Activists shout slogans during a protest against Indian government of using Pegasus spyware in New Delhi on Aug. 2: mistrust among the government, opposition and local leaders has rarely been higher.
Opinion

Pegasus spyware threatens to chip away our freedoms

Tech companies are already playing a larger and more destabilizing role

17 August 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden defends the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in a speech at the White House on Aug. 16.
Afghanistan turmoil

Biden says Afghanistan was never about nation-building

Washington's two-decade mission comes to chaotic end

17 August 2021
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, pictured in Cairo on Aug. 16: one of the goals of his trip is to position Japan as a major actor.
Opinion

Foreign Minister Motegi's Israel visit a historic opportunity for Japan

Tokyo should be central pillar of Jerusalem's strategy to cooperate with Asian powers

17 August 2021
A medic prepares a dose of the Pfizer vaccine in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
COVID vaccines

Turkey starts giving a fourth jab to travelers for vaccine passports

Many countries won't recognize Sinovac, which was widely administered by Ankara

17 August 2021
Sahap Kavcioglu, governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, has his hands full dealing with an impatient president and unforgiving markets.
Market Spotlight

Heat rises on Turkey's central bank chief

Satisfying Erdogan and financial markets proves a major dilemma for Kavcioglu

16 August 2021
Over 244,000 Afghans have fled their homes since U.S.-led foreign forces began their withdrawal from the country in May. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)
Afghanistan turmoil

'I have nothing': Taliban gains spawn Afghan displacement crisis

Hundreds of thousands flee fighting, with many winding up on streets of Kabul

15 August 2021
The U.S.-brokered normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates looks to be enduring one year after the announcement on Aug. 13, 2020.
International relations

Year of Israel-UAE ties fails to change minds in Indonesia, Malaysia

Abraham Accords going strong but ASEAN Muslim states focus on Palestinians

13 August 2021
A study shows the Chinese inactive vaccine CoronaVac by Sinovac Biotech works best when taken consecutively, rather than switching to a different booster shot.
COVID vaccines

3 doses of Sinovac is better than mixing with Pfizer: Turkish minister

Study shows Chinese vaccine offers highest protection overall when taken consecutively

12 August 2021
Trendyol, Turkey's largest e-commerce company, operates delivery service Trendyol Express. (Photo courtesy of Trendyol) 
Technology

SoftBank investment in Trendyol creates Turkey's first decacorn

Alibaba-owned e-commerce platform reaches $16.5bn valuation in latest funding round

9 August 2021
New Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech during his inauguration in Tehran.
International relations

Iran nuclear deal reboot in peril as hard-liner rises to power

Raisi launches presidency pledging to end US sanctions and 'protect the people'

6 August 2021
A view of Beirut's devastated port on Aug. 3, almost one year after a massive explosion killed more than 200 people and injured over 7,000.
International relations

One year on, Beirut blast victims seek justice as economy crumbles

Families and UN see Japan as important player in international response

4 August 2021
The OPEC logo, pictured in Algiers in September 2016: being seen in a more favorable light is a double-edged sword for OPEC.
Opinion

OPEC+ nations must not squander the chance for a makeover

Time the anachronistic cartel moved to cement its relevance

29 July 2021
Baykar's armed drone Bayraktar TB2: Poland said in May that it will purchase 24 drones from Turkey, becoming the first NATO member to buy Turkish-made unmanned aerial vehicles. (Photo courtesy of Baykar)
International relations

Ascendant and assertive Turkey creates tough choices for US

Drone-driven warfare makes Ankara's clout impossible for Washington to ignore

28 July 2021
Lightning strikes across the sky during a thunderstorm in Guangzhou. China preparing for changing weather patterns.
Science

Artificial rain eases Asia's droughts but heats up tensions

China advances drone tech, while India calls weather modification a threat

27 July 2021
An Afghan policeman keeps watch at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kabul.
Afghanistan turmoil

Afghan turmoil builds as US withdrawal reaches 95% mark

Taliban offensive, kidnapping and attack on presidential palace punctuate turbulent week

21 July 2021
Sumitomo-backed Ottopia offers stable, high-quality video feeds for remote vehicle operators.(Photo courtesy of Ottopia) 
Technology

Sumitomo bets on Israeli startup's remote driving tech

Japanese trading houses hunt for partners in AI and cybersecurity

21 July 2021
Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) speaks with reporters ahead of the weekly policy luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington in May, 2019.
International relations

Biden taps GOP former Sen. Jeff Flake for Turkey ambassador

Envoy to manage important but contentious relations with NATO ally

14 July 2021
Tacan Ildem, former NATO assistant secretary-general for public diplomacy, says the U.S. and Turkey need to overcome mutual distrust and strengthen the trans-Atlantic alliance. (Anadolu Agency)
Interview

Q&A with Turkey's Tacan Ildem: NATO unity must come first

Trans-Atlantic alliance will widen its international aspect with China in picture

14 July 2021
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called for a report outlining challenges and recommendations for the alliance through 2030. (Photo courtesy of NATO)
Indo-Pacific

As NATO turns focus to China, embracing Turkey becomes challenge

Alliance planners urge unity despite tensions over S-400s and Erdogan's politics

14 July 2021
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu attends an event with athletes set to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics. (Photo courtesy of the mayor's office)
Sports

Istanbul launches bid to host 2036 Summer Olympics

Turkey would be first Muslim-majority nation to hold the event

13 July 2021
The Ever Given container ship resumed operations for the first time in three months Wednesday at the Suez Canal. (Photo by Takeshi Kumon)
Transportation

Egypt frees ship that blocked Suez Canal after 3-month hold

Ever Given's Japanese owner agrees to undisclosed compensation

8 July 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of their talks at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Beijing, in March 2017.
Opinion

From Gaza to Xinjiang, Israel is increasingly in China's crossfire

Jewish state is being used as a pawn in Beijing's competition with the US

5 July 2021
The Panama-flagged cargo ship Ever Given is accompanied by tugboats as it moves in the Suez Canal, which it blocked earlier this year. The Egyptian government's Suez Canal Authority announced July 4 an agreement to settle a financial dispute with Shoei Kisen, the vessel's owner.
Transportation

Suez Canal settlement reached to release seized ship

Japanese-owned Ever Given, held over a compensation dispute, allowed to sail on July 7

5 July 2021
Ebrahim Raisi waves after casting his vote at a polling station in Tehran on June 18: it was more like a Shiite divine nomination than a democratic election.
Opinion

Is Iran's Islamic Revolution running out of puff?

Signs of decay usually begin to emerge with the third generation

29 June 2021
For a second time since taking office five months ago, President Joe Biden orders retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed militia.
Iran tensions

US carries out airstrikes on Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria

Biden directs strikes in response to militia attacks against US facilities

28 June 2021