There have been only eight female monarchs. The last was Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled from 1762 to 1770.
Japan's parliament has enacted a controversial, male-only succession rule, ensuring that Princess Aiko, the popular daughter of Emperor Naruhito, cannot inherit the throne and solidifying a patriarchal, 19th-century law. Critics, including feminist scholars, condemn the move as a prioritization of tradition over the viability of a shrinking imperial family, effectively treating royal women as "childbearing machines" to ensure male lineage.
Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI should not be dominated by any single nation. American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world’s most advanced technologies, spurring China’s efforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the rivalry between the world’s two biggest economies.By Han Guan Ng, Chan Ho-Him, and The Associated PressJuly 17, 2026, 11:37 AM ETDevelopment and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China’s objections to what he called the “overstretching” of national security concerns.
Feeling ignored by political and economic powers, people are rallying against computer hubs over concerns about their communities’ future
July 18, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDTBy Shira Ovide
Kyle Schmidt ticked through what makes him irate about the massive Google data center slated for construction about a mile away from his home near Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
He didn’t like that residents were kept in the dark about what would be built on a pristine tract of mostly forested land. He’s worried about the data center’s potential impact on the community’s water supply and on the dream home that his family moved into last year.
Jerusalem Post
Donald Trump’s social media company has discussed charging Wall Street traders and investment firms as much as $100,000 a month for faster access to the U.S. president’s posts on his Truth Social platform, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, has in recent weeks also pitched a discounted plan of $60,000 per month if the firms sign up for a three-year plan, the sources said, requesting anonymity as the discussions are confidential.
By Yiannis DamellosJuly 18, 2026
Tonight was one of those nights that reminds you why football is hands-down the best sport in the universe. Strip away the trophies and the intense pressure, and let the athletes play purely for the love of the game, for themselves, and for the billions watching worldwide. What remains is a breathtaking display of pure sporting excellence. Honestly, if aliens were watching tonight’s third-place playoff, they’d be cheering right along with us and declaring football the king of the cosmos.
