author

 
 

Meta

John Irish
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi (left) meets the deputy chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, upon his arrival at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on Wednesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 14, 2024
Europe pushes for resolution against Iran at IAEA, diplomats say
Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran.
French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte deliver statements during their meeting in Paris on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
Nov 13, 2024
NATO chief warns of threat from Russian ties with China, Iran and North Korea
The warning appeared to be a message to the next U.S. administration as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.
Ukrainian service members rest in a dugout near the front-line city of Toretsk, Ukraine, on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 30, 2024
As U.S. election nears, Europe worries over impact on Ukraine war and NATO
A Donald Trump win remains a concern given his strong criticism of the military alliance and his ambivalent view of Kyiv's fight against Russia's invasion.
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands on the day of a bilateral meeting inside 10 Downing Street in London on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 11, 2024
Zelenskyy outlines 'victory plan' to allies and discusses long-range weapons
The Ukrainian leader is keen for the West to give further support to try to change the balance on the battlefield ahead of a U.S. presidential election and winter.
Houthi fighters march in a parade during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Houthi takeover in Sanaa, Yemen, on Saturday.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 25, 2024
Iran brokering talks to send advanced Russian missiles to Yemen's Houthis, sources say
Seven sources said that Russia has yet to decide to transfer the Yakhont missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others at a position of Ukrainian servicemen in the town of Kupiansk last November.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 13, 2024
Being Volodymyr Zelenskyy: How war has changed Ukraine's leader
His ambition when he was elected in 2019 had been to help Ukraine become a modern democracy, before that was shattered by Russia's invasion in 2022.
French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 12, 2024
Macron tries to reassure NATO allies despite French political limbo
Behind the scenes, French President Emmanuel Macron was keen to tell allies the result of the parliamentary election was not as bad as had been feared.
The effort by the United Kingdom, France and Germany to ramp up pressure was also visible this week at the International Atomic Energy Agency, where they successfully pushed a resolution critical of Iran despite U.S. reservations.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 7, 2024
Europeans detail Iran's nuclear violations in diplomatic gambit
The move by Britain, France and Germany is said to be aimed at pressuring Tehran into resolving the issue diplomatically.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Orthodox Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on Sunday.
WORLD / Politics
May 7, 2024
U.S. and most EU nations to boycott Putin's inauguration over Ukraine war
France and some other EU states were expected to send an envoy despite a plea by Kyiv.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 5, 2024
NATO allies aim to send more air defense aid to Ukraine but make no concrete pledges
The alliance's 75th anniversary has been overshadowed by the war on its borders.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presents the alliance's annual report at NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 14.
WORLD / Politics
Apr 3, 2024
NATO ministers mull €100 billion military fund for Ukraine
The plans will be discussed during a two-day meeting in Brussels.
A screen at the headquarters of the Central Election Commission in Moscow shows the preliminary results of Russia's presidential election on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 19, 2024
West decries Putin's reelection while China and India vow closer ties
The contrasting reactions underscore the geopolitical fault lines that have gaped wider since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
French President Emmanuel Macron's comments fitted with his reputation as a diplomatic disruptor who likes to break taboos and challenge conventional thinking.
WORLD / Politics / ANALYSIS
Feb 28, 2024
Macron's Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies
The French president's idea of possibly sending troops to Ukraine was so ambiguous that he sparked confusion and irritation among some allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron  invited his European counterparts to the Elysee palace for a hastily arranged meeting to discuss how to ramp up ammunition supplies to Ukraine.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 27, 2024
France's Macron doesn't rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine
The French President also cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed to ramp up efforts to deliver more munitions to Kyiv.
Iranian ballistic missiles in Tehran. Iran's hard-line clerical rulers have steadily sought to deepen ties with Russia and China, betting that would help Tehran to resist U.S. sanctions and to end its political isolation.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 22, 2024
Iran sends Russia hundreds of ballistic missiles, sources say
An Iranian military official said there had been at least four shipments of missiles and that there would be more in the coming weeks.
An Israeli soldier stands by as a mobile artillery unit fires, near the Israel-Lebanon border on Jan. 15.
WORLD / Politics
Feb 13, 2024
France poses Hezbollah withdrawal for Israel-Lebanon truce
The plan aims to end fighting between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel at the border.
French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 12. Macron said on Sunday that France would withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the coming months.
WORLD / Politics
Sep 26, 2023
West losing sight of Sahel after France announces exit from Niger
France's decision to exit from Niger leaves a large hole in efforts to counter Islamist insurgents and could bolster Russian influence across West Africa.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 11, 2023
NATO head eyes 'strong message' on Ukraine's membership bid at summit
Divisions among the Western military alliance's 31 members on allowing Ukraine in mean there will not be a straightforward invitation for Kyiv to join.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jun 29, 2023
EU intends to maintain missile sanctions on Iran beyond expiry of 2015 pact
Current measures that limit Tehran's nuclear program in return for relief from economic controls are set to expire on Oct. 18 under a U.N. resolution that enshrined the earlier deal.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
May 31, 2023
European leaders head to Moldova for symbolic summit on Ukraine's doorstep
The gathering of the EU's 27 member states and 20 other European countries will touch on a range of strategic issues.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?