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July 06, 2025
 

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Peter Martin
Beachgoers wait in an underground bomb shelter after sirens sounded to warn of an incoming Iranian missile attack in Tel Aviv on June 20. Iran has found itself humbled after a ceasefire was declared but retains plenty of capacity to hit back.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 30, 2025
Israel emerges stronger from Iran war but risks blowback
Israel building military positions beyond its borders in Syria and Lebanon opened the country to risks of repercussions from regional partners wary of its assertiveness.
Taxi drivers wait for fares under a patriotic billboard in Tehran on Tuesday, the day of the ceasefire announcement.
WORLD
Jun 25, 2025
Twelve day Middle East war shows how 'normal' the unthinkable has become
The ructions that have torn through the Middle East aren’t likely to fully reveal their impact for years to come.
In this frame-grab taken from video, missiles and air-defense interceptors are visible over Doha after Iran launched an attack on U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 24, 2025
Trump thanks Iran after attack choreographed to de-escalate
The Qataris knew the missile barrage was coming. So did the Americans. The Iranians had told them.
Military officers salute in Moroni, Comoros. Several African nations fear that Washington is losing interest in their affairs and may withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in annual security assistance.
WORLD
Apr 10, 2025
Trump aid cuts stir fears of reduced military support in Africa
With U.S. President Donald Trump slashing aid, African officials worry U.S. military partnerships — key to fighting terror — may be next to go.
Shoppers on Nanjing East Road in Shanghai on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Oct 3, 2024
CIA boosts its China recruiting efforts to exploit discontent with Xi
The CIA's online push comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping has consolidated power over a fifth of humanity to a degree unseen in decades.
Supporters wave flags and salute during the broadcast of a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in November 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 30, 2024
Iran looks to regroup as Middle East braces for country's next move
Tehran is expected to focus on rebuilding Hezbollah in Lebanon and keeping its network of proxies in action for as long as possible.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York on Friday.
WORLD
Sep 29, 2024
Netanyahu ratchets up challenge to Iran with Nasrallah killing
Washington, Israel’s closest ally, got only a last-minute heads up as its latest bid to stop the violence failed.
A man holds a walkie-talkie device after he removed the battery during a funeral for those killed after hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon the previous day, in Beirut's southern suburbs on Wednesday.
WORLD
Sep 20, 2024
Exploding pagers attack shakes global trust in supply-chain security
While booby-trapped devices have been used in spycraft for years, the scale and violence of the attacks in Lebanon alarmed even some seasoned officials.
Gabon President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema waves as he arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing on Sep. 1.
WORLD
Sep 7, 2024
U.S. pitches deal to thwart Chinese military base in Africa
The U.S. is assembling an economic and security assistance package for Gabon in a bid to prevent China from establishing a military footprint there.
A building emblazoned with a Great Wall graphic in Kitwe, Zambia
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Sep 3, 2024
Xi wants bigger returns and fewer headaches from African debt deals
From Angola to Djibouti, for over a decade, China poured more than $120 billion of government-backed loans through its Belt and Road Initiative.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama embraces Vice President Kamala Harris while arriving to speak on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in the East Room of the White House in Washington in April 2022.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 27, 2024
Harris to lean on tight team and Obama staff in White House run
Here’s a look at the people in her orbit as she moves to reshape the campaign and form the nucleus of a potential new administration.
U.S. President Joe Biden touts semiconductor subsidies he says are bringing investments to U.S. communities as he seeks to curb Chinese access to advanced technology.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 20, 2024
China doesn't care who wins the U.S. presidential race, spies say
The conclusion suggests Beijing thinks ties between the world’s two largest economies will continue on their downward trajectory no matter who wins.
Soldiers load boxes of relief goods into a U.S. CH53 Sea Stallion aircraft at Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan province, northern Philippines, last August. The Lal-lo Airport is one of the additional sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
May 11, 2024
China woos Philippine elites near base U.S. needs to defend Taiwan
The moves come as Washington and Beijing remain locked in a struggle for influence that is still playing out.
CIA Director William Burns testifies during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats on Capitol Hill in Washington in March 11.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
May 11, 2024
U.S. spy chief becomes key envoy as Biden-Netanyahu ties fray
CIA Director William Burns is quietly keeping Washington’s lines of communication open across the Middle East.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 2, 2024
U.S. and Saudi Arabia near defense pact meant to reshape Middle East
Though many obstacles remain, there is optimism Washington and Riyadh could reach a framework defense deal within weeks.
At the State Department, an eight-person group informally known as "the firm” is taking steps to help embattled nations when China responds to political disputes with what the U.S. and its allies call "economic coercion."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 29, 2024
U.S. ‘firm’ steps in when China is seen as a bully, not a partner
At the U.S. State Department, an eight-person group is taking steps to help nations when China responds to political disputes with "economic coercion."
An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, on Sunday.
WORLD
Apr 14, 2024
Multiphase Iran attack tests U.S.-backed Israeli air defenses
Early indications suggest Israel's air defenses effectively handled Iran's missile and drone attack, aimed at overwhelming systems with its complexity.
A soldier resting after returning from a front-line position in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region in November 2023.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 12, 2024
Russian attacks on Ukraine stoke fears army near breaking point
Low on ammunition and manpower, Ukraine may soon run out of options in Russia's invasion.
World Central Kitchen’s damaged vehicle hit by an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Apr 4, 2024
Strikes in Gaza and Iran show limits of Biden’s leverage on Israel
They draw scrutiny to the question of how much leverage the U.S. president has over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and whether he’s willing to exert it.
A soldier participates in a multinational training exercise in the municipality of Hohenfels in Germany.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 15, 2024
Europe's race against time to rebuild militaries in uncertain world
The continent is a decade away from being able to defend itself unaided, officials say, while Russia could target a NATO member in three to five years.
Japan braces for more quakes as authorities dismiss doomsday hype
Evacuees from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecuture, arrive at Kagoshima Port on Friday.
Hidden AI prompts in academic papers spark concern about research integrity
Waseda University is one of 14 institutions in eight countries found to have used hidden prompts in research papers.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
U.S. military apologizes over Okinawa sexual assault case
Col. Neil Owens (right), chief of staff for the 3rd Marine Division, bows in apology at the Okinawa Prefectural Government office in Naha on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy
Ishii Iron Works remakes self for workers, new energy

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