DW

Japan: Popular Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calls early election

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called an early lower-house election for February, aiming to capitalize on a 78% approval rating to strengthen her coalition or restore the LDP’s lost majority, party scandals and a newly unified opposition bloc.

US–Taiwan trade deal lowers tariffs and commits Taiwanese tech investment in the US

Washington and Taipei reached a trade deal that lowers US tariffs on Taiwanese goods and includes at least $250 billion in new Taiwanese chip and tech investment in the United States.

X restricts Grok image generation to curb sexualized images of real people

X announced new restrictions on its AI chatbot Grok to prevent users from generating sexualized images of real people, including undressing images, amid backlash and government scrutiny.

Mykhailo Fedorov appointed Ukraine’s defense minister with a focus on military technology

Ukraine’s parliament approved Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister on a second vote, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy citing the need to maximize the army’s technological capability as the war with Russia continues.

Minnesota and Illinois sue over federal immigration enforcement surge and Minneapolis shooting

Minnesota and Illinois filed lawsuits against the Trump administration after a federal immigration officer fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis and federal authorities surged ICE and DHS agents into Minnesota.

Young men in Croatia receive call-up papers as conscription returns

Around 1,200 male school leavers in Croatia received call-up letters in early 2026 for two months of military service as the country reinstated conscription for the first time since 2008.

Two people shot and wounded during federal immigration enforcement incident in Portland

US Border Patrol officers shot and wounded a man and a woman in Portland, Oregon, and federal and state officials said the incident was under investigation.

Bushfires in Victoria destroy homes, force evacuations, and leave three missing

Bushfires in Australia’s state of Victoria destroyed homes, forced evacuations, and left two adults and a child missing as fire danger reached a “catastrophic” level during an intense heat wave.

Venezuela starts talks with the United States as protests demand Maduro’s release

Venezuela launched talks with the United States on reestablishing diplomatic relations as protests in Caracas demanded the release of captured President Nicolas Maduro.

Lula vetoes bill that would have cut Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vetoed a bill that would have reduced former President Jair Bolsonaro’s prison sentence from 27 years to two years.

Indian gig workers demand benefits and protections

Labor groups organized a strike on New Year's Eve and demanded a minimum monthly income of 24,000 to 40,000 rupees for gig workers.

Cyprus, Greece and Israel sign military cooperation plans

The agreements were signed in Nicosia during an annual joint meeting of the three countries' military staffs.

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