For Ben Hubbard's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
As the world takes in the grim realities of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many Syrians have watched with a horrifying sense of deja vu and a deep foreboding about what lies ahead.
The U.S. hailed the rare airborne raid by commandos in a rebel-held patch of Syria as a major success against terrorism, saying it ended the life of the leader of the Islamic State group.
States in the Middle East are increasingly looking to China not just to buy their oil, but to invest in their infrastructure and cooperate on technology and security.
Communities across the Middle East and North Africa — some of which trace their roots to Christianity’s early days — have been struggling for decades with wars, poverty and persecution.
Rights groups cite the case as an example of Saudi Arabia continuing to execute people for crimes committed as minors, despite legal overhauls aimed at limiting the practice.
Nearly six years of war have shattered Yemen in a way that could thwart efforts to make peace, regardless of whether American bombs are no longer used.
