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July 12, 2026
 

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MIDDLE EAST

Officials inspect damage inside a terminal at Kuwait International Airport following a drone and missile attack, in Kuwait City on Wednesday
WORLD
Jun 7, 2026
U.S. eyes Iranian assets for Gulf allies’ reconstruction
The disclosure came a day after an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said that a peace ‌deal hinged ‌on the release of $24 billion in Iranian assets frozen by the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a news conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, last year.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 6, 2026
Trump’s ‘crazy’ rebuke undercuts Netanyahu at a critical moment
A leaked phone call this week laid bare the strains that have at times emerged between the two leaders.
Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jun 6, 2026
U.S. attacks Iranian coastal sites after Iran launches drones in latest flare-up
U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz.
Japan received 93% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz prior to the Feb. 28 start of the Iran war.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
How Japan created its naphtha supply bottleneck
With no end in sight for the Iran war, supply chain bottlenecks for the oil-derived material are set to continue, prompting calls for government-enforced energy saving measures.
Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management warned that the Bank of Japan may need a larger or unscheduled rate hike, saying an expected increase this month may not be enough to halt the yen’s slide and weakness in government bonds.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2026
Mitsubishi UFJ says Japan may need jumbo rate hike to boost yen
Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management said a larger or out-of-cycle Bank of Japan rate hike can’t be ruled out, warning that an expected increase this month may not be enough to prevent further declines in the yen and Japanese government bonds.
A banner with a picture of Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on a building during a rally in support of him in Tehran on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 5, 2026
Is Iran’s new supreme leader taking up the reins of power?
It remains to be seen whether Mojtaba Khamenei will replicate the rule of his father, who was all-powerful during his more than 3½ decades in power.
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on Feb. 15, shortly before the start of hostilities on Feb. 28.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2026
Is an honorable U.S. surrender to Iran inevitable?
The only path left may be what could be called an “honorable surrender” — a unilateral declaration of victory while ending the war without achieving its objectives.
Japan’s real wages have risen 1.9% from a year earlier, extending gains to a fourth month and reinforcing expectations for another Bank of Japan rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 5, 2026
Japan’s real wages rise for fourth month, backing BOJ hike
Inflation-adjusted wages rose 1.9% from a year earlier, accelerating from a revised 1.4% gain in the previous month, the labor ministry reported Friday.
A Palestinian man sits at the site of an overnight Israeli military strike on structures and tents housing displaced families, which killed 10 Palestinians, in Gaza City on May 28.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 5, 2026
How Trump’s ceasefires are failing to stop Middle East violence
The continued violence prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to comment that ceasefires in the Middle East were “shooting in a more moderate manner” rather than a halt in fighting.
Southwest Airlines jets wait on the tarmac at Denver International Airport.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2026
Global airline chiefs to confront Iran war fuel shock at industry summit
The June 6-8 annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is the industry’s biggest summit, bringing together hundreds of top executives.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House plenary session in Tokyo on Wednesday. Takaichi has described the supplementary budget as being designed to “minimize risks” from the increasingly uncertain situation in the Middle East.
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 4, 2026
Lower House passes ¥3.11 trillion extra budget to ease Mideast war impacts
The budget will create a new reserve fund to respond to developments in the conflict while aiding impacted energy users and replenishing the existing reserve fund.
A crude oil tanker and a bulk carrier anchored off Long Beach, California, last month. Conflict in the Middle East has sparked a global fuel crunch.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2026
Oil falls as Israel and Lebanon agree to conditional ceasefire
The oil market’s main focus remains on the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which one-fifth of global crude normally passes.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) points during a press conference with Republican House Leadership, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 4, 2026
Republican-led House votes to stop Iran war in rebuke to Trump
The vote against the war is the latest in a series of setbacks for a president who has bent Congress to his will for most of his second term.
Kuwaiti officials inspect damage inside a terminal at Kuwait International Airport following a drone and missile attack on Wednesday.
WORLD
Jun 4, 2026
After strikes against Kuwait, Lebanon ceasefire raises hopes of progress for Iran deal
Iranian attacks damaged Kuwait’s airport and injured dozens while the U.S. military carried out strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
A Middle East Airlines aircraft approaches the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah on March 30.
WORLD
Jun 3, 2026
Lebanon launches safety audit of Middle East Airlines amid pilot groups’ complaints
The audit puts scrutiny on the Beirut-based flag carrier, which has kept the country connected through war and financial collapse.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, on Monday
WORLD
Jun 3, 2026
U.S. military says it has ‘defeated’ Iran missile and drone attacks in Gulf
A ceasefire has been in place between the U.S. and Iran since April 8, but subsequent talks to try to put a more permanent end to the conflict have been unsuccessful.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, last December.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 3, 2026
Trump’s Netanyahu problem is latest key hurdle to Iran deal
U.S. President Donald Trump is projecting confidence on making a deal with Iran. Israel’s own objectives underscore how tenuous control over the crisis really is.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet has endorsed a ¥3.1 trillion extra budget to fund measures meant to cushion households from inflation tied to Middle East turbulence.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2026
Japan unveils ¥3.1 trillion extra budget to cushion Mideast impact
While the government has yet to specify the usage of that fund, it is expected to be used initially to cap costs for gasoline.
Japan bought about 1 million metric tons of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country’s most important grocery staples.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Japan faces banana shortage as impact from Middle East conflict spreads
The country ships in the tropical fruit while it’s still green, then ripens it in rooms filled with ethylene, but supplies of the naphtha-derived gas are running low.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters after holding telephone talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Iran to work on Japanese ships’ smooth passage through Hormuz
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian argued that U.S. maritime restrictions on Tehran remained an obstacle.
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.

Podcast

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

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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