Blinken Quietly Lobbies for Crackdown on Arabic News Media
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has reportedly lobbied the government of Qatar to crack down on free expression in the Arabic news media.
All posts by Michael Penn
Damage from Fukushima Disaster Continues to Mount
Over twelve years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, yet the human toll and financial burdens continue to grow.
Biden Losing Support Over Extreme Pro-Israel Stance
US President Joe Biden, already facing what increasingly appears to be an uphill battle to win reelection in November 2024, has further alienated much of the progressive wing of his Democratic Party with his extreme pro-Israel stance since the offensive launched by Hamas on October 7.
Mixed Court Ruling on Transgender Rights
The Supreme Court ruled that a law requiring surgery to remove a person’s reproductive capabilities to register a gender change was unconstitutional, but it upheld a requirement, at least temporarily, for transgender people to undergo surgery that alters the physical appearance of genitals.
Erdogan Denounces Israeli Military Action as “Barbaric”
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has publicly rejected the notion that the continuing Israeli military attacks on Gaza represent a legitimate response to the threat of the Islamist Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Kinmochi Saionji and the Japan National Railways
From 1906-1908, aristocrat Kinmochi Saionji established the first stable government based on political party rule. Its leading achievement was to nationalize the country’s railroads and create the Japan National Railways system.
Taro Katsura and the Russo-Japanese War
From 1901-1906, Taro Katsura served a highly consequential term as prime minister which featured the emergence of a new generation to the top leadership post and a war which established Japan as a Great Power in international affairs.
Hirobumi Ito and the First Government Party
Becoming prime minister for a still unmatched fourth time in 1900-1901, Hirobumi Ito this time leads a parliamentary political party. However, the experiment soon founders due to the hostility of his oligarch colleagues.
Aritomo Yamagata and the Return of the Oligarchs
From 1898-1900, conservative Aritomo Yamagata returned as prime minister, largely reestablishing the dominance of Meiji oligarchs over the rising power of the elected political parties. Even then, however, he did have to make some compromises.
Shigenobu Okuma and the Meiji Opposition
In 1898, Shigenobu Okuma became prime minister of Japan, leading the first and only government of the Meiji Era formed by the opposition to the Genro oligarchs.
