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TECH

A drone operator flies his drone as Chinese drone maker DJI holds a demonstration to display an app that tracks a drone’s registration and owner in Montreal, Canada, in 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Apr 6, 2026
China built the world’s drone industry. Now it’s locking down the skies.
New regulations are tightening rules for recreational and civilian operators, with penalties for unauthorized flying of drones to include possible jail time.
Microsoft, whose Copilot has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, said it will invest in cybersecurity partnerships and train a million artificial intelligence engineers through 2029.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2026
Microsoft drafts $10 billion investment plan in AI-hungry Japan
Microsoft is battling Amazon.com and Alphabet for dominance in Japan, which is spending billions to develop an artificial intelligence ecosystem and catch up to the U.S. and China.
A month after Australia's social media ban took effect, the government reported in mid-January that 4.7 million suspected underage ⁠accounts had been deactivated.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Apr 3, 2026
Under global spotlight, Australia plays hardball on social media ban
The Australian government is pleased with the overseas interest in the ban, but is also keen ‌to counter the news that many teens are still scrolling on their phones, experts say.
Sony Bravia XR 4K televisions at a showroom in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2026
TCL-Sony deal marks China’s rise to prominence in TV market
TCL’s joint venture with Sony is set to surpass South Korean rivals and bookmark decades of Japanese consumer electronics dominance.
Spools of electrical wires outside a series of assembly tents at the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2026
America’s AI build-out hinges on Chinese electrical parts
The boom in AI infrastructure is colliding with a shortage of transformers and other electrical components needed to power massive data centers.
The Agile ONE industrial humanoid robot. The market for AI-powered robots and autonomous machines has the potential to balloon into a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2035, according to Barclays analysts.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2026
Humanoid robots offer Europe path to stay in tech race
The market for AI-powered robots and autonomous machines has the potential to balloon into a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2035, according to Barclays analysts.
A U.N. panel estimated in 2024 that North Korea had stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency since 2017.
ASIA PACIFIC / Crime & Legal
Apr 1, 2026
North Korea hackers suspected of attack on widely used software tool
Hackers linked to North Korea are suspected of an ambitious attack on an inconspicuous software package, cybersecurity experts said.
Despite repeated technological upheavals, finance has preserved its profits by reinventing fee-generating services. But the rise of AI could ultimately render much of the industry irrelevant.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 1, 2026
AI threatens the finance industry’s perpetual profit machine
The utopian promise of AI is abundance, but the only guaranteed beneficiaries are the super elites that own the machines.
Kawada Robotics demonstrates one of its prototypes at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo in March 2022. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is wise to accelerate science and technology integration with national security and diplomacy.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Mar 31, 2026
Takaichi rallies support for a ‘new technology-driven nation’
Positioning science and technology at the core of national strategy is not new.
Mark Zuckerberg exits the Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 31, 2026
Meta’s $280 billion tailspin sparks ‘tobacco moment’ questions
Wall Street is grappling with the possibility that social media companies could face a similar risk to the shrinking of the tobacco industry following stronger regulations.
When downloaded, OpenClaw can be connected to existing AI models and given simple instructions through instant messaging apps.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 31, 2026
OpenClaw creator visits Tokyo to pitch AI agents that organize your life
The artificial intelligence agent tool has taken the tech world by storm with its ability to execute real-life tasks and connect with existing AI models.
While hybrid intelligence via brain-computer interfaces may one day be possible, experts warn that for healthy adults — or children who cannot consent — the risks likely outweigh the benefits.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 30, 2026
Boosting your brain with a chip carries a price
While hybrid intelligence via brain-computer interfaces may one day be possible, experts warn that for healthy adults and children, the risks likely outweigh the benefits.
An Australian man’s monthslong quest to fight his rescue mutt Rosie’s cancer using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT has grabbed the attention of OpenAI boss Sam Altman.
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 30, 2026
One man, his dog, and ChatGPT: Australia’s AI vaccine saga
Australian Paul Conyngham used artificial intelligence to design a personalized experimental treatment for his sick dog and find top scientists to administer it.
Delegates attend the World Trade Organization 14th ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 30, 2026
WTO talks end in deadlock after Brazil blocks deal over e-commerce duties
The WTO countries are negotiating an extension to a moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions such as digital downloads.
Texas State Rep. James Talarico, who won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the Texas primary election, greets supporters after speaking at his victory party in Austin, Texas, on March 4.
WORLD / Politics
Mar 30, 2026
AI deepfakes blur reality in 2026 U.S. midterm campaigns
Politics experts worry such videos could leave voters confused, or even deceived.
Hisashi Matsumoto, Japan's digital transformation minister
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2026
Sakura Internet formally selected as government cloud provider
The decision makes Sakura Internet the first domestic service provider for the government cloud.
Toshiba plans to start negotiations with Mitsubishi Electric and chipmaker Rohm to merge their power semiconductor businesses, as international competition over the sector heats up.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2026
Japan firms weigh merging power chip businesses
Toshiba said it will start negotiations with Mitsubishi Electric and chipmaker Rohm to merge their power semiconductor businesses.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 28, 2026
Japan to promote research and development for dual-use technology
The policy direction reflects the fact that various countries are advancing the military application of advanced technologies.
SoftBank’s latest bet on OpenAI comes on top of more than $30 billion the company has already injected into the startup.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2026
SoftBank secures record $40 billion bridge loan for OpenAI stake
The loan is SoftBank’s largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars.
Japan was the first country in the world to adopt 3G, but this month, it cuts off access to the obsolete wireless network for good.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Mar 28, 2026
With the end of 3G, Japan’s beloved flip phones go dark
More than 500,000 users and their retro phones will lose access to the network from March 31.

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival