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Phil Stewart
For Phil Stewart's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Mar 11, 2023
China role in Saudi-Iran deal a tricky test for U.S.
The surprise deal to restore diplomatic ties offers much for the United States to be intrigued about. It also contains an element sure to make officials in Washington deeply uneasy.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 9, 2023
Australia expected to buy up to five Virginia class submarines as part of AUKUS, sources say
U.S. President Joe Biden will host leaders of Australia and Britain in San Diego next week to chart a way forward for provision of the nuclear-powered submarines.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 14, 2023
U.S. military says key sensors recovered from downed Chinese balloon
'Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified,' the U.S. military said in a statement.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 13, 2023
Ruling out aliens? Senior U.S. general says not ruling out anything yet
Recent incidents come as the Pentagon has undertaken a new push to investigate military sightings of unidentified objects.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 3, 2023
Chinese spy balloon flying over the United States, Pentagon says
The old-fashioned intelligence collection method recalls lengths to which Beijing and Washington have been willing to go to spy on each other amid increased tensions.
Japan Times
WORLD
Dec 17, 2022
No evidence of UFOs so far in Pentagon investigation
The Pentagon's recent push to investigate reports of UFOs has so far not yielded any evidence to suggest that aliens have visited Earth or crash-landed here, say senior defense staff.
Japan Times
WORLD
Nov 29, 2022
U.S. and Russia have used 'deconfliction' line once so far during Ukraine war
When it was announced in March, the Pentagon said the deconfliction line was created to avoid any inadvertent clashes in NATO airspace or on the ground.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2022
Putin is safe in power for now, but risks lie ahead, current and former officials say
Russian leader's grip on power remains firm despite military setbacks in Ukraine, a botched mobilization and political infighting, eight well-informed sources say.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 14, 2022
Is this a drill? Upcoming Russian nuclear exercises a challenge for the West
Some Western officials are worried Moscow could deliberately try to muddy the waters about its intentions.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 12, 2022
NATO and partners aim to boost Kyiv's air defense after Russian strikes
The talks came two days after Russian air missile strikes killed 19 people in Ukraine and knocked out power supplies across the country.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 27, 2022
U.S. and Ukraine discuss danger of escalation as new arms extend Kyiv's reach
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration and U.S. allies have been increasingly willing to give Ukraine longer-range weaponry, including M777 howitzers, as Kyiv battles Russian forces.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 2, 2022
U.S. cancels ICBM test due to Russia nuclear tensions
The U.S. military has canceled a test of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in a bid to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the war in Ukraine.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 26, 2022
U.S. assesses up to 60% failure rate for some Russian missiles, officials say
The disclosure could help explain why Russia has failed to achieve what most could consider basic objectives since its invasion a month ago.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 2, 2022
What happened to Russia's Air Force? U.S. officials and experts are stumped.
The first six days of Russia's assault on Ukraine have confounded expectations and seen Moscow act far more delicately with its air power.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 4, 2022
Inside the U.S. raid on Islamic State's leader: Months of preparation, then a deadly blast
Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi is said to have detonated a bomb as U.S. forces closed in, killing himself and several others.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Dec 2, 2021
U.S. and South Korea to update war plans while urging diplomacy with North Korea
North Korea has continued to rebuff entreaties for diplomacy since U.S. President Joe Biden took over from Donald Trump, who had three summits with leader Kim Jong Un.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Nov 24, 2021
Moscow accuses U.S. of rehearsing nuclear strike on Russia earlier this month
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said flights by U.S. strategic bombers have more than doubled, with the planes coming within 20 kilometers of the Russian border during recent drills.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Jul 10, 2021
Afghan pilots assassinated by Taliban as U.S. withdraws
Afghan Air Force Maj. Dastagir Zamaray had grown so fearful of Taliban assassinations of off-duty forces in Kabul that he decided to sell his home to move to a safer pocket of Afghanistan's sprawling capital.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Sep 24, 2020
How Trump fell out of love with his generals, and why the feeling is mutual
The president has ridiculed his top generals, ignoring their advice on some key issues and questioning their intelligence, courage and commitment to their soldiers.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Sep 19, 2020
U.S. troops battling racism report high barrier for justice
As the U.S. confronts systemic racial injustice, the U.S. military, which has long promoted itself as an egalitarian system, is undergoing its own moment of reckoning.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores