European leaders held talks on Ukraine and defense At a meeting in Brussels yesterday, leaders of the E.U.’s 27 countries discussed how to bolster both the continent’s defenses and its support for Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, called it a “watershed moment.” The goal for Europe is to better … Read more
Senior State Department officials have drawn up plans to close a dozen consulates overseas by this summer and are considering shutting down many more missions, in what could be a blow to the U.S. government’s efforts to build partnerships and gather intelligence, American officials say. The department also plans to lay off many local citizens … Read more
President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan on Thursday sought to reassure his citizens that a plan by a Taiwanese chip giant to spend $100 billion in the United States would benefit the island, after the company’s pledge this week raised concerns at home. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest chip manufacturer, announced on Monday that … Read more
New Zealand on Thursday recalled its top diplomat in Britain after he made comments questioning President Trump’s understanding of history at a public event, in a sign of the unease and sensitivities around expressing disagreements with the Trump administration. Phil Goff, New Zealand’s high commissioner to Britain — the equivalent of an ambassador between Commonwealth … Read more
This article is part of a Women and Leadership special report highlighting women who are charting new pathways and fighting for opportunities for women and others. When Gil Won-ok, a Korean woman, died recently at the age of 96, the international community lost an outspoken warrior in the effort to make Japan accountable for its … Read more
Fighting off a takeover by a Canadian rival, the Japanese parent company of 7-Eleven announced a major business shake-up that included the appointment of its first foreign-born chief executive. Seven & i Holdings said on Thursday that Stephen Dacus, 64, a member of the company’s board of directors and longtime retail executive from the United … Read more
South Korean Military Accidentally Drops Bombs on Homes
A South Korean village near the North Korean border was mistakenly shelled on Thursday by two fighter jets from the South’s own air force, leaving seven people injured and damaging homes and a church. The jets were taking part in a joint exercise with the United States military when each of them dropped four bombs, … Read more
A swath of Australia’s eastern coast around Brisbane, the country’s third-largest city, was bracing for the first cyclone forecast to make landfall in the region in decades, as the authorities warned of the potential for widespread flooding and destructive winds. The slow-moving Tropical Cyclone Alfred was expected to come ashore late Friday or early Saturday … Read more
As the United States grapples with the upheaval unleashed by the Trump administration, many Chinese people are finding they can relate to what many Americans are going through. They are saying it feels something like the Cultural Revolution, the period known as “the decade of turmoil.” The young aides Elon Musk has sent to dismantle … Read more