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Sunday, 1 November 2026 Reading Room

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Japan's 'ogre town' pins hopes on cedar-based material as naphtha supplies waver

KIHOKU, Ehime -- This western Japan town is moving to mass-produce "modified lignin" at the world's first plant of its kind, as uncertainty continues

  • Kihoku town in Japan aims to revolutionize future with cedar-based modified lignin material.
  • Project, costing 4.26 billion yen, aims to address naphtha supply waver and depopulation.
  • Modified lignin, stronger than petroleum plastics, targets automotive and aircraft components.

·mainichi.jp

How Smuggling Networks Use the Same Tactics as Sanctions Evaders

The Problem Is the Same, So the Playbook Is the Same A vessel carrying crude loaded at a sanctioned terminal and a vessel carrying cocaine loaded off a Colombian beach are solving an identical…

  • Smuggling networks and sanctions evaders use identical tactics like "going dark" and flag changes.
  • AIS gaps alone don't explain vessel behavior; indicate only transmission cessation.
  • Ship-to-ship transfers reveal illicit cargo despite vessels' AIS status.

·hellenicshippingnews.com

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