Russia formally protested to Japan over the upcoming Orient Shield military exercises with the U.S. and Australia, which will include U.S. Typhon mid-range missile systems for the first time. ^[1] Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow told Japan it considers any provocative military activity near its borders in the Far East categorically unacceptable and warned of possible 'compensatory countermeasures' to guarantee national security. ^[2] North Korea plans to send a delegation of more than 100 athletes to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. ^[3] The Orient Shield exercises are scheduled to take place in Japan from September 8 to 24. ^[4] The U.S. military moved a Typhon system to Japan's Kagoshima prefecture in June for joint exercises with Japan's Self-Defense Forces, and the systems were planned to participate in the September drills before being transferred to a U.S. military base in Japan around mid-October, according to The Japan Times. ^[5] Ko Chol Ho, Secretary-General of the North Korean Olympic Committee, confirmed that the team will compete in football, weightlifting, boxing, and wrestling. ^[6] The North Korean delegation will compete in 14 different sports at the 2026 Asian Games. ^[7] Two ethnic Korean athletes based in Japan will join the North Korean team to compete in women's football and karate. ^[8]