Politics

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Streaks of light are seen from Ashkelon as Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.
International relations

The first AI conflict? Israel's Gaza operation gives glimpse of future

Sophisticated algorithm leads to 90% of rocket fire being intercepted

28 June 2021
A Turkish drillship passing under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge through the Bosporus in Istanbul.
International relations

Eyeing Chinese investment, Turkey kicks off Canal Istanbul project

Opposition rallies around $15bn plan's potential environmental and financial costs

28 June 2021
A teenager receives a COVID-19 vaccine dose in Tel Aviv on June 21, after authorities urged parents to get their kids inoculated amid school outbreaks.
Coronavirus

Israel COVID uptick shows vaccines help but are no panacea

As Asia accelerates shots, signs point to virus becoming endemic like flu

25 June 2021
A tablet shows the video of Sedat Peker on June 6: his scandal-ridden monologues have a viral effect.
Opinion

Mafia boss bites Erdogan, but will Turkey's president bite back?

Silencing digital-minded dissidents the old-fashioned way

24 June 2021
Iran's hard-line president-elect, Ebrahim Raisi, has said Tehran will not reenter the 2015 nuclear agreement unless the U.S. lifts all sanctions against the country. (Source photos by Getty Images) 
International relations

Iran adopts harder line with election of new president

Raisi seeks to preserve Islamic regime in face of popular grumbles

24 June 2021
Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a news conference in Tehran on June 21. 
International relations

Iran's Raisi backs nuclear talks, rules out meeting Biden

President-elect will snub US counterpart even if sanctions are lifted

22 June 2021
A U.S. soldier keeps watch at an Afghan army base in Logar Province in 2018.
Interview

NATO exit risks Afghan 'security vacuum': Abdullah Abdullah

Top peace negotiator set to meet with Biden at White House on Friday

21 June 2021
Kargu-2 drones have been used by the Turkish military since 2018. (Anatolia Agency)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

Turkish defense company says drone unable to go rogue in Libya

STM chief rebuts 'fire, forget and find' capability cited in UN report

20 June 2021
Presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi gestures after casting his vote during presidential elections at a polling station in Tehran on June 18.
Politics

Hardline judge Raisi wins landslide in Iran presidential vote

Outgoing president Rouhani pledges smooth power transfer

20 June 2021