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North Korean leader, daughter try out new tank

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Ju Ae tried out the country's new battle tank in large-scale military drills, state media reported on Friday, in the latest sign that she was being groomed as his heir.

Israel strikes 'decimated' Iran as war roils markets

Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was being "decimated", and as Gulf nations faced a fresh set of attacks.

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Trump's Mideast muddle could play into Xi's hands at planned summit

China will be in a stronger position to extract concessions from Donald Trump when the US president finally visits Beijing after becoming entangled in his Middle East war, analysts say.

Weakened WTO set for high-level meet under cloud of Mideast war

A weakened World Trade Organization will gather ministers in Yaounde next week as it seeks a road to reform, amid surging global trade tensions, US tariffs and disruptions caused by the Middle East war.

US-backed airstrikes leave Ecuador border communities in fear

A US-backed crackdown on drug cartels along the Ecuador-Colombia border has sparked accusations that security forces bombed farms, burned homes and detained and abused villagers.

'Blackmail': EU leaders round on Orban for stalling Ukraine loan

Outraged EU leaders rounded on Viktor Orban after the Hungarian nationalist refused to lift his veto on funds for Ukraine's war effort at a Thursday summit, accusing him of a "gross act of disloyalty" tantamount to "blackmail."

Displacement, bombs and air raid sirens weigh on Mideast Eid celebrations

Aziza Ahmad hasn't planned anything -- no family meal, no gifts for the children. In Lebanon, between the war and soaring prices, she said "there's nothing to celebrate" this Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.

Netanyahu says Iran 'decimated,' Tehran targets Gulf petro-facilities

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Iran is being "decimated" and it is unclear who is in charge, even as the Islamic Republic kept up attacks on Gulf oil and gas targets that have jolted global markets.

US, Israel tactics diverge on Iran as Trump's goals still 'fuzzy'

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both praise their relationship as excellent, but after three weeks of attacking Iran, their tactics are increasingly diverging -- the result, some experts say, of Trump's ill-defined goals.

Japan PM placates Trump on Iran, but faces Pearl Harbor surprise

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sailed smoothly past a potential clash with Donald Trump over Iran on Thursday, though the US president whipped up a bit of a storm about Pearl Harbor.

Brazil presidential hopeful Flavio Bolsonaro praises Bukele

Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro, who plans to run for president in October elections, on Thursday called for "many, many prisons" in a speech praising the controversial security policies of El Salvador's Nayib Bukele.

The Iran war and the cost of killing 'bad guys'

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that it "takes money to kill bad guys" when asked if the Pentagon had requested $200 billion in funding for the Iran war.

Salvadoran anti-corruption lawyer jailed to 'silence her', husband says

Jailed Salvadoran lawyer Ruth Lopez symbolizes the "decency" and "credible voice" that President Nayib Bukele's government only managed to silence with imprisonment, her husband Louis Benavides told AFP in an interview.

Trump says told Netanyahu not to attack Iran gas fields

US President Donald Trump said Thursday he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike any more Iranian gas fields, seeking to distance himself from an attack by a key ally that has shaken world energy markets.

Mideast war exposing Europe's reliance on Gulf flights, airlines warn

The war in the Middle East has exposed Europe's reliance on Gulf companies for flights to Asia, Europe's airlines said on Thursday.

Ghalibaf: Iran's new strongman running war effort

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and a veteran of the Revolutionary Guards, has emerged as the highest-profile political figure in the Islamic republic after the killing of its leaders.

UN shipping body urges 'safe maritime corridor' in Gulf

The UN's maritime body called Thursday for the creation of a safe shipping "corridor" in the Gulf to evacuate stranded vessels and seafarers, after an emergency meeting that also condemned Iran.

Iran warns of 'zero restraint' amid heightened gas and oil attacks

Iranian attacks on the world's largest LNG plant in Qatar and refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait sent shock waves through energy markets Thursday as the United States said there was no deadline to end the Middle East war.

Trump to Japan PM: 'Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday startled Japan's prime minister by mentioning the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, a seemingly light-hearted remark sure to elicit unease in a country now a firm US ally.

Middle East war weighs on global trade outlook: WTO

The Middle East war could weigh heavily on already slowing global trade, potentially threatening global food security, the World Trade Organization warned Thursday.

Belarus frees 250 political prisoners in US-brokered deal

Belarus freed 250 political prisoners on Thursday following negotiations with the United States, while Washington agreed to remove sanctions on several Belarusian companies in return, a US official said.

Senegal to appeal CAF Africa Cup of Nations decision

The Senegalese Football Federation announced Thursday it has instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the national team were stripped of its Africa Cup of Nations title.

US earns its lowest-ever score on freedom index

A pro-democracy research group said Wednesday that freedom in the United States has declined to its lowest level since it started assessments, as President Donald Trump aggressively wields executive authority.

Bank of England holds interest rate amid Middle East war

The Bank of England left its benchmark interest rate at 3.75 percent on Thursday as it monitors the inflation outlook, pressured by rising energy prices from the Middle East war.

Energy prices soar, Iran and US trade threats after Qatar gas hit

Oil and gas prices soared Thursday after Iran hit the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Qatar and threatened to destroy the region's energy infrastructure, and Donald Trump warned of a furious US response if such attacks continued.

Iran hangs three men in first executions over January protests

Iran executed three men on Thursday who were accused of killing police officers during protests in January, with activists warning of the risk of a new surge in hangings as war rages with Israel and the United States.

Oil prices surge, stocks sink on energy shock fears

Energy prices soared and stocks sank Thursday as Iran stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, reigniting fears over global supplies and inflation.

Oil soars 10% after Qatar energy sites hit in Mideast war

Oil prices soared 10 percent Thursday after Qatar reported "extensive" damage to the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes, sparking fears for global energy supplies.

Iran 'boycotting' USA but not World Cup: football federation chief

Iran will "boycott the United States" but "not the World Cup", Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video released by the Iranian press agency Fars.

Iran causes 'extensive' damage to Qatar gas hub, sparks Trump warning

Qatar reported "extensive" damage on Thursday to the site of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility following Iranian strikes, sparking fears for global energy supplies and fresh threats from Donald Trump against Iran.

Thailand's Anutin: Millionaire PM with a populist approach

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is the scion of a construction dynasty and a hobbyist jet pilot, but championed Thailand's decriminalisation of cannabis and styles himself as a man of the people.

Thailand's new parliament elects Anutin as PM

Thailand's new parliament on Thursday elected Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister, according to an AFP tally of the vote, keeping the conservative in the top office after his party routed its election rivals.

In Seoul square of protest and history, BTS fans welcome grand comeback

Through months of winter protests in support of South Korean democracy, professor Lee Ji-young clutched her K-pop glowstick -- a small but telling sign of her love for K-pop megastars BTS.

Hong Kong panel hears safety measures failed on day of deadly fire

Almost all life-saving fire safety measures failed on the day a devastating blaze tore through a Hong Kong housing complex last year, killing 168 people, a public hearing was told on Thursday.

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The Japan Times - Politics (English)