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July 12, 2026
 

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MIDDLE EAST

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman, UAE, on July Frida. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply since July 8, especially through the U.N.-backed Omani route, analysts said, after vessels were attacked earlier this week and as the United States and Iran traded renewed strikes.
WORLD
Jul 12, 2026
U.S. launches more strikes on Iran after commercial ship struck in Strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump declared the end of a ceasefire on February 28, though Washington has left the door open to continued negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak to the Rose Garden Club Lunch at the White House in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 11, 2026
Iran hits back at Trump after insists truce over
Iran has insisted it has “kept its word” on a ceasefire with the U.S. after President Donald Trump insisted the truce was over but talks continued.
Pilgrims visit the shrine of Imam Reza after the funeral of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and his family members, in Mashhad, Iran on Friday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jul 11, 2026
How the absence of Iran’s new supreme leader is becoming a liability for Tehran
After hostilities with the U.S. reignited, the role and health of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei are of critical — and growing — concern.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Wednesday
JAPAN
Jul 10, 2026
More LNG, Japan-linked vessels transit Hormuz despite renewed Mideast tensions
The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global shipments, has been closely watched by shipping companies ‌and governments following this week’s attacks between Iran and the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a news conference at the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday. The U.S. leader's approach to alliances means American security guarantees can no longer be taken for granted.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 10, 2026
Trump just made Japan’s security dilemma more urgent
Japan should respond to growing uncertainty over U.S. security commitments by taking greater responsibility for protecting its own maritime and strategic interests.
Mourners gather around a vehicle transporting the coffin of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the day of his burial in Mashhad, Iran, on Thursday.
WORLD
Jul 10, 2026
Iran says it hit U.S. military targets in Gulf as it buries slain leader Khamenei
The attacks came as Iran buried its slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‌at a ‌shrine in Mashhad, capping a week of funeral processions and rallies.
Imam Reza Shrine a day before the burial of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad, Iran, on Wednesday
WORLD
Jul 9, 2026
U.S. military launches strikes on Iran for second straight day
The U.S. launched attacks on Tuesday and revoked a waiver that allowed Tehran to sell oil globally in response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Burj Khalifa and downtown skyline in Dubai in 2021. After a yearslong boom, UAE property markets are showing signs of strain and analysts have flagged risks to expatriate inflows and tourism-linked demand if tensions persist.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 9, 2026
Gulf-based firms set to reveal toll of Iran war in quarterly earnings
The fortunes of regional economies largely depend on how reliant they are on the Strait of Hormuz that provides the only sea access to the Gulf.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Wednesday
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2026
Trump wants to leave the Iran war behind. That won’t happen soon.
More than three weeks ​after a “memorandum of understanding” between the U.S. and Iran, the flare-up highlights some of the difficulties Trump must face.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on June 16
WORLD / Politics
Jul 9, 2026
How Iran’s ‘golden weapon’ of Hormuz became a bigger priority than its nuclear program
Iranian leaders now see the Strait of Hormuz as their strongest card in a host of disputes with the West, and the ‌reason Washington ‌ended the war.
Security forces stand guard in front of a portrait of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as mourners gather for a funeral procession in Najaf on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 8, 2026
Trump says interim accord to end war is ‘over’ after Iranian strikes
The U.S. president’s remarks came after the two sides traded strikes again, marking the most serious threat to their interim peace deal.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 1
WORLD / Politics
Jul 8, 2026
U.S. strikes Iran and blocks oil sales in new test of ceasefire
The attacks underscore the continued risks to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, even with military forces protecting vessels that use a route near Oman’s coastline.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysia’s then-international trade and industry minister, Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, speak at a news conference during the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur in May 2025.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 8, 2026
In a moment of transition, Southeast Asia steps up
The APR is probably the best single opportunity to get the regional zeitgeist on issues of geopolitics and economics.
Mourners gather to pay tribute to Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Grand Mosalla on the second day of funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Sunday.
WORLD
Jul 7, 2026
Iran reportedly fires missiles at commercial ships in Strait of Hormuz
Two commercial ships suffered ‌significant damage ‌but had no casualties, according to the report that cited U.S. officials.
Palestinians amidst the rubble of ruined buildings in the Jabalia camp near Gaza City, northern Gaza, on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 7, 2026
Hamas dissolves Gaza government, but Israel dismisses move as ‘stunt’
The ⁠area remains in ​ruins more than 2½ years after the latest Gaza conflict was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, ​2023, raids on Israel.
An intensely private Korean shipping tycoon, Ga-Hyun Chung rocked the tanker industry early this year as his Sinokor Group embarked on an unprecedented buying spree.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 6, 2026
The supertanker tycoon making millions on Hormuz ‘shuttle runs’
Ga-Hyun Chung oversaw a successful covert project that sneaked crude oil out of the Persian Gulf through the vital waterway during the Iran war.
Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on July 1
WORLD
Jul 6, 2026
Oil and gas tankers cross Hormuz via Oman-side route after U-turns
The oil market is fixated on what’s moving through Hormuz and how, as ships try to avoid Iran’s military as they come and go.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi says his ministry plans to decide on whether to ease the evacuation advisory for Iran and other countries.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 5, 2026
Japan mulls easing travel advisory for Iran
The plan emerged as other countries move to resume business in the Middle East and Japanese companies in the region are calling to lower the travel advisory.
The coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members are pictured at the Grand Mosalla at the start of the funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Saturday.
WORLD
Jul 5, 2026
Three sons of Iran’s slain leader Khamenei appear at funeral, not his successor
There has still been no public sighting or image released of Mojtaba, said ​to have been injured in the ⁠attack that killed his father and the other family members on Feb. 28.
A vessel in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 30
WORLD / Politics
Jul 5, 2026
Iran envoy says friendly nations to get ‘special’ Hormuz fee treatment
The initial peace deal stated that ships would transit the strait free of charge for 60 days, but it remains unclear what will be in place after that period.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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