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July 11, 2026
 

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DEFENSE

Finland’s proposal to remove some of its restrictions on nuclear weapons comes as European countries reassess their nuclear deterrence policies amid growing uncertainty about the reliability of the U.S. security guarantee.
WORLD
Mar 6, 2026
Finland to lift nuclear weapons restrictions in major shift
The government said it would put forward a bill proposing to permit defense-related import, transport, supply and possession of nuclear arms as it proceeds with NATO integration.
Ground Self-Defense Force troops take part in an annual New Year's military drill at Narashino exercise field in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 11.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 5, 2026
Pentagon No. 3 says Japan knows about need to hike defense budgets ‘better than anybody’
The remarks, just over two weeks before Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, hint that a spending hike will likely be discussed.
Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commanding general of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks to marines and sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America at Naval Base White Beach in Okinawa Prefecture on Aug. 10.
JAPAN
Mar 5, 2026
Drones and missiles: U.S. Marines in Okinawa evolve for sea-denial role
III Marine Expeditionary Force chief Lt. Gen. Roger Turner says the force is working with the Self-Defense Forces to boost the defense of islands and other key maritime areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits a military training area to observe the training of Ukrainian soldiers on the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, at an undisclosed location in Germany on June 11, 2024.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 5, 2026
Iran conflict could divert U.S. weapons from Ukraine
Most of the ballistic missiles and drones Iran has fired have been intercepted, including with PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors Ukraine relies on to defend its infrastructure.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei at the AI Impact Summit, in New Delhi on Feb. 19
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 5, 2026
Big Tech group backs Anthropic in fight with Pentagon over AI safeguards
The Pentagon has been in a monthslong dispute with AI developer Anthropic over how the military can use its technology on the battlefield.
An injured Iranian sailor arrives to receive treatment at the Karapitiya hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday after the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank off Sri Lanka's coast.
WORLD
Mar 4, 2026
Nearly 150 missing after Iranian warship sinks off Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 sailors but hopes were fading for 148 other sailors, the island’s Foreign minister and defense officials said.
On its plan for a new national intelligence committee, the government plans to submit related legislation to parliament with the aim of establishing the new body in the summer.
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2026
Government outlines new national intelligence committee
To be chaired by the prime minister, the new committee will be responsible for countering espionage activities by foreign agents.
Tankers seen in the background in Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates, near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday
JAPAN
Mar 4, 2026
Japan to weigh collective self-defense use case by case amid Middle East conflict
The country could determine whether to exercise its right to collective self-defense in the event of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with missiles from Iran or elsewhere.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks during a press conference in Warsaw on Feb. 25.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 4, 2026
Poland will eventually seek its own nuclear weapons, Tusk says
Warsaw will not be “passive” as it also invests in nuclear power plants, according to the prime minister.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung speaks during an interview last week in Taipei. Lin has called on Japan and other partners to step up cooperation in areas such as intelligence-sharing, joint exercises, defense-industry tie-ups, data links and dealing with hybrid threats such as China’s gray-zone activities.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 4, 2026
Taiwan’s FM calls for Taipei to be part of ‘first island chain’ security framework
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said working with partners in the strategic string of islands that stretch from Japan to Borneo is crucial to deterring China.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a news conference on the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, on Feb. 24.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 3, 2026
European capitals push back as Ukraine seeks fast-track EU membership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants a 2027 date to join the EU as part of a settlement to end Russia’s war.
U.S. President Donald Trump bows his head during a medal of honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
Trump warns of longer Iran war and refuses to rule out U.S. boots on ground
In his first public comments since launching the operation, the president who long campaigned for “no new wars” laid out what he said were four key objectives for hitting Iran.
Two Iran-made ballistic missiles are displayed during a rally commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution's victory in Freedom Square in Tehran on Feb. 12.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
China showing few signs it will directly supply arms to Iran
In a conflict in which Iran’s retaliation has centered on waves of small attack drones, such support could prove to be crucial.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at the nuclear submarine Navy base Ile Longue in Crozon, France, on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
France to expand nuclear arsenal and let European allies host atomic weapons
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that eight European countries had agreed to participate in what he called a “forward” nuclear deterrence scheme.
Huang Kuo-chang, chairman of the opposition Taiwan People’s Party, speaks during an interview in Taipei on Monday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
Taiwan opposition force open to passing special defense budget if U.S. OKs new arms package
The chair of the Taiwan People’s Party has ruled out writing a “blank check” for the government by passing the $40 billion in funding without a commitment from Washington.
The U.S. attacks on Iran contradict Washington’s stated strategic priorities, risk draining resources from the Indo-Pacific focus on China and expose the persistent dilemma of Middle East entanglements.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 3, 2026
The Middle East ensnares another U.S. president
Trump’s attack on Iran undermines the credibility of objections to Chinese aggression.
A drone is shown during Iran’s annual Army Day parade on April 18, 2025, in Tehran.
WORLD
Mar 3, 2026
Iran’s missile math: $20,000 drones take on $4 million Patriots
Both Tehran and Washington may run low on weapons in a matter of days or weeks. Whoever can last longer will gain a serious advantage.
U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One before departing Palm Beach International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday, on his way back to Washington amid U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
WORLD
Mar 2, 2026
Pentagon tells Congress no sign that Iran was going to attack U.S. first
The United States and Israel have launched their most ambitious attacks on Iran in decades, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and hitting targets across the country.
Japan aims to become a wartime-resilient “unmanned systems hub” by expanding domestic military-drone production and integrating allied cooperation.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Mar 2, 2026
Lessons for Japan from Russia’s war in Ukraine
Japan aims to become a wartime-resilient “unmanned systems hub” by expanding domestic military-drone production and integrating allied cooperation.
Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) drones are positioned on the tarmac at a base in the U.S. Central Command operating area in November.
WORLD
Mar 1, 2026
U.S. military uses ‘one-way attack drones’ in combat for first time in Iran strikes
The employment of the single-use LUCAS drones was likely being closely watched by both Japan and China.
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 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.
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.
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.
Japan’s southwestern islands on high alert as Typhoon Bavi approaches
A woman walks out of a shop with duct-taped windows to prevent damage from Typhoon Bavi as it approaches, in Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
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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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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