The Japan Times - Politics

Tuareg rebels in control of key Mali town

Jihadists and allied Tuareg separatists in Mali have seized the key northern town of Kidal after coordinated attacks on strategic junta positions, an ally of the local governor and local sources said on Monday.

Separate goals, common enemy for Mali's jihadists and separatists

Unprecedented attacks in Mali by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists and Tuareg separatists who killed the defence minister and seized a key town are the dramatic result of a new alliance the two groups forged a year ago.

Accused media gala shooter charged with attempted Trump assassination

The man accused in the shooting at a media gala attended by Donald Trump this weekend was arraigned in court Monday on charges of trying to assassinate the president and two firearms crimes.

UK's King Charles seeks to shore up Trump ties

King Charles III arrives in Washington Monday for a high-stakes state visit aimed at salvaging Britain's frayed ties with Donald Trump, amid extra-tight security following an attack on a gala dinner attended by the US president.

Tourism plummets in US-blockaded Cuba

Tourist trips to Cuba almost halved since the beginning of the year, Havana's statistics office said Monday, as a US fuel blockade pummels the island and international flights remain suspended.

21 killed in deadliest Colombia bombing in decades

The death toll in a Colombian highway bombing blamed on cocaine-trafficking rebels has risen to 21, the government said Monday, in the country's worst attack on civilians in decades and just ahead of elections.

Oil rises, stocks slip as US-Iran peace talk hopes dim

Oil prices rose and stock markets mostly retreated on Monday as peace talks between the United States and Iran stalled, ahead of a week full of central bank decisions and corporate earnings.

Tuareg rebels in control of key Mali town after offensive

Tuareg separatists and their jihadist allies in Mali have seized control of the key northern town of Kidal after coordinated attacks on strategic junta positions, an ally of the local governor and local sources said Monday.

Iran FM blames US for failure of talks as he meets with Putin

Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington on Monday for the failure of Middle East peace talks during a visit to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin promised him Moscow's support in bringing the war to a close.

Melania Trump slams Kimmel joke likening her to an 'expectant widow'

US First Lady Melania Trump lashed out Monday at comedian Jimmy Kimmel over a joke likening her to an "expectant widow," a jibe with eerie resonance after a shooting at a dinner attended by Donald Trump.

'Looming' risk of nuclear arms race, UN proliferation meeting hears

Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting at the UN on Monday as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers once again at loggerheads over safeguards.

Suspect due in court over shooting at Trump gala

A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by President Donald Trump was to appear in court Monday over a shooting that marked the latest spasm of political violence in deeply divided America.

Iran FM blames US for failure of talks before meeting with Putin

Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington on Monday for the failure of Middle East peace talks during a visit to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin promised him Moscow's support in bringing the war to a close.

Swiss canton votes with centuries-old show of hands

Every late April, the tiny Swiss canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden votes for local leaders and magistrates in accordance with a tradition dating back to the 15th century: a show of hands in the town square.

Mali attacks kill defence minister, deepening security crisis

A fragile calm prevailed on Monday in the Malian capital, Bamako, and the ruling junta's stronghold of Kati, after two days of fierce fighting between the army and jihadists allied with Tuareg separatists, which have plunged the country into uncertainty over the military government's future.

Iran FM blames US for failure of talks after landing in Russia

Iran's top diplomat blamed Washington on Monday for the failure of talks after landing in Russia as part of a whirlwind diplomatic tour, with direct negotiations between the warring parties seemingly at an impasse.

Final talks begin on missing piece for pandemic treaty

An extra week of negotiations to complete the crucial missing piece of an international agreement on handling future pandemics kicks off Monday at the WHO, with sharp divisions holding up an accord.

North Korea's Kim reaffirms support for Russia's 'sacred' Ukraine war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its "sacred" war, state media reported on Monday.

As some hijabs come off in Iran, restrictions still in place

Images of bareheaded women sipping coffee in cafes in Tehran, in apparent defiance of the Islamic republic's strict dress rule, have stirred interest outside Iran -- but for Elnaz, 32, it is no breakthrough.

Dealing with the dead in the ruins of Sudan's war

At a makeshift morgue in Khartoum, engineer turned mortician Ali Gebbai clicked through a spreadsheet of the dead. Thousands of entries, each with a photo and burial site, keep a harrowing record of Sudan's war.

North Korea strengthens nuclear push as US flails in Middle East

North Korea is taking advantage of the Middle East war to speed up its weapons development and cement its nuclear status in a world where international norms have broken down, analysts say.

Caught between wars, US Afghan allies trapped in Qatar without safe exit

Stuck for over a year behind a perimeter fence on a defunct American base on Doha's edge, 1,100 former Afghan allies of US forces and their families have escaped Afghanistan with their lives only to find themselves trapped in uncertainty.

British royals begin four-day US visit despite shooting

Britain's King Charles III begins a state visit to the United States on Monday, as transatlantic tensions simmer over the Iran war, and despite a shooting two days earlier at a dinner attended by his host, President Donald Trump.

Suspect in shooting at Trump press dinner to appear in court

A California man accused of storming a gala dinner attended by President Donald Trump was to appear in court Monday over a shooting that marks the latest spasm of political violence in deeply divided America.

Global military spending surges on insecurity: report

Global military spending reached nearly $2.9 trillion in 2025, marking an 11th consecutive year of growth, researchers said Monday, as insecurity and rearmament fuelled defence budgets.

Colombia road bombing death toll rises to 20

The death toll in a weekend highway bombing in Colombia rose to 20, with another 36 people injured, the local department's governor said Sunday on X.

Iran minister heads to Russia as talks remain stalled

Iran's foreign minister headed to Moscow on Sunday as peace efforts between Tehran and Washington hung in the balance, following a flurry of regional diplomacy and the collapse of planned talks in Pakistan.

Mali junta in crisis after minister killed, key city 'captured'

Mali's military rulers faced a security crisis Sunday after coordinated nationwide attacks by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels this weekend killed the defence minister and reportedly left a key northern town in rebel hands.

Iran minister returns to Pakistan despite US cancelling talks

Iran's foreign minister returned to Islamabad on Sunday, ping-ponging from capital to capital as mediators hoped to keep peace talks between Tehran and the United States alive.

Gunman sought to kill Trump, cabinet at gala dinner

Investigators on Sunday said the gunman who tried to storm a gala dinner attended by Donald Trump planned to assassinate the US president and other top officials, as scrutiny grew over the event's security.

Colombia road bombing death toll rises to 19

Colombia's forensic institute said Sunday it was examining 19 bodies after a massive roadway explosion the day before, which authorities have blamed on an armed group ahead of next month's elections.

Two former Israel PMs unite to challenge Netanyahu in elections

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Sunday he would join forces with former premier Naftali Bennett ahead of this year's elections, in a move aimed at unseating incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu.

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