Russia Supplanting France in Africa
In recent years there has developed a shadowy competition for influence between Russia and France on the African continent, and Moscow seems to be winning.
Monthly Archives: December 2022
US Lawsuit Against PFAS Forever Chemicals
A pair of nonprofit advocacy groups are suing a Texas company in a bid to stop it from generating so-called “forever chemicals” while manufacturing plastic containers. These are the same chemicals which have been leaking out of US military bases in Japan, contaminating nearby communities.
Taiwan Extends Period of Military Conscription
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has announced the extension of the military draft to one year from the current duration of four months, citing the perceived need for increased military preparedness.
Visible Minorities: Celebrating Christmas as a Compromise
A long-term Non-Japanese resident friend, married with a Japanese husband and adult kids, recently told me about a new development in their relationship: Christmas was no longer to be celebrated in their household.
Netanyahu Agrees to Lift Ban on Incitement to Racism
The agreement establishing the most rightwing government in Israel’s history now contains a provision that will lift a ban on parliamentary candidates who incite racism—an offense for which the incoming national security minister was once convicted.
Contamination Spreading from US Military Bases
US military bases spreading cancerous substances was originally seen as an issue primarily for Okinawans to grapple with, but recent discoveries at Yokosuka and Atsugi bases are making clear that it is a nationwide problem.
Warren Accuses Pentagon of Undercounting Civilian Deaths
Senator Elizabeth Warren and other US lawmakers are demanding that the Pentagon stop its systematic undercounting of civilian deaths after more than two decades of the so-called Global War on Terrorism.
Avigan: Shinzo Abe’s Illusory White Knight in the Pandemic
The antiviral drug Avigan was developed by the firm Fujifilm Toyama Chemical in 2014, and it was later envisioned as Japan’s leading prospect to solve the global Covid pandemic. The drug was enthusiastically promoted by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but this October its development was quietly terminated.
Hirobumi Ito and the Modern Cabinet System
From 1885-1888, Hirobumi Ito served as the first prime minister of Japan. Indeed, he was the principal architect of the modern Cabinet system, inspired by European models but adapted to Japanese circumstances.
Battling for Democracy in Peru
Civil society groups in Peru are calling for a national strike against the unelected interim President Dina Boluarte, while international progressives, including current and former Latin American leaders, see the hand of rightwing groups and the US government behind the attempted overthrow of the popular will.
