News

The Lower House approved Japan's largest-ever initial budget totaling 115.1978 trillion yen after significant adjustments to accommodate demands from the opposition Nippon Ishin party. Despite ongoing political scandals and controversial issues, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration secured vital bipartisan cooperation to ensure the budget's enactment.

The Japanese government is considering legislation to publicly name AI companies involved in serious human rights infringements, avoiding fines or criminal penalties to prevent hindering innovation. Experts debate the effectiveness of this naming strategy, as some call for stronger enforcement measures.

Japan's ruling coalition, comprising the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, secured cooperation from the opposition Nippon Ishin to revise the initial fiscal 2025 budget, agreeing to introduce free high school education beginning the same year. It marks the first such bipartisan budget revision in 29 years, coming after the ruling bloc lost its Lower House majority.

A humanoid robot with telephone capabilities is being tested in Japan to help elderly drivers avoid dangerous driving mistakes by providing real-time traffic updates. Experiments demonstrated the robot's effectiveness, and a driving assistance system utilizing it is planned for commercial release by 2027.

a natural compound found in celery, broccoli, and other plants, called luteolin, may hold the key to preventing black hair from turning gray. This exciting finding, published in the journal Antioxidants, suggests that luteolin could be used to develop topical agents and oral supplements, offering a novel solution to combat graying hair.