Disinformation Rules in Elections: Japan’s parliament enacted a cross-party law tightening social media rules in elections, aiming to curb false candidate claims while requiring platforms to limit the impact of misinformation; enforcement is set for March 1, 2027, ahead of next spring’s unified local elections. Disaster Preparedness: A new disaster management agency was approved, to be launched in November under direct Cabinet supervision, with a dedicated disaster management minister and Tokyo headquarters plus regional bureaus later to better coordinate responses to megaquake risks. Imperial Succession Debate: The House of Representatives passed a bill revising the Imperial House Law, allowing Princess Aiko to remain after marriage and enabling male-line adoptions; the next stage is House of Councillors deliberations amid public split opinions. Counter-espionage Push: Japan vowed tougher measures against foreign spies, stressing closer cooperation among law enforcement, intelligence bodies, and private firms as foreign agencies target advanced tech and infrastructure. South China Sea Diplomacy: 14 countries including Japan reaffirmed the 2016 arbitral award as legally binding, while China rejected the statement and protested Japan’s stance. Finance & Markets: Reuters reports Japan’s pension pivot toward domestic assets is likely a slow redirection of maturing flows rather than a sudden selloff, easing fears of market shock. Stablecoin Trial: Lawson will test JPYC yen stablecoin payments at a Tokyo store via a POS-linked pilot with KDDI and HashPort. Foreign Policy/Defense: India and Japan held their 8th Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo, focusing on defence industrial collaboration, cyber security, space, and technology cooperation.