In the years since, the CCP has tightened its grip on the PLA and made it clear that the army serves the party, not any other authority. Loyalty in the PLA remains a preoccupation for the CCP. footage from trial of Chinese general who defied Tiananmen crackdown www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

He has a long pro-Russian history. Probably tied up with money somewhere...

Twitter has had an iron grip on the Japanese market up to now.

> clashes between itinerant Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities are rooted in competition over land and water Didn't the US have clashes between cowboys and farmers too? US carries out strikes on Nigerian Islamic State militants www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

This is extremely important. "Japan could generate 80-90% of its electricity from emission-free sources by 2035, according to several studies cited by the International Energy Agency (IEA)." Takaichi’s Trump-Like War On Solar Will Kneecap The Economy richardkatz.substack.com/p/takaichis-...

"'these are monsters, who got exactly what they deserved,' said Miller, referring to Venezuelan men who said they were subjected to relentless torture & abuse" What monsters Stephen Miller & Bari Weiss deserve is to lose posts where they propagate vicious lies. www.commondreams.org/news/stephen...

A fun game Trump keeps playing is to destroy a successful government program, wait a few months, then announce you’ve invented the same thing but with corruption mechanisms baked in" Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

2025 in a nutshell. On the left, a report from January saying Ibaraki lifted nationality restrictions for clerical council jobs. Mie, which had already done that, today says it's reviewing the policy out of security concerns. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

In case you haven't seen the video yet... THE [US] ADMINISTRATION ILLEGALLY SENT A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO BE TORTURED ABROAD 60 Minutes's 'Inside CECOT' - by John Ganz www.unpopularfront.news/p/60-minutes...

"To acquire the media company, the aspirants—Paramount and Netflix—will have to offer a sacrifice: Whoever can damage CNN the most stands to walk away with the prize." CBS and CNN Are Being Sacrificed to Trump - The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

VOX POPULI: Niigata nuclear plant’s return an ugly paradox for big city residents | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Also > follows 2023 amendment to ImmigrationLaw, allowing the government to revoke permanent residency for deliberate nonpayment of taxes. Japan to double required period in the country for citizenship | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Japanese-born professor loses legal bid for dual citizenship | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

"it's like going to a graveyard and destroying all the gravestones"

"Survey: Takaichi bringing back conservative voters to LDP" 28.9% of people who supported Sanseito in June-July had shifted to LDP by November. While a weakened Sanseito is good, the result is a strengthened LDP that now has a fascist contingent. www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

"If the PM herself is unwilling or unable to make this case [for an open international environment], it could fall to others: her LDP colleagues, opposition parties, and business and civil society leaders still committed to a vision of an open Japan." eg Keidanren: www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

“The U.S. is a total outlier in how much people suffer.” - Keio University Prof. Ikegami comparing the Japanese universal healthcare system to the U.S. healthcare system. Japanese conservative broadly support the existing system. www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-assa...

Putin has to be stopped. Does Trump want to be remembered as the 21C version of "peace in our time" Neville Chamberlain?

“The use of transnational repression demonstrates a symptom of the underlying structure of the Chinese government’s influence operations around the world,” Ms. Wang said. “It has marginalized voices critical of Beijing and elevated those who are friendly to it.”

With Rengo about to follow Tamaki into the arms of the LDP, maybe it's time for Keidanren to talk to the CDP? Ah, the irony. Keidanren calls for policy of inclusion for foreign workers | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

Actually a pretty revelatory point, because what Vance really means to say here is that under the new regime, white people don't have to feel obliged to "apologize for being racist" anymore.

Keidanren are calling for quite enlightened policies. Where are Japan's politicians?

This photo has been removed from Dataset 1 of the Epstein files. They're not just redacting, they're deleting anything with Trump in it. I downloaded this yesterday: photo EFTA0000468.pdf from Dataset 1. Go ahead and take a look at Dataset 1 now... it is gone.

#Epstein #EpsteinFiles Files are disappearing from the newly released batch... www.huffpost.com/entry/a-damn...

Pretty good, but of course misses the big Isshin/Komeito replacement, soon to be followed by DPP. The LDP's ability to embrace and extinguish opposition...

What arrogance. What narcissism. I will be introducing legislation prohibiting the naming of federal buildings after sitting presidents.

2025's last Japan Daily Briefing, free for all: -Takaichi gov faces calls to fire official who discussed nukes -LDP+Ishin finalize FY2026 tax plan, as DPFP celebrates victory -Diet opening date could have electoral implications -BOJ raises rates, JPY falls observingjapan.substack.com/p/nuclear-ta...

This essay offers no easy answers, but is well worth the time invested in reading it.

The Trump administration isn't interested in creating a framework where US capital can thrive but wants a regime where family businesses and other designated beneficiaries (not only American) can profit, and sees coercive deals as a better means than multilateralism. portside.org/2025-12-16/d...

LOL, Google... YES, Google... is suing a web scraper for copyright infringement. The company that has stolen everything ever by web scraping is suing someone for taking their shit. The hypocrisy meter has broken, it doesn't go that high! www.theverge.com/news/848365/...

Russian MFA spokeswoman Zakharova complains about Japan-US joint drills held on 10 Dec. She also condemns Japan’s “galloping increase in defence spending.” Japan is aiming to spend 2% of GDP on defence. Russia spends more than 7%. www.interfax.ru/russia/1063984

In this secret missile factory, Ukraine is ramping up its domestic arms industry www.bbc.com/news/article...

Farage: epic grifter

If you made this up, nobody would believe it. Astonishing. www.cnn.com/2025/12/17/p...

Sincerely hope that the Firefox folks read the comments on the post below, and actually take in what's being said. (I'm not going to hold my breath re this though. 😩)

These people are giving psychedelics a bad name. Magic Mushrooms. LSD. Ketamine. The Drugs That Power Silicon Valley. - WSJ www.wsj.com/tech/silicon...

Only took three months for the US to weaponize the US-UK Tech deal: "British officials on Monday confirmed the US suspended the deal last week, with one saying the Trump administration was pushing for UK concessions in areas of trade outside the tech partnership." www.ft.com/content/afd4...

You know, there is also a world where, in a decade or so, JD Vance and the Heritage Foundation receive the Charlemagne prize for their pivotal work in service of European integration.

I used to use Bodhi Linux (spelled wrong in this article), and if memory serves, Larry Cafiero used Bunsen Labs, so this is definitely an interesting comparison: BusenLabs Boron vs. Bohdi Linux: Which lightweight distro is right for you?

This is no revelation, Trump's core campaign theme was focused on retribution... www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

It has the ring of truth. Who Wins: Sméagol (NDAA 2026) or Gollum (NSS 2025)? drjohnclark.substack.com/p/who-wins-s...

Nice to get a bit of good news occasionally.

Laughing so as not to cry open.substack.com/pub/drjohncl...

"The cruelty is not abstract. In September 2023, five Tibetans in Sêrtar County (in Sichuan Province, and also part of historical Tibet) were sentenced to prison for the “crime” of performing rituals and erecting stone mounds. One of them, was beaten in custody and died from his injuries."

Bill Bishop has a refreshingly cynical approach to the doings of the CCP. Sharp China: Trump, Takaichi and a Game of Telephone; Japan Jawboning Continues; An Internet Governance Study Session; China Making Trade 'Impossible' sinocism.com/p/sharp-chin...

"Earlier this month, his family said Lai had lost a significant amount of weight, his nails were becoming discoloured and falling off, and his teeth were rotting." The CCP look after their prisoners.

"Okinawa Defense Bureau began pile-driving work in January, but has suspended the work from July. As of the end of November, about 2900 piles have been installed, or less than 5% of the total. At that pace, the pile driving will not be completed in even 2 decades www.asahi.com/ajw/articles...

"Hong Kong authorities have denied any mistreatment of Lai during his detention" Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai found guilty under national security law hongkongfp.com/2025/12/15/b...