AI Export Control Measures Aimed at China Gain Steam in U.S. House
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee moved forward 20 bipartisan bills aimed at tightening AI and chip export controls to China. Proposals such as the Match Act, AI Overwatch Act, and Chip Security Act would restrict sales of Nvidia’s Blackwell and H200 processors, increase penalties, and expand overseas enforcement. The measures reflect congressional frustration with the Trump administration’s perceived inaction and seek to compel the Commerce Department and allies to adopt stricter rules. Passage will hinge on incorporation into the annual defense spending bill and on securing Senate backing.
Israel’s Lebanon Buffer Zone Is a Fallacy and No Path to Peace
Daoud Kuttab argues that Israel’s push to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon is a strategic dead‑end. He notes that modern missiles, drones and long‑range weapons make territorial shields obsolete, and that Israel now occupies roughly 850‑1,060 km²—about 10% of Lebanon’s...
Taking Bank of Korea Helm, Crisis-Era Veteran Pursues Ambitious Won Overhaul
Shin Hyun Song, a veteran economist who warned of the 2008 crisis, has taken over as governor of the Bank of Korea. He unveiled an ambitious plan to internationalize the won, including round‑the‑clock FX trading and an offshore settlement system,...
Point72, BlackRock-Backed Contest Seeks Japanese Banking Talent
Point72 and BlackRock’s Gyoseki contest entered its fourth year, drawing about 300 Japanese college students across 170 teams to evaluate consumer‑product stocks. Participants performed fundamental analysis on Unicharm, Lion and Ezaki Glico, with the winning team receiving ¥150,000 (≈$944) and internship...
Allies Fear a Rushed U.S.-Iran Framework Deal Could Backfire, Leaving Technical Deadlock
European allies warn that a hastily‑crafted U.S.‑Iran framework could cement technical deadlock rather than resolve the nuclear impasse. They argue the White House’s inexperienced negotiating team lacks the two‑decade expertise that France, Britain and Germany built during the 2015 JCPOA....
Pentagon Chief Says Climate Change Is ‘Crap.’ The Military Is Still Bracing for It.
Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed climate change as "crap," yet the military is still pouring resources into hardening its bases. At Tyndall Air Force Base, reconstruction is 70% complete, with structures elevated above sea level and roofs rated for 266 km/h...
Chickens Go From Coop to Table at Inaka No Taiho
Inaka no Taiho, a farmhouse‑style restaurant perched on a Kyoto hillside, offers chef Koki Watanabe’s Sichuan‑inspired dishes prepared from chickens slaughtered in front of diners. The menu draws on herbs, heirloom rice, wild foraged plants and locally sourced game, creating...
At Kohei Nawa’s Studio, the World Is Seen Through Glass Bubbles
Japanese artist Kohei Nawa’s Kyoto studio, known as Sandwich, employs about 50 staff to produce his signature "PixCell" sculptures, which coat objects in glass beads. In April 2026 the studio wrapped preparations for "Photon Camp," Nawa’s first solo exhibition in...
China's Information War Turns Taiwan’s Own Voices Against It
China is intensifying its information warfare against Taiwan by repurposing statements from opposition figures, especially KMT leaders, and broadcasting them on state‑run Douyin and other Chinese platforms. The campaign repackages these clips for Facebook, TikTok and YouTube, reaching Taiwanese audiences...
No Buffet, No Karaoke: Filipino Food Gets Elevated at Bananas
John Zinampan opened Bananas, a 46‑seat Filipino bistro in Shinjuku, Tokyo, to give the cuisine a polished, sit‑down experience. The menu features classic dishes like adobo, lumpia, sisig and kare‑kare, priced between ¥1,250 ($8) and ¥4,200 ($28). Ingredients are sourced...
Ai Is Hastening the Resume’s Demise. Good Riddance.
Artificial intelligence now lets anyone craft a polished resume with a few prompts, eroding the document’s credibility. Employers have responded by using AI to automatically parse and rank submissions, exposing long‑standing resume padding and embellishment. The article traces the resume’s...
Japan ‘Closely Monitoring’ U.S. Plans to Blockade Strait of Hormuz
Japan’s government said it is closely monitoring a planned U.S. military operation to block the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil‑transit chokepoint, after peace talks with Iran stalled. The proposed blockade could bring U.S. warships within range of Iranian drones...
Quantum Computing Could Fix AI’s Sustainability Problem
Artificial intelligence’s soaring energy demand threatens to raise the tech sector’s carbon footprint beyond 3 % of global emissions. Neutral‑atom quantum processing units, such as Pasqal’s Orion system, consume only a few kilowatts and emit kilograms of CO₂ per hour, dramatically...
Testosterone Isn’t a Magic Cure-All for Middle Age
Social media influencers have promoted testosterone therapy as a cure‑all for perimenopausal women, promising energy, sharper cognition, and a revived libido. Medical experts caution that the only proven benefit is a modest increase in sexual satisfaction for postmenopausal women, and...
America’s Big Personalities Are Shrinking Its Greatness
Adrian Wooldridge argues that the resurgence of charismatic personalities in business and politics is eroding the objective, managerial structures that once underpinned American greatness. He contrasts Alfred Sloan’s push for anonymous, process‑driven management at General Motors with today’s celebrity CEOs...
Gasoline, Diapers and Drinks: Japan Faces Wide-Ranging Impact Amid Concern over Oil
Japan relies on Middle‑Eastern crude for 94% of its oil, with 93% transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A closure of the strait has forced the government to tap its strategic reserves, now covering roughly 230 days—about eight months—of consumption. Because...
The KGB’s Successor Is Expanding Its Power in Putin’s Russia
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is set to receive unchecked access to corporate and financial databases starting April 1, allowing it to copy any organization’s data without a court order. The agency also mandates banks to install surveillance tools by 2027...
At Japan-Indonesia Summit, Energy Security Takes Center Stage Amid War in Middle East
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto met in Tokyo to deepen cooperation on energy security amid soaring oil and gas prices caused by the Middle East conflict. The two leaders agreed to coordinate closely, including Indonesia’s...
ADHD Medication in Short Supply in Japan as Demand Soars
Japan is experiencing a nationwide shortage of Concerta, the primary stimulant used to treat adult ADHD, as demand surges. The shortage, first noted in late 2023, persists despite Janssen Pharmaceutical’s promise of a two‑month fix, with officials now estimating several...
How the Japanese Made Jazz Their Own
While jazz originated in the United States, Tokyo now boasts more than 100 live jazz clubs—more than New York—and Japanese consumers purchase the most jazz recordings worldwide. The genre arrived in the 1920s, was banned during World II, and re‑emerged after the...
One Month Into Iran War, only Hard Choices for Trump
One month after the U.S.-Israeli strike campaign against Iran, President Donald Trump is wrestling with two stark choices: negotiate a rapid exit or intensify military action that could drag the United States into a prolonged conflict. Iran’s missile and drone...
A Saitama Sake Brewery Embraces a Little-Known Rice Variety
A boutique sake brewery in Kumagaya, Saitama, has begun using a little‑known shuzō kōteki‑mai rice variety for its premium line. While Japan registers roughly 1,000 table‑rice strains, only about 100 are classified as ideal brewing rice, featuring larger grains with higher...
Welcome to 'New Russia': How the Kremlin Is Remaking Occupied Ukraine
Russia is pouring roughly $11.8 billion into transport and trade infrastructure across the four Ukrainian regions it occupies, building over 2,500 km of railways, highways and roads between 2022 and 2025. The centerpiece projects include the 525‑km Novorossiya Railways line, a 1,400‑km...
Building the Energy Resilience ASEAN+3 Needs
ASEAN+3’s energy systems face mounting pressure from climate‑driven disasters, soaring electricity demand and geopolitical volatility. In 2024, natural catastrophes in the Asia‑Pacific cost roughly $320 billion, while the International Energy Agency projects Southeast Asia’s power demand to double by 2050. The...
Threats Abound to India’s Traditional Geopolitical Role
India’s multialignment strategy is under strain as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran triggered a domestic LPG shortage, exposing the country’s energy fragility. Simultaneously, New Delhi’s decision to reopen critical sectors to Chinese foreign direct investment deepens its reliance on a...
Germany Steps up Indo-Pacific Push, Eyeing Visiting-Forces Pact with Japan
Germany and Japan’s defence ministers agreed to deepen military cooperation, including a prospective visiting‑forces pact that would allow reciprocal troop deployments. The talks in Yokosuka covered regular defence consultations, joint exercises across land, sea and air, and expanded defence‑industrial collaboration...
Trump Is Showing Beijing How to Seize Taiwan
U.S. President Donald Trump has intensified a fuel blockade against Cuba, cutting electricity and creating a humanitarian crisis. The article argues that China is watching this playbook and could apply a similar energy‑based siege to Taiwan by using maritime inspections...
Italy Explores Nuclear Return After 40 Years as Energy Costs Hit
Italy is reviving its nuclear program after a 40‑year ban, driven by soaring gas prices and energy security concerns. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s cabinet approved a legal framework in 2025, targeting a national nuclear strategy by 2027. The government is consulting...
How China Is Wooing Paraguay’s Political Class Away From Longtime Ally Taiwan
China is intensifying a diplomatic campaign in Paraguay, offering all‑expenses‑paid tours of Chinese cities to lawmakers and journalists to showcase its economic might. The outreach aims to persuade Paraguay’s political class to abandon its long‑standing recognition of Taiwan, its last...
African Countries Consider ‘Vice Taxes’ to Help Fill USAID Cuts
African NGOs are grappling with a sudden 30% budget loss after the U.S. shut down USAID, while European and private philanthropy contributions have also slipped, leaving services for women, children, and HIV patients underfunded. In response, several African governments are...