Politics

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her newly chosen running mate,Tim Walz, react at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 6.
U.S. elections 2024

Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate

Ex-teacher to help Democratic presidential ticket appeal to rural, white voters in Midwest

7 August 2024
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington on June 4.
Crime

U.S. charges Pakistani man allegedly linked to Iran in assassination plot

Unidentified officials targeted in retaliation for 2020 killing of Soleimani, complaint says

7 August 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris' jump to the top of the Democratic Party's 2024 presidential election ticket caught many Washington diplomats off guard. While they weigh whether she will extend President Joe Biden's current Asia policies, they must also prepare for the prospect of a new, unpredictable term for former President Donald Trump.
The Big Story

Harris takes on Trump: Asia braces as U.S. heads toward poll

As diplomats weigh policy hints, VP picks Walz and Vance vie for working class votes

7 August 2024
Chinese-American academic Wang Shujun speaks to the press after being convicted in Brooklyn federal court on charges of acting as an illegal agent of China's government, in New York, U.S., Aug. 6.
Crime

Chinese academic convicted of acting as foreign agent in U.S.

Could face up to 25 years in prison for collecting information about activists

7 August 2024
Voters enter a polling station in London on July 4, when the Labour Party was voted into power in the U.K. for the first time in 14 years.
Comment

Can 'boring' leaders save the world from populism?

After Keir Starmer's win, Kamala Harris and Fumio Kishida face critical votes at home

5 August 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris could become the first female U.S. president.
U.S. elections 2024

Harris could become the 1st female U.S. leader; Asia's had several

Over 13 Asian countries and regions including Australia and Taiwan have had women heads

4 August 2024
The suit, also joined by the Federal Trade Commission, said it was aimed at putting an end "to TikTok's unlawful massive-scale invasions of children's privacy."
Society

U.S. sues TikTok over 'massive-scale' privacy violations of children

Short-video platform accused of not obtaining parental consent before collecting data

3 August 2024
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks from the South Lawn of the White House during an event with NCAA college athletes on July 22.
3 August 2024
The U.S. Army demonstrates the launch of a Tomahawk missile from a midrange capability system in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on June 28. (U.S. Army)
Indo-Pacific

China on edge over prolonged U.S. missile deployment in Asia

Launcher based in Philippines 'like bringing dagger to lunch,' Chinese official says

3 August 2024
Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva and Paul Whelan, who had all been detained in Russia, pose with a U.S. flag in this undated handout photograph obtained Aug. 1. (U.S. government via Reuters)
International relations

WSJ reporter Gershkovich, Russian assassin freed in massive prisoner swap

'This would not have been possible without our allies,' Biden says

2 August 2024
China Coast Guard vessels fire water cannons toward a Philippine ship on May 4. China and the Philippines have seen an uptick in maritime clashes since last year.
Comment

South China Sea emerges as critical flashpoint in U.S.-China rivalry

Race for influence in key waterway leads to discord at ASEAN meeting

2 August 2024
China's Fuzhou and U.S.'s Tacoma delegation at the US-China Sister Cities Summit.
US-China tensions

China woos local U.S. officials as tensions with Washington rise

Delegations of American mayors visiting China have grown since last year

1 August 2024
JD Vance speaks at a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, U.S. on July 27.
Opinion

Childless cat ladies of the world must unite against JD Vance's misogyny

Remarks by Trump's running mate reverberate through Japan and South Korea

1 August 2024
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 event in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 27. 
U.S. elections 2024

Who in Silicon Valley is supporting Trump -- and why?

Backers concentrated in cryptocurrency community and defense tech sector

1 August 2024
A drone from Chinese manufacturer DJI, a dominant player in the world's consumer drone market.
International relations

China revises drone export rules amid U.S., Western scrutiny

Beijing also lifts temporary export controls on some consumer drones Sept. 1

1 August 2024
China's Zhang Yufei competes during a heat in the women's 100-meter butterfly at the Paris Olympics on July 27. She has denied doping and said she hopes the many tests she took before the games would convince her peers.
Sports

Chinese swimmers' past positive doping tests haunt Paris Olympics

New revelations, blamed on tainted burgers, fuel fight between U.S. and world watchdogs

31 July 2024
Left to right: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, and Philippine Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro pose for a photo after their joint press conference at Camp Aguinaldo, in Quezon City, Metro Manila on July 30.
Defense

U.S. to boost Philippine defense capability with $500m investment

Hopes for bilateral intelligence-sharing agreement to be finalized by end of 2024

30 July 2024
Nippon Steel Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Takahiro Mori is actively engaging with U.S. Steel employees to address concerns over the proposed acquisition. (Source photos by Nanami Sato and Azusa Kawakami)
Business deals

Nippon Steel goes straight to the mill to shore up U.S. Steel deal

Japanese steelmaker stages charm offensive to overcome opposition to buyout

29 July 2024
From left, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pose as they attend a Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Tokyo on July 29.  
International relations

Quad countries agree to expand Indo-Pacific cyber, maritime initiatives

Australia, India, Japan, U.S. 'seriously concerned' about East and South China seas

29 July 2024
Perhaps acknowledging his country's divisions, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he will sign a decree on July 29 to hold a "great national dialogue."
Politics

Venezuela's Maduro defies exit polls to claim third presidential term

U.S. says the announced result does not reflect people's will or votes

29 July 2024
From left, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara attend a press conference in Tokyo on July 28.
Defense

Japan, U.S. unveil 'most significant' defense upgrade amid 'global threats'

U.S. to 'reconstitute' Japan-based forces to enhance contingency coordination

28 July 2024
Japan and the U.S. are poised to agree to step up defense coordination at their "two-plus-two" meeting in Tokyo on July 28. (Source photos by Nikkei)
Defense

U.S. to boost alliance with unified command for its forces in Japan

Countries to create working group to iron out details on cooperation

28 July 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, with Thailand's Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Vientiane on July 27.
International relations

Blinken chides Beijing's 'escalating actions' in South China Sea

Russia's Lavrov says U.S. 'enflaming atmosphere' on Korean peninsula at summit

28 July 2024
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order last month to assess China's risk to the state.
US-China tensions

China becomes a punching bag for assertive U.S. states

Restrictions on land purchases, TikTok and investments seek to curb Chinese influence

26 July 2024
U.S. soldiers participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 at Bellows Air Force Station in Hawaii on July 9. (Photo from U.S. Army Pacific Facebook)
Defense

Palau-based radar delayed despite U.S. focus on 2nd island chain

Air Force says construction issues slow project amid funding review

26 July 2024