Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio’s position was already seen as tenuous before a slush fund scandal embroiled his ruling Liberal Democratic Party last month. It says a lot about the state of Japanese politics that Kishida remains the most viable option to lead the government until the LDP holds a leadership election in September.
Much discussion this past year has centered on the scourge of war, and rightfully so. But the incidence of famine and food insecurity in the world are problems that are just as critical at the moment. Indeed, 2023 was a year of famine and hunger, according to the U.N. World Food Program.
U.S. government efforts to root out Chinese influence in academia have been clumsy at best, discriminatory and counterproductive at worst. Restrictions and guardrails to protect scientific integrity and national security should be applicable to all, not based on ethnicity or national origin.
