Japan has a new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, the country’s first female leader in 78 years of democracy. Takaichi, a conservative stalwart, was parliament-selected, not popularly elected, and she became Japan’s fourth prime minister in five years. The paradox is stark: Japan is the fourth-largest economy in the world, a global industrial powerhouse where one in every 12.5 cars is made in Japan, yet societal norms remain rigid. Japanese women are among the most educated globally, yet face pressures to conform to traditional roles — prioritizing marriage, motherhood, and domesticity over leadership or ambition. Feminists worry that Takaichi’s conservative stance may reinforce the patriarchal status quo, rather than empower women. Symbolically, she breaks the glass ceiling; substantively, change may be limited. So why does Japan produce so many brilliant, capable women but so few in power? This story unpacks the tension between economic might, gender equality, and cultural inertia.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HXKEKlW-QGU

In an interview with HT, analyst Uzair Younus explains why U.S. President Donald Trump is pursuing closer ties to Pakistan. Younus, sitting down with Shashank Mattoo, explains that the Trump administration wants Pakistan’s help on the Middle East and on critical minerals.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vw1TProUzKQ

What if foreign policy didn’t hide behind spies, coups, or covert operations, but came wrapped in a MAGA cap? Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, all bear witness to a bold new U.S. strategy. Javier Milei has visited Trump four times in ten months, nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, and received a $20 billion lifeline. Jair Bolsonaro, though barred from running, still gets Trump’s open endorsement, while Venezuela’s María Corina Machado becomes a focal point for sanctions, international praise, and even military pressure at sea.Trump’s playbook is clear: public praise, implicit threats, and ideological signaling replace covert meddling. The rhetoric is sharp, leftist opponents are framed as dangerous, conservative allies celebrated, and entire elections subtly influenced from Washington. Is America still using fear to shape governments or has it just made the process more unapologetic, louder, and impossible to ignore? Where once spies pulled the strings in secret, now an unashamed president wields influence like a spotlight, shaping politics across continents.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pvOtdvtHiB8