News

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces criticism from the Coalition for not successfully preventing US tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, but former ambassador Arthur Sinodinos supports Albanese's restrained response. Sinodinos suggests a strategically timed, face-to-face engagement with the US President post-election and leveraging Australia's critical minerals resources as a potential negotiation point.

More than 1,000 people have applied to run for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election under the banner of new regional political party Saisei no Michi, with the party aiming to field up to 60 candidates across all 42 electoral districts. The party, founded by former Akitakata mayor Shinji Ishimaru, will not set specific policy goals for the campaign and will limit its assembly members to two terms in office.

Researchers at Chiba University are developing space farming techniques to grow fresh food on the moon, aiming to establish a lunar farm by the 2040s. This research not only benefits space exploration but also has the potential to revolutionize agriculture on Earth with innovative and sustainable techniques.

Canadian convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard is exploring the sale of its U.S. stores to address antitrust concerns and facilitate its proposed $47 billion acquisition of Japan's Seven & i Holdings, the owner of the 7-Eleven chain. However, the deal faces significant regulatory hurdles, particularly in the U.S. market where the two companies are dominant players.

Tomoko Yoshino, leader of Japan’s largest labor organization, called on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to pass legislation permitting married couples to have separate surnames. Her remarks, delivered at the LDP's annual convention, surprised some conservative party members and brought renewed focus to this longstanding issue.