A Japan Ground Self-Defense Force mid-range multi-purpose missile is fired during a live-fire exercise at the East Fuji Maneuver Area on June 7, 2026, in Gotemba, Japan. (Getty Images)
The flag used by the Taliban's interim government is seen over Afghanistan’s embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025, after Russia officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan. (Getty Images)
A member of the Peoples Armed Police stands at the entrance of the National Peoples Congress at the Great Hall of the People on March 6, 2024 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel addresses the media during a press conference on the flight deck of USS Ronald Reagan in Yokosuka, Japan, on May 16, 2024. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Keyly Santizo)