At a ceremony in Yokohama on Tuesday, Japan unveiled its newest helicopter destroyer, the "Izumo." At 820 feet long, the Izumo is the largest warship built by Japan for its fleet since World War II.
Non-Essential staff at the American Embassy in Yemen has been ordered by the United States State Department to evacuate because of the continued potential threat of terrorist attacks and civil unrest on Tuesday.
Hopes of an International Peace Conference to end the conflict in Syria anytime soon is dimming after Syria's President Bashar al-Assad announced in Damascus that no political solution will be sought until after the "terrorists" are crushed.
The United States reopened some of its diplomatic missions in the Middle East and Africa on Monday, while 19 embassies and consulates in the region remain closed due to security concerns.