NEWSWORTHY
Trump-linked lobbyists help Nigerian politician once deemed persona non grata gain U.S. access
Until last month, Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar had a problem. He was persona non grata in the U.S. after cropping up in connection with several corruption investigations. Then the cloud lifted. Years after he'd last been seen in the U.S., Abubakar surfaced in Washington ...
U.S. approves possible $3.1 billion sale of early-warning planes to Japan
The U.S. State Department said Monday it is ready to approve the sale of up to nine early-warning military planes to Japan, in a sale worth more than $3 billion. The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft, made by Northrop Grumman, are equipped with powerful radars that ...
Declassified papers reveal U.S. held debate on Japan's nuclear ambitions in 1970s
Japan's push to establish a nuclear fuel recycling program and use the plutonium created in the process was the center of an intense debate in the U.S. government four decades ago, pitting those who wanted smooth relations with Tokyo against those who worried the ...
Aceh Shariah court in a first sentences gay pair to caning, undermining Indonesia's moderate image
An Islamic Shariah court in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province has sentenced two gay men to public caning for the first time, further undermining the country's moderate image after a top Christian politician was imprisoned for blasphemy. The court, whose sentencing Wednesday coincided with International Day ...
State Department diplomats denounce Trump travel ban, are told to 'get with program or go'
The White House clashed Monday with a large group of American diplomats who are voicing dissent with Donald Trump's temporary travel ban on citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, challenging them to resign if they aren't on board. "They should either get with the program or ...
Afghans angry after qualified female air force pilot applies for asylum in U.S.
There was an angry reaction in Afghanistan to news that the first female fixed-wing pilot in the country's air force is requesting asylum in the United States after completing an 18-month training course. The Defense Ministry in Kabul confirmed Sunday that Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, 25, ...
State Department plans own probe of whether Clinton, her staff mishandled classified info
The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it will conduct an internal review of whether Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her aides mishandled classified information, after the Justice Department declined to bring criminal charges. The State Department said in April it had suspended plans ...
State Department tells court it has no emails from immunity-granted, ex-Clinton aide
The State Department says in a new court filing that it can find no emails to or from a former Hillary Clinton aide who worked for the agency and also managed Clinton's private computer server during her stint as secretary of state. The revelation was ...
Forced labor allegations, abuses continue to dog Japan's foreign trainee program
Tang Xili came to Japan in 2013, hoping to earn enough in three years to build a new home for her daughter. Instead, she ended up in a labor union shelter after leaving an employer she says owes her about ¥3.5 million in unpaid ...
State Department hits bullying, 'maternity harassment' in Japan, Seoul's arrest of Sankei journalist
A U.S. government report on human rights violations addressed the issue of so-called maternity harassment in Japan on Thursday, while expressing concern about South Korea's indictment last year of a Japanese journalist over reporting on the country's president. The 2014 Country Reports on Human Rights ...
Futenma replacement base 'fundamental' to security, U.S. officials tell Okinawa governor
U.S. officials told the governor of Okinawa on Wednesday that a U.S. forces presence in his prefecture is key to the U.S. commitment to defend Japan. Officials from the U.S. State and Defense Departments told Takeshi Onaga in a meeting in Washington that the United ...
Japanese make arrest in threats to U.S. ambassador: State Department
Japanese police have arrested a man in connection with telephone threats made to the U.S. Embassy and American Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, the State Department said on Thursday. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said a 52-year-old man from Okinawa was apprehended by police in Japan but ...
