Russia says the U.S. has not responded to Russian President ‍Vladimir Putin’s proposal ⁠to keep observing nuclear missile and warhead limits for another 12 months as the two countries’ arms treaty expired. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/russia-us-treaty-nuclear-limits/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #nuclearweapons #russia #vladimirputin #us #donaldtrump

European countries are taking their broadest swipe yet at social media, with a growing number weighing bans of the services for minors and setting the stage for a new showdown with some of the biggest U.S. companies. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/society/ban-social-media-kids-europe/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #society #socialmedia #instagram #facebook #snap #tiktok #youtube #grok #europe #france #spain #australia

Four people, including two Chinese nationals, have been arrested in France on suspicion of spying for China and were brought before an investigative judge. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/chinese-nationals-france-spying/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #china #france #espionage

U.S. President Donald Trump is withdrawing some 700 federal immigration enforcement agents from Minnesota, although about 2,000 agents will stay in place. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/trump-immigration-agents-minnesota/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #minnesota #minneapolis #us #donaldtrump #republicans #ice #immigration

U.S. President Donald Trump has attacked key pillars of his country's democracy, Human Rights Watch warned on Wednesday in its annual report. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/trump-democracy-human-rights-watch/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #democracy #humanrights #us #donaldtrump #republicans

Ukrainian and Russian officials had a "productive" first day of new U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, according to Kyiv's lead negotiator, as fighting in Europe's largest conflict since World War II continued. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/ukraine-russia-us-talks/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #ukraine #russia #russiaukrainewar #vladimirputin #volodymyrzelenskyy

Israeli tanks and airstrikes killed 24 Palestinians including seven children in Gaza on Wednesday, the latest violence to undermine the nearly four-month-old ceasefire. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/israeli-strikes-kill-24-gaza/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #middleeast #israel #gaza #israelhamaswar #palestinians

Trump, Xi discuss Taiwan and soybeans in call aimed at easing China, U.S. relations https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/trump-xi-taiwan-soybeans-call-china-us/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #china #xijinping #us #donaldtrump #taiwan

The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/05/world/politics/us-iran-talks-oman-agenda/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #oman #middleeast #us

The Panamanian Supreme Court’s ruling invalidating CK Hutchison’s port contracts strengthens the U.S.' hand in the region and weakens China’s influence while undermining its investments. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/world/china-loses-more-than-panama-ports/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #panama #us #donaldtrump #china #chinapanamarelations #panamacanal

India’s violent Maoist insurgency — which at its 2013 peak, held considerable influence in 126 districts — appears to be on its last legs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/world/indias-maoist-insurgency/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #india #redcorridor #cpi #maoists #naxalbari #narendramodi #tamiltigers

The FBI’s raid on Fulton County’s election center appears less about law enforcement than a strategic effort by the Trump administration to undermine trust in elections and interfere ahead of pivotal midterm contests. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/world/fbis-georgia-ballot-raid/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #us #donaldtrump #republicans #joebiden #atlanta #fbi #2020uspresidentialelection #georgiastate

China's President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin both hailed their ties during a video call held in the run-up to the fourth anniversary of Moscow's war in Ukraine. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/xi-putin-ties/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #russia #china #vladimirputin #xijinping

Pakistan's security forces used drones and helicopters to wrest control of a southwestern town from separatist insurgents after a three-day battle, as the death toll rose to 58. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/pakistan-helicopters-drones-58-dead/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #pakistan

Nongovernmental organizations are battling to quantify the scale of Iran’s crackdown on protesters, a task complicated by the internet shutdown, manipulated content and threats against sources inside the country. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/ngos-iran-crackdown-death-count/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #iran #middleeast #humanrightsactivistsnewsagency #iranhumanrights

China has denounced a ruling by Panama’s top court to void CK Hutchison’s contract to operate two ports as “extremely absurd,” warning the Central American country would pay a “heavy price” if it fails to change course. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/politics/china-panama-court-ruling-ports/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #panama #panamacanal #china #shipping

Israeli strikes kill 18 in Gaza and patient crossings at Rafah halted, Palestinian officials say https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/israeli-strikes-gaza-patient-crossings-rafah-halted #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #WorldNews #MiddleEastAndNorthAfrica

Israeli strikes kill 18 in Gaza and patient crossings at Rafah halted, Palestinian officials say https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/feb/04/israeli-strikes-gaza-patient-crossings-rafah-halted #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #WorldNews #MiddleEastAndNorthAfrica

‘The smart, the rich, the powerful’: Epstein associated with Silicon Valley elite years after his release from prison https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/03/epstein-silicon-valley #JeffreyEpstein #SiliconValley #ElonMusk #JeffBezos #LarryPage #SergeyBrin #EvanWilliams #BillGates #MarissaMayer #MichaelWolff #StephenHawking #AndrewMountbattenwindsor #BillClinton #PeterGabriel #NoamChomsky #MohammedBinSalman #TheSuperrich #UsNews #WorldNews

Faced with a highly polarized U.S. political landscape, Leo XIV, the first American pope, has opted for discreet and indirect criticism while also keeping channels of communication open. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/04/world/politics/trump-pope-leo-diplomacy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #popeleoxiv #us #donaldtrump