Japan-India Tech Push: Japan’s business ties with India are accelerating fast, with investment and trade now outpacing Japan’s engagement with China, as Tokyo expands energy security, critical minerals, semiconductors and space cooperation. AI & Finance Watch: Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Shinichi Uchida warned that the AI boom could lift the neutral interest rate, meaning rates may need to stay higher than markets expect. Optogenetics Breakthrough: The 2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics, a method that uses light to control specific cells and could reshape treatments for brain disorders. Cybersecurity in the Spotlight: A major data breach hit Japan’s Times Car (over 6.6 million affected), following a separate ransomware incident at rail operator Keio—another reminder that mobility data is a high-value target. Semiconductor Supply Chain: Tata Electronics has started pilot chip production at its Jagiroad assembly-and-test facility in Assam, moving toward process proving before sustained output. Policy & Security: Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi pledged a cut to food consumption tax without new bonds and flagged cyber defense and AI/semiconductors as priority investment areas. Tech Meets Defense: The US Marine Corps plans its first NMESIS anti-ship missile deployment to Yonaguni Island during Keen Sword 27, strengthening island-defense training near Taiwan.