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Japan, U.S. kick off joint drills around islands as regional…
Seven other nations are joining parts of the exercise, five of them for the first time, as Japan's military chief denies it targets any country.
On air: Gloria Vance and Vera Bullock on BBN TonightPublished
Watch it as it aired: Gloria Vance and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN Tonight at 6:28 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Japan Today's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Japan Today: “Japan, U.S. kick off joint drills around islands as regional tensions rise”.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 6:28 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Gloria Vance and Vera Bullock.
- Topics: Japan, US.
- BBN covered this story before: Japan's dancing salaryman, a U.S. carrier in Yokosuka, Albania… (October 17).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorJapanese and American troops began one of their largest joint exercises on Monday, defending Japan's southwestern islands, including Yonaguni, which sits just 110 kilometers from Taiwan.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorFive countries are joining for the first time, including France and the Philippines. It's a debut crowd, and I love a warm welcome.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorJapan's military chief says the drills target no specific country. They've simply invited eight nations and a missile launcher to nobody in particular.
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Photo: Architect of the Capitol · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: igorovsyannykov · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Daniel Torok · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Britchi Mirela · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: B.alotaby · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
The story so far
- Japan's dancing salaryman, a U.S. carrier in Yokosuka, Albania… · The New York Times
- Japan, U.S. kick off joint drills around islands as regional… (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 19, 2026 · the World archive · all months
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