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Politics & Diplomacy

Summits, elections, alliances and the diplomacy of the Indo-Pacific as the region redefines itself.

Trump's diesel deal with Putin undercuts Ukraine and Europe
Politics

Trump's diesel deal with Putin undercuts Ukraine and Europe

Trump's October 9 deal with Putin to allow Russian diesel sales breaks with US policy and undercuts Ukraine. The move pressures Kyiv to halt

Kenji Watanabe ·
Trump's open embrace of Putin ends pretense on Ukraine
Politics

Trump's open embrace of Putin ends pretense on Ukraine

After months of feigned neutrality, Trump now openly champions Putin's position on Ukraine. His attacks on Zelensky and praise for the Russi

Mei-Ling Chen ·
Balkan history warns against heritage obsession
Politics

Balkan history warns against heritage obsession

The Balkans' violent breakup shows the dangers of ethnic nationalism. A US faction's 'heritage' focus echoes these divisions. EU integration

Kenji Watanabe ·
WHO's next leader should be chosen on merit, not nationality
Politics

WHO's next leader should be chosen on merit, not nationality

China has nominated Song Li to lead the WHO, but the debate should center on her qualifications and independence, not her nationality. The n

Mei-Ling Chen ·
Israel's fifth election in six years: same arithmetic, same deadlock
Politics

Israel's fifth election in six years: same arithmetic, same deadlock

Israel's October 27 election is unlikely to break the political deadlock, as polls show the country still split nearly evenly between Netany

Kenji Watanabe ·
Trump sons' defense investments draw scrutiny over $6 billion in Pentagon deals
Politics

Trump sons' defense investments draw scrutiny over $6 billion in Pentagon deals

An ABC News analysis found that companies with financial backing from Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have secured more than $6 billion in U

Mei-Ling Chen ·
Trump's Iran remark sparks fury in California cities
Politics

Trump's Iran remark sparks fury in California cities

President Trump said he would 'let' Iran strike Los Angeles and San Diego, calling it a 'small price to pay.' California leaders condemned t

Kenji Watanabe ·
Brazil's runoff: Lula's narrow path against Bolsonaro's heir
Politics

Brazil's runoff: Lula's narrow path against Bolsonaro's heir

Brazil's presidential election heads to a runoff with Lula down 47% to 45%. Third-party candidates may not endorse Bolsonaro, but Lula faces

Mei-Ling Chen ·
Flydubai incident bolsters Netanyahu's security pitch ahead of Israeli vote
Politics

Flydubai incident bolsters Netanyahu's security pitch ahead of Israeli vote

An apparent hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers has given Benjamin Netanyahu a campaign boost. The inc

Kenji Watanabe ·
AI's apparent danger is its best selling point
Politics

AI's apparent danger is its best selling point

Anthropic's threat report and similar warnings from OpenAI and Google highlight AI dangers, but critics say fear is a promotional strategy.

Mei-Ling Chen ·
US House Speaker calls AI data center opposition a 'Chinese psyop'
Politics

US House Speaker calls AI data center opposition a 'Chinese psyop'

House Speaker Mike Johnson says opposition to AI data centers is a 'Chinese psyop,' dismissing widespread public concerns. Critics, includin

Kenji Watanabe ·
Trump's bid to halt Ukraine's refinery strikes reveals strategic rift
Politics

Trump's bid to halt Ukraine's refinery strikes reveals strategic rift

Trump urged Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, citing fuel price concerns. Zelensky refused, saying Ukrainian lives matter

Mei-Ling Chen ·