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Frustration with the leadership of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is growing among party members over the outcome of budget deliberations in the House of Representatives. Although CDP leader Yoshihiko Noda declared that his party would go into “battle mode” to get its demands included in the fiscal 2025 budget bill, the Lower House on Tuesday passed a modified bill that reflects few of the demands. Among other opposition parties, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People made their presence felt during budget deliberations in the Lower House. The CDP was “kept out of the loop as its positions were unclear,” a veteran CDP member lamented. Source link

Two NASA missions will have to wait longer for a launch aboard a single rocket. Both aim to unravel mysteries about the universe — one by peering far from Earth, the other by looking closer to home. SpaceX on Saturday night announced on the social platform X about two hours before the scheduled launch time of 10:09 p.m. Eastern that it needed to continue checking the Falcon 9 rocket that was to lift the vehicles to orbit. The company said it would announce the next launch attempt from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California when it was possible to do so. Source link

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration rescinded a waiver on Saturday that had allowed Iraq to pay Iran for electricity, as part of President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, a State Department spokesperson said. The decision to let Iraq’s waiver lapse upon its expiration “ensures we do not allow Iran any degree of economic or financial relief,” the spokesperson said, adding that Trump’s campaign on Iran aims “to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program and stop it from supporting terrorist groups.” Trump restored “maximum pressure” on Iran in one of his first acts after returning to office in January. In his first term, he pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal, a multinational agreement to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Source link

A single clam and lotus croquette crowned with a halo of crisp lotus root sits poised in a pool of delicate cream. A drizzle of emerald parsley sauce harmonizes the dish with its freshness and earthiness. Both visual and textural perfection, the dish is part of a course at Liaison, a Michelin-starred establishment in Osaka, and served up by chef Yuji Tsuji, who was working his second to last night on the job in late October. After joining the high-end restaurant in 2021, he helped it earn it one Michelin star three years in a row, a distinction reflected in his creative dishes such as a pillowy soft steamed rabbit — a bold choice in Japan — with spaghetti squash and carrot sauce, which makes distinctive use of cumin foam, and a pan-fried foie gras and anago (conger eel) married with the deep umami of matsutake and richly spiced wagyu consomme. It’s a setting that stands very much in contrast with the stereotypical image of Osaka’s food scene dominated by okonomiyaki (savory pancake), kushikatsu (breaded skewers), takoyaki (octopus dumplings) and other examples of so-called B-kyū (B-grade) cuisine, the Japanese term for cheap yet delicious comfort foods. An exit survey of visitors at Kansai airport in December 2024 showed that 80.5% reported B-grade cuisine as one of the activities they enjoyed when staying in Osaka, far outstripping what they pursued when staying in other towns and regions. Source link

Glendale, Arizona – Planning for the extraordinary takes a special kind of audacity. Nobody points to center field and clears the wall with the next swing. One guy might have done it, but that was Babe Ruth, and nobody is really sure about that, anyway. Then came Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani, the walking miracle of the Los Angeles Dodgers, will resume his two-way Ruthian feats this season. His right elbow is healthy enough for pitching, and his left shoulder looks a whole lot sturdier than it did in the Bronx last October. Source link

A baritone voice boomed across the dark ballroom of the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo near Hibiya Station. It belonged to actor Ken Ishiguro. Dressed in an old-fashioned sailor coat, he emerged from the rear of the room and walked theatrically toward the stage, narrating a story of Japan’s bountiful produce and how it has shaped the country’s food culture. Dreamy visuals of various ingredients played on a large screen behind him. This wasn’t a prelude to a musical but the opening of The Tabelog Award 2025, the annual prize-giving ceremony of the crowd-sourced restaurant review site. Source link

Washington/Kyiv – U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of imposing large-scale U.S. sanctions on Russia on Friday, days after pausing military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine, and he called on both countries to get on with negotiating a peace deal. Trump’s threat of banking curbs and tariffs followed a report Monday that the White House was preparing to give Russia possible sanctions relief as part of the push to end the war and improve diplomatic and economic ties with Moscow. “Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED,” Trump said on his social media platform. Source link

Britain and Japan have stressed the importance of free trade in talks in Tokyo amid an escalating battle of tit-for-tat tariffs between the United States and other countries under President Donald Trump. “It’s crucial that we counter the increasing trade fragmentation that is damaging the global economy, and that we stand up for fair rules-based international trade,” Britain’s Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Friday. “That is why the U.K. and Japan have agreed to enhance our economic security partnership. Our close relationship means that we can be important partners for each other on this. In fact, at this time we must be,” Reynolds told reporters. Source link

U.S. President Donald Trump’s frenzied tariff barrage has been marked by reversals and faulty rollouts, baffling U.S. trading partners and businesses while raising questions about the aims of his signature policy. During his six weeks in office, Trump imposed sweeping Canada and Mexico tariffs, only to pull back with exemptions and deferrals. Confusion has surrounded new import taxes on China. An ambitious proposal to charge duties on previously exempt low-cost packages had to be hastily reversed when it became clear the government lacked the ability to actually collect them. Trump has said tariffs can help achieve his most ambitious goals, from remaking the U.S. economy to raising trillions in revenue. But several hasty announcements have injected chaos into the economy and financial markets, casting doubts about the White House’s trade strategy. Source link

Trade Minister Yoji Muto will visit the U.S. next week as Tokyo steps up efforts to seek a reprieve from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff campaign. The visit is set to take place from March 9 to March 11, just before the president’s extra levies on steel and aluminum are expected to kick in on March 12, Japan’s Trade Ministry said Friday. Muto is expected to meet his counterpart, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to the ministry. Japan is seeking an exemption from Trump’s blanket 25% duty on the metals. The Asian nation, which is the biggest foreign investor in the U.S., is also looking to be excluded from Trump’s reciprocal tariffs that are planned from April 2. Japan also wants to discuss a proposed 25% tariff on foreign car imports that may be announced the same day. Source link