New Zealand Dismisses Top Diplomat to U.K. After His Remarks on Trump

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

Brisbane, Australia, Braces for Powerful Cyclone

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

Many Chinese See a Cultural Revolution in America

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

National Endowment for Democracy Sues Top Trump Aides Over Funding Freeze

The National Endowment for Democracy, a nonprofit that has had bipartisan support over decades for its work promoting democracy abroad, is suing the U.S. government and cabinet officials for withholding $239 million in congressional appropriations. Members of the group’s board, which includes current and former Republican and Democratic politicians, said the organization filed the lawsuit … Read more