SBS News

Japan Faces Backlash Over Imperial Succession Law Excluding Princesses in Favor of Distant Male Relatives The House of Councillors in the Japanese Diet held a plenary session yesterday and passed the amendment to the Imperial House Law. SBS Jul 18, 2026 3:25 PM

U.S. Deploys Fighter Jets and Tankers to Middle East; Iran Warns of "Full-Scale Offensive" Air Force aerial refueling tankers stationed on the runway at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv Tensions in the Middle East are escalating as the United States and Iran continue their intense standoff over the Strait of Hormuz for the seventh consecutive day. SBS Jul 18, 2026 2:04 PM

Apple Sends Warning Letters to Former Employees Who Moved to OpenAI, Escalating 'Trade Secret Theft' Dispute The British daily Financial Times reported, citing multiple sources, that Apple has sent legal warning letters to approximately 40 former employees currently working at OpenAI. SBS Jul 18, 2026 1:42 PM

U.S. Reportedly Notifies Israel of Plans to Increase Aerial Refueling Tankers; Preparing for Large-Scale Airstrikes? Air Force KC-135 Amid reports of the United States reinforcing its military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran reach a critical juncture, it has been reported that Washington plans to send additional aerial refueling tankers to Israel. SBS Jul 18, 2026 12:08 PM

Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel Suspected of Oil Spill off Oman Coast; Cause Unknown A vessel from the so-called shadow fleet, which is under Western sanctions for allegedly transporting Russian crude oil, appears to be leaking oil in a marine protected area off the coast of Oman. SBS Jul 18, 2026 8:39 AM

Iran Claims Two Oil Tankers Explode in Hormuz, Alleging Passage Through Minefield According to the report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated, "An hour ago, two oil tankers exploded and suffered major fires after being deceived by U.S. SBS Jul 18, 2026 8:37 AM

U.S. Military Conducts 7th Consecutive Night of Airstrikes on Iran, Aiming to Degrade Military Capabilities Central Command The U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations against Iran, announced that it conducted further airstrikes targeting Iran on July 17 . SBS Jul 18, 2026 7:02 AM

20,000 South Korean Students in the U.S. Face Uncertainty Over Visa Restrictions The U.S. Trump administration, which is pursuing strict immigration policies, has announced that it will limit the stay of international students to four years. SBS Jul 18, 2026 6:31 AM

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Mexico; No Casualties Reported So Far A 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific coast, 50 kilometers southwest of Mexico. SBS Jul 18, 2026 6:29 AM

U.S. Strikes Hormuz Surveillance Towers and Infrastructure; Iran Retaliates The United States has bombed Iranian national infrastructure, including surveillance towers in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as railways, bridges, and roads. SBS Jul 18, 2026 6:28 AM