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Souped-up VPNs play 'cat and mouse' game with Iran censors

Iranians are managing to get online during the current war with the US and Israel despite drastic censorship and frequent blackouts, throwing the spotlight on to providers of tools such as VPNs (virtual private networks).

Attacked Russian tanker drifting toward Libya: Italian authorities

A Russian tanker that was badly damaged in an attack in the Mediterranean last week is drifting without crew towards the Libyan coast, Italy's civil protection service said on Friday.

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Germany, Japan to unblock oil reserves as G7 stands 'ready' to act

Japan and Germany said Wednesday they would tap into their oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude prices due to the Middle East war, with Berlin saying the IEA global energy body had asked member states to release 400 million barrels.

Trade ships hit as Iran threatens Gulf oil chokepoint

New attacks hit three commercial ships in the Gulf on Wednesday, with one of the vessels in flames as Iran pressed its campaign against its oil-exporting neighbours, threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and plunging the global energy economy into crisis.

Iran's new supreme leader injured but 'safe', says president's son

Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is injured but "safe and sound", the son of the president said Wednesday, offering the first official explanation for why the 56-year-old has not been seen since his appointment at the weekend.

G7 inches closer to tapping oil reserves to tackle price rise

The Group of Seven advanced economies inched closer Wednesday to tapping strategic oil reserves to tackle the rise in crude oil prices due to the Middle East war as energy ministers said they stood ready to take "all necessary measures".

UK govt to release first batch of Mandelson files

Britain's government was due Wednesday to publish the first tranche of documents relating to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's controversial appointment of a Jeffrey Epstein associate as UK ambassador to Washington.

Trump said Iran 'welcome to compete' in World Cup, says Infantino

US President Donald Trump has said that Iran is "welcome" to participate at the upcoming World Cup in North America, despite the ongoing Middle East war, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.

'No good choice': the Afghans forced to return from Iran

Exhausted Afghans cross the border from Iran in a sandstorm, leaving behind a country in the grip of war to return to a homeland that is battered by conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Asia stocks rise but oil resumes gains amid IEA supply report

Asian equities rose Wednesday while oil resumed its gains as traders weighed growing supply concerns against a report that the International Energy Agency was considering the release of a record amount of its reserves.

Cargo vessels hit as Iran threatens to close Gulf oil chokepoint

Three commercial ships took fire in the Gulf on Wednesday as Iran launched strikes against its oil-exporting neighbours, threatening shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and plunging the global energy economy into crisis.

G7 energy ministers 'ready' to take 'necessary measures' on oil reserves

Energy ministers of the G7 said on Wednesday they stood ready to take "all necessary measures" in coordination with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to tackle the rise in crude oil prices due to the Middle East war.

German defence giant Rheinmetall sees faster growth as Europe rearms

German defence giant Rheinmetall Wednesday forecast even faster growth this year after record earnings in 2025, with Europe racing to re-arm as it contends with a hostile Russia and turmoil in transatlantic ties.

Iran women footballers evacuate from safe house in Australia

Iranian women footballers claiming asylum in Australia evacuated from their safe house on Wednesday after one team member changed her mind and revealed their location to the Iranian embassy, Canberra said.

Seoul says can deter threats from North if US weapons shifted to Mideast

South Korea said Wednesday it could deter threats from the North even if the United States relocated some of its military assets to the Middle East amid the war in Iran.

New wave of Iran attacks as oil reserve release weighed

Iran unleashed a wave of attacks against Israel and Gulf nations on Wednesday, including targeting a Saudi oilfield, as reports of a proposed record release of oil reserves helped calm markets and prices.

Kharg Island: Iran's vital oil hub in the crosshairs?

Kharg Island, a scrubby stretch of land in the northern Gulf, handles almost all of Iran's crude exports and any attempt to seize it would mark a major escalation in the conflict, analysts say.

New wave of Iran attacks as IEA weighs oil reserve release

Iran unleashed early Wednesday defiant new strikes around the region including drones targeting a Saudi oilfield, as the International Energy Agency reportedly proposed its largest-ever oil reserve release to calm markets and prices.

Bolsonaro brand fuels Flavio's rise in Brazil election polls

Even Flavio Bolsonaro didn't seem to take his presidential candidacy very seriously when his father, Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, tapped him as a political heir from behind bars.

Kast: Who is Chile's new hard-right president?

Jose Antonio Kast became Chile's president on his third attempt, becoming the country's most right-wing leader in over three decades by pledging a firm hand on security and order.

Chile's Kast, most right-wing president since Pinochet, takes office

Chile's most right-wing president in over three decades, Jose Antonio Kast, will be sworn in on Wednesday on a promise to tackle surging rates of violent crime and carry out mass migrant deportations.

Microsoft urges Pentagon pause blacklisting Anthropic

Microsoft on Tuesday warned a judge that the Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic could hamper US warfighters and imperil the country's drive to lead in artificial intelligence.

'Put our faith in God': Tehran residents adapt to wartime

With daily attacks shaking the city, schools shuttered for days and many shops closed, Tehran residents are trying to adapt to wartime conditions under an Israeli-US assault seeking to determine the future of the Islamic republic.

US says wouldn't be 'happy' if Russia giving Iran intel

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be "happy" if Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran during the Middle East war, but it held back any strong criticism for Moscow.

US targets Iran mine-laying as war causes oil market havoc

The United States said Tuesday it was striking Iranian ships capable of mining the crucial Strait of Hormuz and threatened escalation if Tehran presses ahead, as the Middle East war wreaks havoc on global oil markets.

Two more members of Iran women's football team claim asylum in Australia

Two more members of Iran's visiting women's football team have claimed asylum in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home over a pre-match protest, the government said Wednesday.

Fresh Israeli strikes hit Lebanon after evacuation warnings

Fresh Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs and south Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli army warned people to evacuate, with Lebanese authorities saying nearly 760,000 people had been registered as displaced.

Will Trump blink on Iran as pressure mounts?

US President Donald Trump has built a potential off-ramp by suggesting the Iran war could end soon, but the world is still guessing about whether he will take it -- and whether Tehran will let him.

Mideast tanker escort: high-risk mission for US Navy

US Navy escorts could help increase the flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but American warships accompanying slow-moving commercial vessels would face threats including mines, missiles and drones in the narrow waterway bordering Iran.

Oil prices dive as IEA eyes emergency release with Hormuz Strait in focus

Crude prices sank and equities mostly rose Tuesday as oil-importing countries discussed a possible stockpile release while monitoring the Strait of Hormuz, a key petroleum waterway emptied of traffic as the Middle East war rages.

Iran not seeking ceasefire as Trump steps up threats

Iran remained defiant as fresh explosions thundered out in Tehran on Tuesday, insisting it was not seeking a ceasefire even as US President Donald Trump upped his threats surrounding the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

US satellite firm extends Middle East image delay

American firm Planet Labs PBC on Tuesday said it now imposes a two-week delay for access to its satellite images of the Middle East because of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Oil plunges, stocks mostly rise as Trump says Iran war over 'very soon'

Oil prices sank and equities mostly rose Tuesday following a volatile session that came after President Donald Trump signaled that the US-Israeli war on Iran could end sooner than previously thought.

Trump team's Iran war rhetoric fuels backlash

When the top US general spoke Tuesday of his "respect" for Iranian fighters, the remark underscored a striking divide between the restrained language of the military brass and the swaggering rhetoric used by President Donald Trump and his administration.

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The Japan Times - Politics (English)