Defense & Tech Diplomacy: Belgium plans its first-ever defense attaché in Tokyo to deepen communications and information-sharing with Japan as China’s military buildup and rare-earth export controls raise supply-chain stakes. Lunar Standards: Countries are lining up to set a unified lunar time standard at an international conference in Paris, aiming to keep Moon missions accurate as bases and navigation ramp up around 2030. AI for Health Screening: Japanese researchers report AI can flag hypertension and diabetes from short facial videos, while a separate project trains on nearly one million retinal scans to estimate dementia risk—pushing screening toward earlier, non-hospital workflows. Education & Digital Life: Japan’s MEXT survey finds heavy social-media/video use among elementary and junior high students is rising fast and correlates with lower test scores. Minimum Wage Pressure: Akita’s minimum wage hike shows how Japan’s “race” to raise pay can spark backlash from businesses already squeezed by labor costs. Offshore Wind Buildout: JFE Engineering rolled out Japan’s first domestically made offshore wind monopile for the 315 MW Oga–Katagami–Akita project, targeting production through March 2027. Space Science: The Subaru Telescope captured a “bare” comet nucleus in archival images, turning an accidental background appearance into a direct look at comet surfaces. Business Travel Tech: Flight Centre Travel Group posted record results, highlighting how AI and changing corporate travel needs are driving demand for smarter managed travel.