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Iran Says Swiss National Who Died in Prison Had Photographed Military Sites 

An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
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Iran Says Swiss National Who Died in Prison Had Photographed Military Sites 

An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian woman walks past a mural of Iran's national flag in Tehran, Iran, 15 January 2025. (EPA)

A Swiss national who Iranian authorities said took his own life while in an Iranian jail after being arrested on suspicion of espionage had taken pictures of military sites, Iran's judiciary spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Switzerland had demanded detailed information on the reasons for the arrest of the 64-year-old man, who had been travelling in Iran as a tourist, and a full investigation into the circumstances of his death earlier this month.

"The person had entered the country from Dogharoun (bordering Afghanistan) in October as a tourist in a car fitted with various technical equipment meant for different purposes," the judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said.

The spokesperson said the detainee had hanged himself with a piece of cloth after turning off his cell's light and placing himself out of the view of security cameras.

"After passing through several provinces, he entered Semnan province and was arrested while being in a military-restricted zone," Jahangir said. "He was arrested on charges of taking pictures of the military zone and collaborating with hostile states."

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have in recent years arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security.

Rights groups accuse Iran of trying to extract concessions from other countries through such arrests. Iran denies this.

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World

France’s Macron Arrives in Japan for Talks Dominated by Mideast War

France's President Emmanuel Macron (center-L) and his wife Brigitte arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on march 31, 2026. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron (center-L) and his wife Brigitte arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on march 31, 2026. (AFP)
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France’s Macron Arrives in Japan for Talks Dominated by Mideast War

France's President Emmanuel Macron (center-L) and his wife Brigitte arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on march 31, 2026. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron (center-L) and his wife Brigitte arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport in Tokyo on march 31, 2026. (AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Japan on Tuesday for a visit that initially aimed to strengthen partnerships in nuclear energy and space innovation but will now be dominated by the Middle East war.

Macron landed shortly before 5:30 pm (0830 GMT) in rainy and windy Tokyo, ahead of an expected evening meeting with several cultural figures including a renowned kimono painter.

He will then hold talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday, and "the crisis in the Middle East will be at the heart of discussions", the Elysee said ahead of his Asia trip, which will also include a visit to South Korea.

The two leaders will discuss "how we can try to find common solutions", it added.

Japan depends on the Middle East for 95 percent of its oil imports and has had to dip into strategic stockpiles to temper the impact of rising fuel prices since the start of the war.

Iran has virtually closed the vital Strait of Hormuz -- through which a fifth of global crude and gas flows -- since the United States and Israel began striking the country on February 28.

Economy and finance ministers of G7 countries, which include France and Japan, said on Monday they stood ready to take "all necessary measures" to ensure the stability of the energy market as they tackled the economic consequences of the war.

Wednesday will be Macron's "first full-fledged meeting" with Takaichi, according to a Japanese foreign ministry official, though the two met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November.

Among expectations for the talks was "continued communication" with a view towards the "calming down of the situation in Iran", the official said.

The two countries are also expected to discuss security and partnerships in the space sector, and intend to sign a roadmap on nuclear power in Japan, the Elysee said.

Macron's visit, his fourth to the country, comes as China-Japan ties worsen following Takaichi's suggestion in November that Tokyo might intervene militarily in any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.

Macron visited China in December.

He and his wife Brigitte are due to have lunch with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Thursday but a hoped-for viewing of Japan's famous cherry trees in full bloom could be spoiled by rain forecast for the next three days in the Japanese capital.

He will be in Japan until April 2, and he will then visit South Korea at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung.

"Macron will be the first European leader to make a state visit to South Korea since the launch of (our) new administration," the South Korean presidential office said earlier this month.

World

Japan Deploys Long-Range Missiles Near China

The Type-12 land-to-ship missile launcher is shown at the Camp Kengun in the Kumamoto prefecture, western Japan, on March 17, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)
The Type-12 land-to-ship missile launcher is shown at the Camp Kengun in the Kumamoto prefecture, western Japan, on March 17, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)
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Japan Deploys Long-Range Missiles Near China

The Type-12 land-to-ship missile launcher is shown at the Camp Kengun in the Kumamoto prefecture, western Japan, on March 17, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)
The Type-12 land-to-ship missile launcher is shown at the Camp Kengun in the Kumamoto prefecture, western Japan, on March 17, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwest region near China, its defense minister said Tuesday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years.

The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea.

"Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country... while ensuring the safety of our personnel," said Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

"This is an extremely important initiative for strengthening Japan's deterrence and response capabilities," he added.

The surface-to-ship guided missile system has a range of around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), putting parts of the Chinese mainland within reach -- Shanghai lies about 900 kilometers from Kumamoto.

Koizumi also said a "hyper velocity gliding projectile", designed to defend remote islands from enemy forces, had been deployed in Shizuoka, another coastal area closer to Tokyo which faces the Pacific.

Japan has long had a policy to use its military only for self-defense in its most strict meaning.

But in recent years Tokyo has steadily built its defense capacity as regional neighbors including China, Russia and North Korea increase their military activities in the region.

In 2022 it approved a plan to deploy missiles with counter-attack capability.

"If we continue to rely solely on ballistic missile defense... it will become increasingly difficult to fully address the threat" of missiles with advanced technologies, a defense white paper issued last year said.

China is beefing up its military and is engaged in a number of territorial disputes with other countries in the region, including Japan over the Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu in China.

Japan's ties with Beijing have soured in recent months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan.

China views Taiwan as its territory and has not ruled out taking it by force.

Critics of Tokyo's move to deploy missiles could make the area a target of possible enemy attacks.

Earlier this month, local media reported that Japan's ground force delivered a launcher for the missiles to Kumamoto without warning local communities, prompting dozens of opponents to stage a protest in front of a local military base.

World

Eight Injured in Israel After Iran Missile Fire

A photograph shows the damage at the site of an Iranian strike in a residential neighborhood of Bnei Brak on March 31, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows the damage at the site of an Iranian strike in a residential neighborhood of Bnei Brak on March 31, 2026. (AFP)
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Eight Injured in Israel After Iran Missile Fire

A photograph shows the damage at the site of an Iranian strike in a residential neighborhood of Bnei Brak on March 31, 2026. (AFP)
A photograph shows the damage at the site of an Iranian strike in a residential neighborhood of Bnei Brak on March 31, 2026. (AFP)

Israel's emergency services said Tuesday that eight people with minor injuries were evacuated to hospitals in the Tel Aviv area, where police reported falling munitions fragments after an alert for incoming Iranian missiles.

Six of the injured were treated in the city of Bnei Brak, which is largely populated by ultra-Orthodox Jews, according to Magen David Adom, Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross.

It specified that they were in mild condition with blast injuries.

The military's Home Front Command said it had received "reports of damage" in the central parts of the country.

Earlier on Tuesday, at least 10 blasts were heard in the Jerusalem area after missile launches from Iran were detected though no injuries were subsequently reported.