
Japan's ruling party projected to lose majority in upper house of parliament
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's influence was already weakened after his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) failed in October to secure an absolute majority in the more powerful lower house for the first time in 15 years, marking the beginning of an unusual period of political disarray for the major U.S. ally in Asia.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Japanese World War II warship discovered
Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 17 videos Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN China cracks down on fake "Lafufu" Labubus Fake Labubu plush toys, dubbed "Lafufu," have gained popularity due to shortages of the original dolls made by China's Pop Mart. 02:05 - Source: CNN Child flees Israeli strike on Gaza refugee camp Video shows a child running away as Israeli munitions struck near a UNRWA school in Bureij Refugee Camp behind her. 00:36 - Source: CNN Jair Bolsonaro denies coup charges as police raid home Police in Brazil raided the home of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and enforced a ruling from the country's Supreme Court that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle tag. Bolsonaro is being accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election. 01:17 - Source: CNN Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports. 01:44 - Source: CNN Surgeon shows humanitarian crisis in Gaza's hospitals A surgeon working in southern Gaza says babies are arriving at hospital so malnourished that 'skin and bones doesn't do it justice.' He also describes what appears to be a disturbing pattern in the gunshot wounds of children arriving from food distribution sites. CNN's Nada Bashir reports. 02:55 - Source: CNN Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN. 01:33 - Source: CNN Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports 00:53 - Source: CNN Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines. 00:39 - Source: CNN Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium. 00:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's image is changing inside Russia Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis. 01:41 - Source: CNN Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria? Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes. 01:57 - Source: CNN Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists. 00:30 - Source: CNN Video shows machine gun fire near Gaza aid site A video from social media shows machine gun fire spraying the ground near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza as crowds of Palestinians lie on the ground for safety. Although the source of the gunfire is not seen in the video, multiple eyewitnesses say it shows the Israeli military opening fire on Palestinians as they waited for food on Saturday. 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Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Zohran Mamdani visiting Uganda during NYC mayoral campaign
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is visiting his native country of Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage, taking a short break from the campaign trail ahead of the November election. Mamdani announced the visit in a video posted to social media on Sunday and said he would return to the city by the end of July. The trip comes as Mamdani, a 33-year-old member of the state Assembly, is facing a crowded field of opponents in the city's general election, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who are both running as independent candidates. In his video, Mamdani joked that he had decided to heed the 'consistent advice' of some of his critics online who have told him to return to Africa, showing a screen full of posts that called for him to leave the U.S. 'I hear you, and I agree: I'm going back to Uganda,' he said. 'I'm headed there in a personal capacity to celebrate Rama and I's marriage with our family and friends.' 'But I do want to apologize to the haters, because I will be coming back,' Mamdani added. Mamdani announced his marriage to Rama Duwaji, an animator and illustrator, earlier this year. He was born in Kampala, Uganda to Indian parents and moved to New York when he was 7, becoming naturalized as an American citizen in 2018. Mamdani defeated Cuomo in the city's Democratic primary election but Cuomo later relaunched his campaign to run as an independent candidate. Adams is a Democrat but skipped this primary to instead run as an independent because of the political fallout over his now-dismissed federal corruption case. Jim Walden, a former prosecutor, is also running as an independent. Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the anti-crime Guardian Angels patrol group, is running on the Republican line.


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
The Business And Economic Case For Academic Freedom
Since the end of World War II, America's colleges and universities have been one of our core strategic advantages in the global economy. From the internet to artificial intelligence, from mRNA vaccines to cutting-edge cancer treatments to semiconductor fabrication, research pioneered at our universities has produced breakthrough innovations, iconic American businesses, and the most entrepreneurial nation in the world. But this advantage is under threat. The federal government's coercive meddling in higher education—freezing funding, revoking student visas, dictating what can be taught, and pressuring university presidents to resign—is dismantling the very system that has ensured America's economic dynamism for 80 years. Highly visible attacks against elite universities send an unambiguous message about all of America's universities: ambitious engineers, mathematicians, and scientists in Shanghai, Berlin, and Mumbai need not apply. These actions also deliver a chilling message to CEOs: Your enterprise could be targeted next—if you don't conform to shifting political pressures. And they have signaled to foreign investors and multinational companies that the U.S. no longer demonstrates an ironclad commitment to institutional integrity and the rule of the law. As a long-term investor focused on backing companies built to compete—and succeed—over decades, I find this deeply concerning. Because if we relinquish our universities' competitive edge, the next generation of transformative companies—and entire industries—may take root elsewhere. To be clear, our universities do need reform. More must be done to combat the rise in antisemitism, encourage diverse viewpoints, and ensure more Americans receive high-quality and affordable education. But reform doesn't require undermining what makes these institutions indispensable. Just look at the numbers: More than a quarter of America's billion-dollar startups were co-founded by international students who came here to learn and stayed to create, according to the National Foundation for American Policy. Immigrants or their children had founded 230 Fortune 500 companies as of 2024, per the American Immigration Council. A Council report found that these companies generated $8.6 trillion in revenue in 2023. It seems clear that when we educate the world's most talented 1% and give them the tools and freedom to innovate, American jobs are created for American workers. While other nations have historically been limited to their domestic talent pools (which in the case of China or India is much larger than ours), we have recruited globally. But we no longer have a monopoly on this approach. China is moving fast to recruit talent from around the world, including offering housing, healthcare, spousal employment, and financial incentives. European universities are launching major initiatives—like the EU's €500 million 'Choose Europe for Science' plan—to attract U.S. and global researchers with generous grants, visa support, and promises of academic freedom. The stakes couldn't be higher in artificial intelligence, the defining technology of this era. An NFAP analysis found that 42% of AI companies in the U.S. had a founder or co-founder who originally came as an international student, and 70% of graduate students in AI-related programs are international. If we erode academic freedom or make universities inhospitable to certain nationalities or ideas, we risk losing future founders, discoveries, and jobs to competitor countries. Attacks on university research put at risk one of government's highest-return investments. In 2023, federal agencies invested over $108 billion in academic R&D, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. Estimates show that a dollar invested in R&D yields at least $2.00 in economic output. But when funding becomes contingent on political compliance—when billions in research dollars are held hostage to arbitrary demands about curriculum and hiring, or subject to capricious threats of withdrawal—the entire system becomes unstable. Just as markets need predictability, researchers need to feel confident that they will be able to see their ideas through without facing visa challenges directed at themselves or their loved ones. What's more, universities serve as regional economic anchors. Cities like Raleigh-Durham, Austin, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, and Boston coalesced around research universities that thrived thanks to academic freedom and investment. The virtuous cycle is well documented: R&D funding leads to university discoveries, which leads to startup formation, job creation, wealth creation, and an expanded tax base. Exact a toll on the research enterprise through interference or underfunding, and the cycle is jeopardized—costing jobs and growth. Which leads us to a choice. We can protect the foundations of freedom that have made American higher education the envy of the world, or we can allow short-term political pressures to chip away at a competitive edge built over generations. Investors and CEOs must speak out—because the ability to explore, question, and discover isn't just essential to academia. It's the engine of innovation, the foundation of markets, and the key to our long-term growth. Welcoming top global talent and safeguarding institutional independence aren't lofty principles. They are economic imperatives. Now is the time to defend academic freedom in America.