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Nippon Steel continues to insist that it wants to buy all of U.S. Steel despite its bid being rejected by two U.S. presidents and brought into doubt by a Japanese prime minister, and even though its chances for success in forcing the issue in court are low. Analysts argue that the steelmaker’s determination is a function of a desire to implement a coherent and well-planned global strategy, and that its fight against the odds is just a simple business decision. They add that it might also have something to do with its desire to protect technology. “The U.S. market is the last piece of the puzzle,” said Katsuhiro Sato, a professor at Waseda Business School. Source link

Two panels of the ruling Liberal Democratic Part jointly approved an implementation bill on reciprocal access agreements (RAAs) on Wednesday that aims to standardize partnerships and facilitate smooth joint operations by ensuring that the Japanese government — rather than its foreign partners — will compensate victims of crimes committed by foreign military members. The enactment of the RAA implementation bill will allow Japan to bridge new partnerships based on a single law, and omit the process of drafting agreements each time. “We are anticipating more RAAs in the future. Integrating these laws and aligning their content is vital to boost cooperation with like-minded countries,” said former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, the LDP’s security panel chief. Source link

China intends to boost defense spending by 7.2% in 2025, the same level for the third year in a row, it said Wednesday as the country continues to modernize its military amid its growing rivalry with the United States. The 1.78 trillion yuan ($246 billion) budget, revealed at the annual session of China’s National People’s Congress, makes 2025 the 10th straight year to see a single-digit hike in the country’s defense spending. China has continued to plow cash into an effort to forge a more powerful military, bolstering its missile and nuclear forces and building a massive navy that can project its power further from its shores. Source link

More women in Japan are turning to egg freezing as they delay plans to have children. The technology, which involves freezing eggs at a younger age to preserve their quality for future use, is increasingly supported by companies and local governments through financial assistance programs. However, while the practice is emerging as a new option for women, experts are urging individuals to carefully weigh its benefits and drawbacks. Source link

For the first time in about 40 years, Nara Park in the city of Nara has installed public trash cans to help protect its famous deer, which are a national protected species. Waste receptacles were initially removed from the park in 1985 to prevent the deer from accidentally eating out of them, according to Nara Prefecture officials. Following their removal, prefectural officials and volunteers cleaned the park, and signs telling tourists to take their trash home with them were installed. But littering in the park has risen alongside an increasing number of foreign tourists in recent years, many of whom had expressed concerns about the absence of trash cans. Source link

LeBron James reached another milestone in his unprecedented NBA career on Tuesday, becoming the first player to score 50,000 total points after hitting a three pointer in the first quarter of the Lakers’ home game against the Pelicans. James entered the contest with 49,999 combined regular season and playoff points and drained a shot from deep to add another landmark moment to the storied career of “King James.” James, 40, already has the most regular season points after breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record in February 2023, a mark that had stood for 39 years. The Akron, Ohio, native also holds the all-time playoff scoring record, a title he took from Michael Jordan in May of 2017. James has shown no sign of slowing down in his 22nd season in the league. He was named Western Conference Player of the Month for February, extending his league-record to 41 monthly awards, including three with the Lakers. He is also the oldest player to win the award, passing the previous record set by Karl Malone (age 37) with the Utah Jazz in November of 2000. Four-time NBA champion James and the Lakers have been on a tear since acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a stunning trade for Anthony Davis last month. They entered Tuesday’s contest on a six-game winning streak and have shot up to second place in the Western Conference. Source link

MARANELLO, Italy – Formula One champion McLaren will still be the team to beat when the season starts in Australia next week, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said on Tuesday. McLaren edged Ferrari, which now has seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on board, to the title by 14 points last season as it was crowned champion for the first time in 26 years. Formula One data indicated the team — based in Woking, England — was quicker than Ferrari on low fuel, with a slightly smaller advantage on race pace, in testing in Bahrain last week. Source link

The first trading day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada and Mexico brought no shortage of drama to Wall Street. The S&P 500 index tumbled 2% shortly after the open Tuesday, wiping out its $3.4 trillion advance since Election Day on Nov. 5. An afternoon rebound briefly erased the damage, but a late bout of selling left the index at its lowest level since Nov. 4, the day before Trump was elected. Meanwhile, yields on 10-year Treasuries swung 11 basis points from trough to peak, the dollar slid and Bitcoin staged a rebound. Traders who had been expecting two Federal Reserve rate cuts this year are now pricing in three, with more than 50% odds the first will come in May. Source link

Russia agreed to assist U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in communicating with Iran on issues including the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and its support for regional anti-U.S. proxies, according to people familiar with the situation. Trump relayed that interest directly to President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in February and top officials from his administration discussed the matter with their Russian counterparts at talks in Saudi Arabia days later, the people said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. A White House official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, said Russia offered to do the outreach without being asked to play that role. Discussions are in their initial stages and it’s not clear whether any talks between the U.S. and Iran would yield any progress. Source link

WASHINGTON – A trade group representing nearly all major automakers warned on Tuesday that new 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump will lead to drastic price hikes. “All automakers will be impacted by these tariffs on Canada and Mexico,” said John Bozzella, who heads the Alliance for Automotive Innovation that represents all major automakers in the U.S. except Tesla. Members include General Motors Ford, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Stellantis. “Most anticipate the price of some vehicle models will increase by as much as 25% and the negative impact on vehicle price and vehicle availability will be felt almost immediately.” Source link