Tokyo's figures are a leading indicator for national price gains.
Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid Open on Thursday.
TENNIS
Apr 25, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Madrid Open with eye on French Open defense

Alcaraz sustained an injury during the Barcelona Open final.
Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda after a meeting in Beijing last month
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2025

Toyota chairman proposes record buyout of its supplier at $42 billion valuation

The proposal values Toyota Industries, which makes looms for textiles as well as parts for Toyota’s cars, at a premium of 40% over its closing stock price on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff prior to their talks in Moscow on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 26, 2025

Trump says Russia-Ukraine deal 'very close' after new Kremlin talks

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy again rejected suggestions that his country give up on Russian-held Crimea.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks at Rengo's May Day event alongside the union's chief, Tomoko Yoshino, on Saturday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS
Apr 26, 2025

Ishiba vows wage hikes that keep up with inflation at May Day event

Ishiba's participation marks the third year in a row for a Japanese prime minister to attend Rengo's May Day event.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump meet, while they attend the funeral of Pope Francis, at the Vatican on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 27, 2025

Trump raises Putin doubts after Zelenskyy talks at pope's funeral

The Ukrainian leader said they had discussed a possible unconditional ceasefire with Russia and that their talks had "the potential to become historic."
An Iranian woman walks past an anti-U.S. mural on a street in Tehran on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 27, 2025

U.S. and Iran say progress made in 'positive' nuclear talks

Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, far above the 3.67% limit imposed by the 2015 deal but still below the 90% threshold required for weapons-grade material.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a letter from Britain's King Charles as he meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House in Washington on Feb. 27.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

Trump's first 100 days: 'America First' president is overturning world order

Trump's second-term agenda has alienated friends and emboldened adversaries while raising questions about how far he is prepared to go.
Lebanese emergency teams cordon off the perimeter of a fire at the site of Israeli strikes following evacuation orders, in Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday.
WORLD
Apr 28, 2025

Israel strikes Hezbollah missile storage facility in Beirut suburb

The Israeli Air Force fired three missiles at the target, causing damage to buildings and cars in the area, said Lebanon’s state-run news agency NNA.
Ground personnel unload weapons and other military hardware delivered by the U.S. military near Kyiv in 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

U.S. aid pullback is making Ukraine more vulnerable to Russian hacks

USAID has been gutted in the first months of Trump’s presidency by Elon Musk’s "department of government efficiency," and Trump has become increasingly impatient with Zelenskyy.
People gather to protest outside the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) headquarters after the Elon Musk-led "department of government efficiency" (DOGE) was charged with oversight of OPM, in Washington on Feb. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 28, 2025

100 days of DOGE: lots of chaos, not so much efficiency

"DOGE is not a serious exercise," said Jessica Riedl, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a fiscally conservative think tank that supports streamlining government.
U.S. President Donald Trump faces the enormous challenge of implementing the cavalcade of executive orders he has enacted.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2025

‘Welcome to the Thunderdome’: Inside the dizzying start of Trump 2.0

The administration's breakneck speed is both one of the administration’s most effective tools and most glaring vulnerabilities.
Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk looks on ahead of the inauguration ceremony where Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President in Washington on Jan. 20.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 29, 2025

Musk lays groundwork for midterms donor role as time with DOGE ends

Musk views his money and his social media platform X as potentially more powerful political tools than his time inside the government.
Christophe Lemaire rides Admire Daytona, who was bred in Japan, during the UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on April 5.
MORE SPORTS / Horse Racing
Apr 29, 2025

Could this be Japan’s year at the Kentucky Derby?

Japan has made great strides in thoroughbred racing, and many feel it is no longer a question of "if" a Japanese horse will win the event but "when."

Longform

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