The Japan Times - Politics (English)

Israel army chief resigns over October 7 'failure'

The head of Israel's military resigned on Tuesday, taking responsibility for its "failure" to stop Hamas's October 7 attack, days after a fragile truce took effect following 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip.

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Scholz vows to 'defend free trade' after Trump tariff threat

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday vowed to "defend free trade as the basis of our prosperity", a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs and taxes on trade partners.

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EU, China warn against trade friction at Davos after Trump return

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Tuesday that Europe was ready to negotiate with the United States and seek to improve ties with China as Beijing warned against damaging trade wars in the face of Donald Trump's protectionism.

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Bangladesh probe reveals children held in secret jails

Several children were among hundreds of people held in secret detention centres in Bangladesh, a commission investigating enforced disappearances carried out during the tenure of now deposed premier Sheikh Hasina revealed Tuesday.

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Hamas says will free four women hostages in next swap

Hamas said Tuesday it will release four women hostages in the next swap with Israel under the terms of a fragile truce intended to bring to an end to 15 months of war in Gaza.

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WHO 'regrets' Trump decision to pull US from organization

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it regretted US President Donald Trump's decision -- just hours after taking power -- to withdraw his country from the UN agency, saying it hoped he would "reconsider".

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At Davos, EU vows pragmatism with Trump

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Tuesday that Europe was ready to negotiate with US President Donald Trump but the bloc will also seek to improve ties with China and other nations as global competition heats up.

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China says committed to WHO, Paris climate deal after US pulls out

China vowed on Tuesday to continue participating in two cornerstone multinational arrangements -- the World Health Organization and Paris climate accord -- after newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump ordered withdrawals from them.

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Musk says critics need 'better dirty tricks' after salute row

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk said Tuesday his critics needed "better dirty tricks" after a row erupted over a gesture he made at an inauguration event for US President Donald Trump that some likened to a Nazi salute.

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Afghan Taliban government announces prisoner swap with US

The Taliban government said Tuesday it had released American citizens from prison in return for an Afghan fighter held in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.

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Israel-Hamas truce holding though Trump doubts it will last

The Israel-Hamas ceasefire entered a third day Tuesday, while US President Donald Trump said he doubted the fragile deal would hold.

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Trump takes US reins with flurry of executive orders

US President Donald Trump begins his first full day in office Tuesday, riding a wave of executive orders signed just hours after his inauguration on everything from immigration to the environment and culture wars.

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South Korea's suspended president attends impeachment hearing

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared at the Constitutional Court for the first time Tuesday, facing a possible grilling by judges who will decide whether to remove him from office.

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Trump 'not confident' Gaza deal will hold

US President Donald Trump said Monday he was not confident a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold, despite trumpeting his diplomacy to secure it ahead of his inauguration.

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China, EU, Ukraine leaders take Davos stage under Trump shadow

With Donald Trump back as US president with his confrontational style, Chinese, European and Ukrainian leaders are expected to defend global cooperation on Tuesday at the annual gathering of the world's elites in Davos.

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Love and rights: Thailand's same-sex marriage milestone

Hundreds of LGBTQ couples are set to marry in Thailand on Thursday, as the kingdom becomes the biggest nation in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.

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EU's legal weapon facing the heat from US big tech

For tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the EU's digital rules are a tool of censorship. For the bloc, they are its most powerful weapon to stop the spread of illegal content.

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Trump vows to take Panama Canal, urges Putin to make Ukraine deal

Donald Trump cast himself both as a peacemaker and fierce defender of US interests in a mercurial return to the White House on Monday, vowing to seize the Panama Canal but also imploring Russia to make a deal on Ukraine.

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Trump's climate retreat shines light on green leaders

The United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is a blow to global cooperation on climate change, but other countries are marching ahead and stepping up leadership on the issue.

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Trump signs order to pull US from WHO, citing funding disparities

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), a body he has repeatedly criticized over its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Trump grants pardons to 1,500 US Capitol rioters

US President Donald Trump granted pardons on Monday to more than 1,500 of his supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

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Facing Trump and Musk, EU lawmakers seek sure footing

How to deal with Donald Trump's disruptive return to the White House and the tempestuous forays of his billionaire ally Elon Musk into European affairs?

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Trump unleashes first day blitz with promise of new 'golden age'

Donald Trump signed a blizzard of divisive presidential orders as he was sworn in for a historic second term Monday, pardoning supporters who violently attacked the US Capitol and clamping down on immigration, even as he vowed a new "golden age" for America.

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Trump's climate retreat shines light on other green leaders

The United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is a blow to global cooperation on climate change, but other countries are marching ahead and stepping up leadership on the issue.

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Trump declares national emergency, troop deployments at Mexico border

President Donald Trump announced severe new restrictions on immigration and asylum in the United States hours after taking office Monday, declaring that he will send troops to the US-Mexico border and attempt to end birthright citizenship.

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Trump says could impose 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico on Feb 1

US President Donald Trump said Monday he could impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from neighbors Canada and Mexico on February 1.

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Musk raises eyebrows with salute gesture at Trump rally

Billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy Monday after making a gesture at an event celebrating US President Donald Trump's inauguration, with some calling it a "Nazi" or "fascist" movement.

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Trump promises new US 'golden age' with blitz of presidential orders

Donald Trump vowed a new "golden age" for America as he was sworn in for a historic second presidential term Monday, immediately signing a blizzard of orders that he said would restore glory to a nation in decline.

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Rubio wins unanimous nod to be top US diplomat

The US Senate unanimously approved Marco Rubio as secretary of state on Monday, putting the fellow senator in the frontline of President Donald Trump's often confrontational diplomacy.

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Rubio on track to take office quickly as US secretary of state

A Senate committee on Monday fast-tracked Marco Rubio's nomination to be US secretary of state, paving the way for him to take over quickly as top diplomat under President Donald Trump.

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'Please let us in': Trump crackdown leaves migrants in tears

Margelis Tinoco broke down in tears after her asylum appointment was canceled as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown announced by US President Donald Trump on his first day in office.

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Trump says to declare national emergency at border, use military

Donald Trump said Monday he will issue a raft of executive orders aimed at reshaping how the United States deals with citizenship and immigration.

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