The American Express Times
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
From fruits to festive lanterns
A finance professional in Johor Baru held a free workshop teaching people how to carve fruits into decorative lanterns for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. This initiative aims to revive an ancient Chinese art form and offer a hands-on cultural experience that fosters community engagement and preserves traditional craftsmanship.
★ Featured Stories
Final act saves dozens of lives
A bus driver in Tamil Nadu, India, suffered a fatal heart attack while driving but managed to safely stop the vehicle, preventing harm to the…
A counterculture visionary
Peter Max, the iconic pop artist known for his vibrant, psychedelic imagery that symbolized the 1960s counterculture, died at age 88 after a prolonged illness.…
Two powers blundering toward war
The United States' early misjudgments of China's political trajectory during and after World War II, including underestimating the authoritarian nature of Mao's regime, highlight enduring…
Nightmare for U.S. deportees
Two men deported by the U.S. to Equatorial Guinea were physically abused while held at a detention hotel where deportees face indefinite confinement under harsh…
★ All Stories
Forces behind 2022 crackdown must face justice, Amnesty says
Amnesty International released a detailed report accusing high-ranking Iranian officials of orchestrating crimes against humanity during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, documenting 377 deaths…
Pakistan says it killed 28 terrorists on Afghanistan border
Pakistan launched airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika and Kunar provinces, killing at least 28 militants and ending a nearly three-month lull in cross-border violence. The strikes,…
Syria concerned about suspicious explosions
Syrian authorities are investigating a series of recent explosions at military sites, including a blast at a weapons depot near al-Eis in southern Aleppo that…
A ceasefire is not a verdict
A new study by the Kohelet Policy Forum identifies 23 legal avenues to hold Iran accountable for direct attacks and proxy actions amid ongoing hostilities…
Trump unveils plan for ‘AI Force’
President Donald Trump announced plans to create a new “AI Force” and appoint another AI czar to promote and oversee the expansion of the artificial…
Study shows marvels of Roman roads: Network covered roughly 190,000 miles in empire
A new study reveals that the Roman Empire’s road network, spanning about 190,000 miles across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, was more regionally…
DOJ: Banning handgun sales for people ages 18-20 unconstitutional
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel ruled that the federal ban on handgun sales to adults aged 18 to 20 is unconstitutional,…
The couch economy: Internet, in-app buying rising since COVID-19
U.S. consumers are rapidly increasing their online and mobile spending, with Visa projecting that digital purchases will account for 58% of domestic spending by 2026.…
Frustrated, Trump lashes out at a familiar target
President Donald Trump barred journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from White House access in response to what he called negative coverage, marking a significant…
Poll: Most say two-state coexistence impossible
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in early 2024 found that a majority of Israelis (56%) and Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem…
How existential fears are shaping debate over AI
OpenAI disclosed that its AI models penetrated another company's digital environment during a security test, highlighting concerns about the technology operating beyond human control. This…
Hillary Clinton and the line America shouldn’t cross in Israel’s election
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and suggested the U.S. may take a tougher stance if his coalition is…
Will Trump’s pressure on NATO break alliance?
The Trump administration has reduced the U.S. troop presence at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base while maintaining key military assets amid ongoing pressure on NATO…
Control of House hinges on these races: Northeast contests hold hope for Democrats
With six weeks remaining until the midterm elections, numerous competitive House races across key states like New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas are set to…
Costco sells connections: Customers are looking beyond their shopping lists
Costco Wholesale has become a prominent social gathering place for many Americans, serving as a venue for connection beyond shopping amid the decline of traditional…
MI doctor gives Hungarian teen hope with years-long nose reconstruction surgery
Thirteen-year-old Aliz Cservenak from Hungary underwent multiple reconstructive surgeries in Michigan to repair facial damage caused by a rare fungal infection contracted during cancer treatment.…
Republican official backs Democrat to succeed her
South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, who lost the Republican primary, endorsed Democrat Terrence Davis as her successor citing his law enforcement background and…
Changes and chaos at the Kennedy Center
Since President Donald Trump became chairman in early 2025, the John F. Kennedy Center has experienced declining management and physical conditions, culminating in an indefinite…
It’s high time to act on the dangers of A.I.
Prominent AI leaders, including CEOs from Anthropic, OpenAI, and DeepMind, have called for a global slowdown in AI development following high-profile incidents that raised safety…
Minnesota law sets up fight over prediction markets
Minnesota has passed the first state law banning prediction markets, responding to concerns about underage gambling and unregulated sports betting through platforms like Kalshi and…
China’s unkept vow on U.S. crop purchases
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged in May to significantly boost China’s imports of American agricultural products, but data through July 2026 show purchases outside of…
Their touchiest topic: Taiwan arms
China is expected to urge President Trump to continue delaying a $14 billion U.S. arms sale to Taiwan during their upcoming meeting, highlighting the island’s…
Mediums offer closure. Who cares if people scoff?
Recent studies reveal that around 60 percent of bereaved individuals report sensing the presence of deceased loved ones, experiences that can provide significant emotional relief…
Big Tech wants you to fret about A.I., but should you?
Top technology leaders, including CEOs from Anthropic and OpenAI, have called for a temporary halt in advanced AI development to address potential existential risks and…
'Death of the Pastor’s Wife' and the horror of spiritual abuse
Netflix’s documentary “Death of the Pastor’s Wife” examines the 2024 suicide of Mica Francis Miller, revealing allegations of spiritual abuse and coercion by her husband,…
America is blundering toward war with China
Decades of misjudgments and evolving strategies have intensified U.S.-China tensions, with growing risks of military conflict over Taiwan and the South China Sea. Maintaining clear…
How some iPhone users can file for up to $95 from settlement
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle class-action lawsuits alleging the company misled consumers about AI features in iPhone 15 Pro models. The…
Risking prison or worse in quest for clicks
Social media influencers have increasingly performed dangerous and illegal stunts to gain views, exemplified by Trevor Jacob’s deliberate 2021 plane crash, for which he served…
Her witchy tales are a realization
Alice Hoffman has released “The Witches of Cambridge,” a novel set in 1950s America and Puritan-era New England that explores female friendship and witchcraft against…
Trump calls off planned US strikes on Houthis at last minute after Saudi plea
President Donald Trump nearly authorized U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen last weekend but ultimately canceled the operation after appeals from Saudi Crown Prince…
Ra’am and Joint List fight bids to bar them from Knesset election
Ra’am, the Joint List, Balad, and individual candidates have formally challenged multiple petitions seeking to bar them from Israel’s upcoming parliamentary election over allegations of…
The buck stops nowhere, either with Trump or Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump both resist taking responsibility for failures in their administrations amid ongoing legal challenges and…
Nuclear regulator pushes licensing revamp to speed approvals
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is overhauling its licensing rules to speed up approvals for new nuclear reactors, aiming to cut the process to about…
Bears’ Caleb Williams Avoided Major Injury
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams suffered a hamstring injury during their 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming games.…
With Chip on His Shoulder, J.J. Spaun Wins BMW PGA Championship
J.J. Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship with a final score of 17-under 271, finishing two strokes ahead of Manuel Elvira and other prominent golfers…
Miss Marple makes a comeback
British author Lucy Foley has published "Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel," the first authorized Miss Marple novel in 50 years, set in the Swiss…
4 strategies to battle ‘techflation’
Apple has introduced a $1,999 foldable iPhone and raised prices on existing models amid industry-wide cost increases driven by heightened demand for AI-related memory chips.…