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July 05, 2025
 

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MIDDLE EAST

A mural depicts Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday. Within days of Israel's airstrikes beginning on June 13, Iranian security forces started a campaign of widespread arrests and an intensified street presence based around checkpoints.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 26, 2025
Iran turns to internal crackdown in wake of 12-day war with Israel
Iranian rights group HRNA said it had recorded the arrests of 705 people on political or security charges since the start of the war, many of them accused of spying for Israel.
An aerial view of the damage to Iran's Fordo enrichment facility iafter the U.S. strikes on Sunday
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2025
Fragile ceasefire holding as Trump envoy says talks with Iran 'promising'
As the truce held, news emerged of a classified preliminary U.S. intelligence report that concluded American strikes on Iran had only set back its nuclear program by a few months.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on April 7. Without further diplomacy, the Iran-Israel conflict could become an endless, no-win situation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2025
Trump abandons ‘America First’ for Middle East quagmire
Iran's acceptance of the ceasefire is what in Japanese politics is called a “feigned death” tactic.
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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science, which was hit by an Iranian missile barrage in the central city of Rehovot, Israel, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 25, 2025
Netanyahu sees redemption in Iran war, but Gaza looms large
After months of political turmoil, war and plummeting popularity, Israel's powerful strike on Iran is likely to reframe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legacy, allies and analysts say.
The Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran scored a tactical win and prompted a tentative ceasefire, but they failed to eliminate the threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear ambitions or shift the long-term strategic calculus.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2025
There is no 'one-and-done' on Iran's nuclear ambitions
Trump still faces tough calls that will decide the future of non-proliferation.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2025
Trump baffles with sudden U-turn on China buying Iranian oil
U.S. Treasury and State department officials handling Iranian oil sanctions were surprised by Trump’s statement and uncertain how to immediately interpret it.
A Palestinian carries a sack of aid supplies from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 29.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 25, 2025
U.S. to give $30 million to Gaza aid operation despite violence concerns
This is the first known U.S. government financial contribution to the group, which uses private U.S. military and logistics firms to bring aid into Gaza.
U.S. President Donald Trump sits in his car, "The Beast," as he arrives for a dinner at the Huis ten Bosch Royal Palace during a NATO leaders summit in The Hague on Tuesday.
WORLD
Jun 25, 2025
Strike set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, U.S. report says
The findings suggest that President Donald Trump’s statement that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated was overstated.
Chinese President Xi Jinping described relations with Iran as "strategic" in a 2023 meeting with then-president Ebrahim Raisi, and backed Tehran in its fight against "bullying."
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
China helpless as Middle East war craters regional leverage
Analysts say Beijing's ties with Tehran are central to its efforts to ensure a regional counterbalance against both the U.S. and Israel.
A security guard in Tehran stands during a ceasefire early Tuesday
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
Explosions ring out in Tehran despite Trump's order to Israel to stop strikes
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had carried out no further strikes after Netanyahu spoke to Trump.
A woman wipes away tears as she walks down a row of displays in Tehran on Monday featuring people killed in Israeli strikes.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2025
Big questions loom over Trump's announcement of Israel-Iran ceasefire deal
U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of an Israel-Iran ceasefire suggests he may have bombed Tehran’s rulers back to the negotiating table. But will the deal hold?
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson Hassan Khomeini stands next to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the 36th anniversary of the death of the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, at Khomeini's shrine in southern Tehran on June 4.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
Search for successor to Iran's Khamenei hastens as tensions erupt into conflict
Israel attacked Iran and threatened to assassinate its veteran leader.
Protesters hold portraits of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with Pakistani, Palestinian and Iranian flags during a demonstration against the U.S. and Israel in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
Pakistan condemns U.S. strikes in Iran while embracing Trump
Pakistan’s response to the Iran crisis suggests a calibrated approach as the government seeks closer political and economic ties with the Trump administration.
The European Union's diplomatic service said in a report there were indications Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing its ties with the bloc.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2025
European Union divided over response to suspected Israeli rights breaches
The European Union's top diplomat said her priority was to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip rather than to "punish Israel."
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.
The Strait of Hormuz separating Iran (top) from the United Arab Emirates and Oman (bottom) as seen from the International Space Station in 2021. More than half of the oil imported by East Asia passes through the Strait, experts estimate.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 24, 2025
Asian countries most vulnerable to Strait of Hormuz blockade
Japanese customs data showed 95% of crude oil imports last year came from the Middle East.
Israeli security forces stand guard at the site of an Iranian strike on a residential neighborhood in the Ramat Aviv area of Tel Aviv on Sunday.
WORLD
Jun 23, 2025
Israel keeps up Iran attacks with debate raging on when to stop
Some experts argue that Israel should seek a mutual pause in hostilities after all its military targets in Iran have been hit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi shake hands during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday.
WORLD
Jun 23, 2025
Israel hits Iran's Evin prison, says strikes on Tehran are biggest yet
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that Israel was no longer limiting its attacks and would go after the Tehran government's ability to maintain power.
An Iranian military ship takes part in an annual drill in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this picture obtained in December 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 23, 2025
China criticizes attack on Iran as U.S. asks Beijing for trade route help
Beijing "strongly” condemns the attacks on Iran, according to a four-sentence statement from the Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
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. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
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."
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.
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

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