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As if it were a medieval explorer circumnavigating the unknown world half a millennium ago, the newest brand of political conservatism is beginning to reach all parts of the globe’s democratically elected national governments. Each version of this political trend, like a fingerprint, is unique, but its general principles are being established as voters everywhere reject leftist governments that have touted social welfare, redistributionist ideologies, and various neo-Marxist policies which have failed. Almost every week brings news of another conservative victory in a national election. This past week, it was the surprise landslide victory for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s...

The vessel's captain was ordered to stop for an inspection, but failed to comply and fled, Japan's fisheries agency said.Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities said on Friday (Feb 13), an incident that could deepen a spat between the Asian giants. The episode on Thursday off southern Japan came three months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Japan would intervene militarily if Beijing sought to take Taiwan by force. "The vessel's captain was ordered to stop for an inspection by a fisheries inspector, but the vessel failed to comply and fled," Japan's fisheries agency...

A few months before his assassination, Charlie Kirk visited Japan and warned that mass migration was seeking to “replace and eradicate Japan by bringing in Indonesians, by bringing in Arabs, by bringing in Muslims”. With over 100 mosques and over 400,000 Muslims already occupying Japan, even though 95% of Japanese voters oppose Muslim mass migration, a political explosion was bound to occur. Now, Japanese voters have delivered a striking defeat to the forces of mass migration with a stunning win for Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whom the media has already taken to describing as a ‘Trumpian’ figure for opposing...

Having a two-thirds majority allows Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government to override decisions by the upper house, where her coalition is in a minority.Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) won 315 seats in weekend snap elections, giving it a two-thirds majority, official results confirmed on Tuesday (Feb 10). The outcome is the LDP's best in its history and allows Japan's first woman prime minister to stamp her mark on the country of 123 million people over the next four years. The LDP's coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), won 36 seats, giving the ruling bloc 351...

Summary Takaichi's ruling party delivers supermajority in Sunday vote Takaichi repeats pledge to suspend food tax Says govt will not issue fresh debt, discuss funding with others Focus on debate over funding, risk of market revolt TOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi renewed a pledge on Monday to cut a sales tax on food, after a historic election win brightened chances for stimulus measures that have rattled financial markets. Takaichi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) romped to victory in Sunday's poll, helped by a pledge to ease household living costs by suspending for two years the...

Results mean coalition of recently installed PM has supermajority in lower house of parliament Japan’s conservative governing coalition has dramatically strengthened its grip on power after a landslide victory in Sunday’s elections in what will be seen as an early public endorsement of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi.Her Liberal Democratic party (LDP) was projected to win as many as 328 of the 465 seats in parliament’s lower house, well above the 233 it needed to regain the majority it lost in 2024. With her coalition partner, the Japan Innovation party, she now has a supermajority of two-thirds of seats,...

🚨 BREAKING: Japan’s right-wing PM Sanae Takaichi is set to win a LANDSLIDE VICTORY of up to 326 seats in today’s election, per exit polling 233 is a majority WOW! Being anti-mass migration is POPULAR in Japan The whole world needs more leaders like this! 🇺🇸 🇯🇵

Japan's conservative Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has won a decisive victory in the country's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls ...

Sustained snow since late January has left residents struggling to leave home and forced schools and businesses to close. Japan warned of possible avalanches in the country's northern regions on Wednesday (Feb 4), as the mercury suddenly rose after two weeks of extreme snowfall that paralysed traffic and collapsed houses. Sustained snow since late January has buried northern communities, such as Aomori, under drifts of around 2m that have left residents struggling to leave home, and forced schools and businesses to close. But the temperature rose on Wednesday, reaching 8 degrees Celsius in Aomori, increasing the risk of chunks of...

A humanoid robot that walks, maintains eye contact, and displays subtle facial expressions has drawn attention on Chinese social media after videos showcasing its capabilities were circulated. The robot, named Moya, was unveiled in Shanghai by the robotics company DroidUp, which describes it as the world’s first fully biomimetic embodied intelligent robot. Moya is built around the idea of embodied artificial intelligence, systems that can perceive, reason, and act within the physical world rather than operating purely in digital environments. In the footage shared by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the humanoid is seen smiling, nodding, making eye contact,...

Japanese researchers have reportedly succeeded in mining mud thought to contain rare earth elements from a seabed some 5,700 meters underwater. The exploration vessel Chikyu, operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, or JAMSTEC, has been conducting a test excavation of the mud since January. The seabed is within Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Pacific, roughly 150 kilometers southeast of the Japanese island of Minamitorishima. The test was held under a project led by Japan's Cabinet Office. Officials say the retrieval of mud began last Friday, and work to haul it onto the vessel took place...

Bounties as high as $100,000 are being offered to contract killers for the murder of dozens of Israeli researchers, including some in the US, on the website of a hateful anti-Zionist group. “The Punishment for Justice Movement” website offers between $50,000 for murdering one of the Jewish academics listed — and twice that amount for the killing of “special targets” — claiming the high-achieving researchers are complicit in child murder. Home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and social media accounts were listed for at least 40 academics, according to The Jerusalem Post. The website offered a $2,000 USD as reward...

Ireland has joined 10 other European countries calling for Israel to halt demolitions of the headquarters belonging to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in east Jerusalem by Israeli authorities. Earlier this month, Israeli bulldozers began demolishing the compound, having effectively banned the organization from operating in the country in January 2026. The joint letter was signed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee and the foreign ministers of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Spain and the UK. It described the demolition as an unprecedented act which marked the “latest unacceptable move” to undermine a UN...

The distinctive black-and-white animals, loaned out as part of China's "panda diplomacy", have symbolised friendship between Beijing and Tokyo since they normalised diplomatic ties in 1972.Two popular pandas are set to leave Tokyo for China on Tuesday (Jan 27), leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years as ties between the Asian neighbours fray. Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao were transported by truck out of Ueno Zoological Gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds. "Although I can't see them, I came to share...

The story of Momofuku Ando and how he invented instant ramen. How an Ex-Prisoner Built a $7 Billion Ramen Empire | 12:07 Hungry History by Adjoga | 4.52K subscribers | 746,411 views | August 17, 2022

Japanese YouTuber faces backlash for 'packed with Indians' Air India flight vlog: 'If you have problem, then don't come' A Japanese YouTuber has sparked outrage after calling an Air India flight “packed with Indians” and using a caption many found insensitive and offensive.A travel vlog by Japanese content creator Ikechan has sparked outrage online after she described an Air India flight as “packed with Indians” and referred to the airline as “bad” in the caption. The controversy began after Ikechan shared her Air India travel vlog on YouTube and X with the caption, “Taking the notoriously bad Air India for...

Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts, restricting seafood imports, and even recalling pandas. Today on the show, what does it look like for a state to organize a boycott, and does it work? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

This is a developing situation. NASA is considering a rare early return of Crew-11 after canceling a planned ISS spacewalk due to an unspecified medical issue with one astronaut. The crew member is stable, but the EVA — slated for Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke — was scrubbed. That spacewalk would’ve tied a career EVA record for Fincke. NASA says all options are on the table. Spacewalk Canceled, Medical Issue Prompts Rare Talk of Early ISS Crew Return | 4:05 Ellie in Space | 216K subscribers | 8,083 views | January 8, 2026

Wary Pacific nations are resisting ‘good brother’ China’s offer to expand its scope Round one does not go to China. It failed to convince a group of Pacific island nations to sign an agreement to keep receiving security and economic cooperation from itself. They could not shed their suspicions that China was attempting to show off its ‘partners’ in the South Pacific to square off with the QUAD’s growing presence in the Indo-Pacific. Some nations were opposed to the Chinese offer, titled ‘China-Pacific Island Countries Common Development Vision’. What raised eyebrows were the Chinese proposals to train local police, help...

A set of rare fifth-century armor fittings featuring a dragon-adorned gilt-bronze design has been identified in Japan, offering new insight into the craftsmanship and ceremonial culture of the Kofun period. The fragments, originally excavated from a burial mound in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, are now recognized as one of the most refined examples of military ornamentation from ancient Japan. The seven fragments, preserved and displayed at the Meiji University Museum in Tokyo, are believed to have once decorated the neck guard of a suit of armor. Measuring approximately 35 centimeters long (13.8 inches) and 22 centimeters (8.7 inches) wide when assembled,...