The real threat facing Hungary is not Russia but the European Union, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a speech to supporters on Saturday, as his nationalist party ramps up an anti-EU campaign ahead of national elections.
With only eight weeks until the April 12 vote, Orbán and his Fidesz party are facing their most serious challenge since the right-wing populist leader retook power in 2010.
Most independent polls show Fidesz trailing the center-right Tisza party and its leader, Péter Magyar, even as Orbán has campaigned on the unsubstantiated premise that the EU would send Hungarians to their deaths in neighboring Ukraine if his party loses.
In his speech on Saturday, Orbán compared the EU to the repressive Soviet regime that dominated Hungary for over 40 years last century, and dismissed the belief of many European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin poses a threat to the continent’s security.
“We must get used to the idea that those who love freedom should not fear the East, but Brussels,” he said, referring to the EU’s de-facto capital in Belgium.
“Fear-mongering about Putin is primitive and unserious. Brussels, however, is a palpable reality and a source of imminent danger,” he said “This is the bitter truth, and we will not tolerate it.”
Orbán has been a firm opponent of military and financial aid for Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, and has maintained close relations with Moscow while adopting a combative posture toward Hungary’s EU and NATO partners, which he portrays as warmongers.
In December, he said it was “unclear who attacked whom” when tens of thousands of Russian forces poured across Ukraine’s borders in February 2022.
Hungary’s government has long been at odds with the EU, which has frozen billions of euros in funding to Budapest over concerns that Orbán has dismantled democratic institutions, eroded judicial independence and overseen widespread official corruption. In return, Orbán has increasingly acted as a spoiler in EU decision making, routinely threatening to veto key policies like providing financial support for Ukraine.
As the elections approach, he has increasingly portrayed the Tisza party as a puppet created by the EU to overthrow his government and serve foreign interests, claims that Tisza has firmly denied. Magyar, the party’s leader, has pledged to repair Hungary’s strained relations with its Western allies, revive the stagnant economy and return the country to a more democratic track.
On Saturday, Orbán accused multinational corporations like banks and energy companies of profiting off the war in Ukraine, and conspiring with his political opposition to defeat him in the election.
“It is crystal clear that in Hungary the oil business, the banking world and the Brussels elite are preparing to form a government,” he said. “They need someone in Hungary who will never say no to Brussels’ demands.”
If his party wins a fifth-straight majority in the election, Orbán promised to push ahead with ridding Hungary of entities that he argues infringe on the country’s sovereignty.
He credited U.S. President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him ahead of the election, with creating an environment where “fake nongovernmental organizations and bought-and-paid-for journalists, judges and politicians” can be expelled.
“The new president of the United States has rebelled against the global business, media and political network of liberals, thus improving our chances,” he said. “We, too, can go a long way and expel foreign influence from Hungary, along with its agents, that limit our sovereignty.”
“The Brussels repressive machine is still operating in Hungary. We’ll clean it up after April,” he said. (JapanToday)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced hope on Saturday that U.S.-brokered peace talks in Geneva next week would be substantive, but he said Ukraine was being asked “too often” to make concessions.
He also accused Moscow of seeking to delay decisions by changing its lead negotiator.
Ukrainian, Russian and American delegations are due to meet in the Swiss lakeside city on Tuesday and Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to push through a deal to end Europe’s biggest war since 1945.
“We truly hope that the trilateral meetings next week will be serious, substantive, helpful for all us but honestly sometimes it feels like the sides are talking about completely different things,” Zelenskyy said in a speech at the annual Munich Security Conference.
Ukraine and Russia, which invaded its neighbor in February 2022, have engaged in two recent rounds of talks brokered by Washington in Abu Dhabi described by the sides as constructive but achieving no major breakthroughs.
Zelenskyy called for greater action from Ukraine’s allies to press Russia into making peace – both in the form of tougher sanctions and more weapons supplies.
Recalling his appeal four years ago, when he spoke at the same conference days before tens of thousands of Russian forces poured into Ukraine, Zelenskyy said there was too much talk by Western officials and not enough action.
Trump has the power to force Putin to declare a ceasefire and needed to do so, Zelenskyy said. Ukrainian officials have said a ceasefire is required to hold a referendum on any peace deal, which would be organized alongside national elections.
The Ukrainian leader, a former television entertainer, acknowledged he was feeling “a little bit” of pressure from Trump, who yesterday said Zelenskyy should not miss the “opportunity” to make peace soon and urged him “to get moving”.
“The Americans often return to the topic of concessions and too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
Instead, Zelenskyy said, he wanted to hear what compromises Moscow would be ready for, as Ukraine had already made many of its own.
Russia said its delegation to Geneva would be led by Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, a change from negotiations in Abu Dhabi at which Russia’s team was led by military intelligence chief Igor Kostyukov.
Zelenskyy told reporters on Saturday the change was “a surprise” for Ukraine, and suggested to him that Russia wanted to delay any decisions from being agreed.
Ukrainian officials have criticized Medinsky’s handling of previous talks, accusing him of delivering history lessons to the Ukrainian team instead of engaging in constructive negotiations.
Land remains the major sticking point in negotiations, with Russia demanding that Ukraine cede the remaining 20% of the eastern region of Donetsk that Moscow has failed to capture – something Kyiv steadfastly refuses to do.
At a news conference on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that U.S. negotiators had told Ukraine that the Russians had promised a swift end to the war if Ukrainian forces immediately withdrew from the part of Donetsk it still controls.
He said earlier he was instead ready to discuss a U.S. proposal for a free trade zone in that region, while freezing the rest of the 1,200-km (745-mile) front line.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov, who sat beside Zelenskyy during the media briefing, said the only two options were either that Ukraine sticks to the current lines of control, or that a free economic zone is established.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine’s national territory, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region seized before the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Analysts say Moscow has gained about 1.5% of Ukrainian territory since early 2024. Its recent air strikes on Ukraine’s cities and electricity infrastructure have left hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians without heating and power during the course of a bitterly cold winter.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly expressed concern in recent weeks that U.S. congressional mid-term elections in November could focus the Trump administration on domestic political issues after the summer.
Zelenskyy said he hoped the U.S. would stay involved in the negotiations, and that there would be an opportunity for Europe, which he said was currently sidelined, to play a bigger role.
“Europe is practically not present at the table. It’s a big mistake to my mind,” he said.
Zelenskyy said that Russia had to accept a ceasefire monitoring mission and an exchange of prisoners of war; he estimated that Russia currently had about 7,000 Ukrainian troops while Kyiv had more than 4,000 Russians.
Zelenskyy also suggested Moscow was opposed to the deployment of French and British troops in Ukraine after the war – which Paris and London have said they are willing to do – because Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to have the opportunity to come back.” (JapanToday)
The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressive move by the Republican president to roll back climate regulations.
The rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency rescinds a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment finding that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health and welfare.
The endangerment finding by the Obama administration is the legal underpinning of nearly all climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources that are heating the planet.
President Donald Trump called the move “the single largest deregulatory action in American history, by far” while EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin called the endangerment finding “the Holy Grail of federal regulatory overreach.”
Trump called the endangerment finding “one of the greatest scams in history,” adding that it “had no basis in fact” or law. “On the contrary, over the generations, fossil fuels have saved millions of lives and lifted billions of people out of poverty all over the world,” Trump said at a White House ceremony.
Legal challenges are certain for an action that repeals all greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and trucks, and could unleash a broader undoing of climate regulations on stationary sources such as power plants and oil and gas facilities, experts say. Overturning the finding will “raise more havoc” than other actions by the Trump administration to roll back dozens of environmental rules, said Ann Carlson, an environmental law professor at the UCLA School of Law.
Environmental groups described the move as the single biggest attack in U.S. history against federal authority to address climate change. Evidence backing up the endangerment finding has only grown stronger in the 17 years since it was approved, they said.
The EPA also said it will propose a two-year delay to a Biden-era rule restricting greenhouse gas emissions by cars and light trucks. And the agency will end tax credits for automakers who install automatic start-stop ignition systems in their vehicles. The device is intended to reduce emissions, but Zeldin said “everyone hates” it.
Zeldin, a former Republican congressman who was tapped by Trump to lead EPA last year, has criticized his predecessors in Democratic administrations, saying that in the name of tackling climate change, they were “willing to bankrupt the country.”
The endangerment finding “led to trillions of dollars in regulations that strangled entire sectors of the United States economy, including the American auto industry,” Zeldin said. “The Obama and Biden administrations used it to steamroll into existence a left-wing wish list of costly climate policies, electric vehicle mandates and other requirements that assaulted consumer choice and affordability.”
The endangerment finding and the regulations based on it “didn’t just regulate emissions, it regulated and targeted the American dream. And now the endangerment finding is hereby eliminated,” Zeldin said.
The Supreme Court ruled in a 2007 case that planet-warming greenhouse gases, caused by the burning of oil and other fossil fuels, are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
Since the high court’s decision, in a case known as Massachusetts v. EPA, courts have uniformly rejected legal challenges to the endangerment finding, including a 2023 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The endangerment finding is widely considered the legal foundation that underpins a series of regulations intended to protect against threats made increasingly severe by climate change. That includes deadly floods, extreme heat waves, catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters in the United States and around the world.
Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator who served as White House climate adviser in the Biden administration, called the Trump administration’s actions reckless. “This EPA would rather spend its time in court working for the fossil fuel industry than protecting us from pollution and the escalating impacts of climate change,” she said.
EPA has a clear scientific and legal obligation to regulate greenhouse gases, McCarthy said, adding that the health and environmental hazards of climate change have “become impossible to ignore.”
Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and executive director of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, said Trump’s action “prioritizes the profits of big oil and gas companies and polluters over clean air and water” and children’s health.
“As a result of this repeal, I’m going to see more sick kids come into the Emergency Department having asthma attacks and more babies born prematurely,” she said in a statement. “My colleagues will see more heart attacks and cancer in their patients.”
David Doniger, a climate expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Trump and Zeldin are trying to use repeal of the finding as a “kill shot’’ that would allow the administration to make nearly all climate regulations invalid. The repeal could erase current limits on greenhouse gas pollution from cars, factories, power plants and other sources and could prevent future administrations from proposing rules to address global warming.
The EPA action follows an executive order from Trump that directed the agency to submit a report on “the legality and continuing applicability” of the endangerment finding. Conservatives and some congressional Republicans have long sought to undo what they consider overly restrictive and economically damaging rules to limit greenhouse gases that cause global warming. (JapanToday)
England’s 12-test winning streak was shattered by Scotland pulling out an astonishingly one-sided 31-20 victory at Murrayfield in the Six Nations on Saturday.
England was favored to win at Murrayfield for the first time since 2020, having developed a mighty bench and become well-drilled and confident during its longest winning run in nine years.
But English set-piece dominance was undone by sloppy handling in Scotland’s 22, under pressure from having to play catchup after a scintillating Scottish start.
Conducted by a masterly Finn Russell, Scotland blasted off to 17-0 after 14 minutes, its speed and slickness twisting an overburdened England into knots.
“I thought that was some of the best rugby we’ve every played,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend told ITV. “It’s all you want as a coach. I thought that was one of Finn Russell’s best games for Scotland and the work rate of our forwards was superb.”
England winger Henry Arundell received a 20-minute red card but his first yellow card was the most damaging. Scotland, emotionally up for the match against its oldest rival and out to redeem for a woeful loss to Italy last weekend, exploited Arundell’s absence in the fast start.
It was too much for England to overcome. By the time of Arundell’s second yellow card right on halftime, leading to the automatic red, Scotland was still up by 14. In his second absence, Scotland out-scored England only 7-3 though it was a second try for center Huw Jones and Scotland’s bonus-point fourth and last try.
“We are bitterly disappointed at that first 20 minutes, the lead Scotland got ahead of us and playing for such a long period with 14 men,” England coach Steve Borthwick told the BBC.
“The way Scotland can move the ball to the edges without our winger it exposed us there and it gave us too much to do.”
Scotland and Townsend, on the occasion of his 100th test, were under fire all week after Italy humbled them 18-15 in Rome.
A sixth win (plus the epic draw in 2019) against England in nine matchups, all under Townsend, will quieten the growing clamor for him to resign, at least until Scotland’s final position in the championship becomes clear.
“There has been a lot of talk about Gregor Townsend but his players really showed up today, they really performed and really played for Gregor today,” Borthwick said. “They don’t play like that in every single game.”
Beating England has given Townsend’s Scotland a best placing of only third, leading supporters to believe the victories, while celebrated, have been used by the team to gloss over poor campaigns.
Townsend didn’t deny it: “We’ve given them something to shout about for the next 12 months.”
Against Italy, Scotland made no line breaks. Against England, it made 10 in the first half alone.
Arundell was coming off a hat trick against Wales but after he was sin-binned early for not releasing, Russell’s one-handed flick on with Tom Roebuck in his face set up the opening try for Jones.
A Russell line break was followed by captain Sione Tuipulotu’s huge pass to unmarked flanker Jamie Ritchie to stroll over.
Arundell returned from the sin-bin to score thanks to George Ford, who added a conversion and penalty, and England looked to be finding a foothold.
But Russell then switched the attack, stepped two defenders and chipped ahead. England prop Ellis Genge made a mess of grabbing the ball and Scotland scrumhalf Ben White took the gift over the tryline.
Right on halftime, Arundell took out leaping opposite Kyle Steyn and his second yellow card became a 20-minute red.
Ford started the second half with a penalty; he was perfect off the tee. But his drop goal attempt was charged down by Matt Fagerson, who collected the ball and let Jones race to the posts at the other end. It made Jones Scotland’s top try-scorer in Six Nations history since 2000 (18), and the leading try-scorer against England (8) in the same period.
Russell went five for five in goalkicking, a year after his late missed conversion cost Scotland a fifth straight win over England.
England was consoled by a late converted try to No. 8 Ben Earl. (JapanToday)
Newcastle beat 10-man Aston Villa 3-1 thanks to a double from Sandro Tonali to reach the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday as Marc Guehi scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier Salford.
Both Villa and Newcastle have failed to win the competition since the 1950s and another opportunity for Unai Emery’s men to end a 30-year wait for silverware vanished after a first half red card for goalkeeper Marco Bizot.
Tammy Abraham had fired the home side in front with his first goal since returning to Villa last month.
But the game swung in the Magpies’ favour when Bizot charged off his line to wipe out Jacob Murphy and deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Newcastle’s fightback saved the officials from an embarrassing moment becoming more controversial when Lucas Digne’s handball, that was clearly inside the box, was given as a free-kick instead of a penalty.
With VAR not in operation at this stage of the competition, the decision could not be reviewed.
But Newcastle levelled from the resulting free-kick anyway as Tonali’s strike deflected past the helpless Emi Martinez.
Tonali has been linked with a move to Arsenal come the end of the season and the Italian showed why he is in-demand with a blistering strike from outside the box to turn the tie around.
Nick Woltemade then netted his first goal in 15 games to take Newcastle, who last lifted the trophy in 1955, into the last 16.
Owned by Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville, Salford were playing in the fourth round for the first time in their history.
The League Two side were humbled 8-0 when they faced City in the third round last season, but pushed Pep Guardiola’s men far closer on Saturday.
“They defended really well, so tight and we didn’t attack the spaces the way we should. The game was flat until we scored the second goal,” Guardiola said.
City took an early lead through Alfie Dorrington’s own goal, but there were only nine minutes left when England defender Guehi delivered the decisive blow with his maiden goal since signing from Crystal Palace in January.
Third-tier Mansfield produced the upset of the day by winning 2-1 at Premier League Burnley to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1975.
Burnley went into the game bolstered by their first league win since October over Crystal Palace in midweek, but boss Scott Parker made nine changes and the gamble backfired.
Burnley took the lead through Josh Laurent’s 21st-minute goal, but Nigel Clough’s team, who sit in mid-table in League One, staged an impressive fightback in the second half.
Rhys Oates headed in the equaliser in the 53rd minute and Louis Reed capped a fine individual performance with a brilliant free-kick 10 minutes from full-time.
Ten-man West Ham edged through as the in-form Crysencio Summerville clinched a 1-0 win at League One Burton after extra-time.
Freddie Potts was sent off soon after Summerville’s strike in the first period of extra-time, but the Premier League strugglers held on to survive a gruelling fourth round clash.
After eliminating Manchester United in round three, Brighton are aiming to deliver another upset when they visit Liverpool later at Anfield. (JapanToday)
The challenge of leadership dominated deliberations on Thursday as regional leaders and diplomats examined issues confronting the African continent at the Murtala Muhammed International Lecture and Leadership Conference.
The lecture, themed “Has Africa Come of Age?”, drew an array of distinguished personalities, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan; former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; former Ghanaian President John Kufuor; former Malawian President Joyce Banda; and former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Obasanjo observed that one of the enduring legacies of the late General Murtala Muhammed was the emergence of capable successors who sustained his vision and development agenda. He acknowledged that successive administrations, including his own, had not effectively replicated that standard.
According to him, the late leader ensured continuity by leaving behind individuals equipped to advance his ideas and reforms.
“We cannot make progress if we take two steps forward, one step sideways, and three steps back, which is what we have been doing,” Obasanjo said. “The failure of all leaders after Murtala, including myself, is that we have not been able to create successors who could go on after us.”
“I handed over to civilians, and their ideas were completely different from the ideas we handed over to them. I will give you just one example. By the time we left in July 1979, we wanted to be self-sufficient in rice production. We asked that a report be prepared on what was in the fields. The report showed that we would be self-sufficient in rice production that year.
“Based on that, we banned the importation of rice before we left the government. In October 1979, when the civilian administration came in, one of the first things they did was to lift the ban on rice importation so they could allocate import licences to their supporters and political associates.
“One of the barons, who obtained a rice import licence from America, ordered rice and then asked the suppliers to add $5 million to the cost. They did. He then went back to New York and demanded $2.5 million out of the $5 million. They refused and gave him only $1 million. He wanted $2.5 million but had taken no risk. So, they gave him $1 million.
“Since the lifting of the rice import ban in 1979, we have not recovered from it. That is why we are still importing rice today. These are the kinds of things that go wrong.”
The former president said what is needed right now is reform and building the capacity to produce for both local consumption and export.
“When I became elected president, cocoa production in Nigeria was 150,000 metric tons. We introduced a new system to boost production, and within four to five years, we were producing 450,000 metric tons; we tripled output.
“Today, I understand we are producing no more than 300,000 metric tons. That is not how Africa will come of age. We must grow at nine to 10 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to come of age”, he said.
On his part, Former President Goodluck Jonathan said, “While Murtala symbolised decisive leadership, our democratic future depends on strong institutions. These include credible electoral management bodies, independence of the judiciary, well-trained security officers, and accountable governance systems. Democracy requires vision rather than decree, persuasion instead of command, and it depends on institutions, not individuals.”
Jonathan, however, pointed out that Africa’s current challenge is the absence of a lasting democratic culture built on credible and transparent elections.
He said, “Such a culture must respect term limits, protect the independence of the judiciary, press freedom, and credible elections.”
Jonathan also added, “More importantly, it is essential to emphasize the transformative power of vision in leadership. General Murtala assumed office as Head of State at the very young age of 38. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision for a greater and more prosperous Nigeria.
“The President we are celebrating today was Head of State at the age of 38. If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within 30 and 40 years. That is the way you can be very vibrant, physically strong, and mentally sound. If they need to stay awake for 24 hours, they can, but if you subject an older person to that kind of stress, the person will spend 50 per cent of the time in the hospital.”
Jonathan urged African countries to lower age barriers and strengthen institutions that allow youth participation in governance.
Describing Africa as a predominantly young continent.
Jonathan said growing frustration among youths should not be mistaken for a rejection of democracy.
He said it reflects a demand that democracy must deliver opportunities, dignity, and justice, adding that where justice is absent, “there are fractures within democracy.
He anchored his argument on the legacy of the late Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed, who assumed office at the age of 38 and governed with what he described as clarity of purpose and selfless national vision.
According to Jonathan, Murtala’s brief but impactful leadership showed that age is not a barrier to effective governance when leaders are driven by patriotism and discipline.
“General Murtala Muhammed assumed office as Head of State at a very young age. Despite a tenure of only 200 days, his achievements were profound because he was driven by a clear, unyielding vision for a greater Nigeria,” he said.
He lamented the future of democracy in Africa, saying the continent cannot sustain democracy while excluding its most vibrant population.
He therefore called for a deliberate inclusion of the young people in decision-making and leadership positions, reinforcing support for the Not Too Young to Run movement.
He argued that leadership in the modern era requires physical strength, mental alertness, and stamina often found among younger leaders.
“If we are looking for people who can run nations in Africa, we should look at the age within our day and age. That is how you can be vibrant, physically strong, and mentally sound,” Jonathan said.
If Africa has come of age, Jonathan wondered why leaders spend 50 per cent of their time outside the country, stressing that in countries such as America, some governors do not leave the country throughout their tenure in office.
But the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, said leadership was not about physical age but about ideas.
Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the occasion, commended the ideals of late Gen. Murtala Muhammed, saying, “He was not just a Nigerian but he loved the country and did so much to restore its glory. Nigerians will continue to remember him for his fight against corruption. He believed in Africa and fought for its liberation. He devoted lots of resources and there were results”
He also commended the late Murtala for putting in place a programme to return the country to democracy before his assassination.
He also pleaded with Nigerians not to despair, noting that the government is working towards implementing its set goals.
In her welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer, MMF and daughter of Mohammed, Dr. Aisha Mohammed-Oyebode, said, “It was about who controls your resources, who shapes your policies, and whose interests define your future. Today, as we look across our continent, that question still challenges us.
“We are politically independent, yet we are still negotiating economic dependence. We are rich in talent and resources, yet still confronting inequality and fragility. We are young, dynamic, and globally connected, yet we are often uncertain about the leadership structures that are meant to serve our people”, she said.
The Keynote Speaker and former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, eulogized Muhammad for capturing the imagination of the nation through the sheer clarity of his reforms, adding that he purged the civil service to confront corruption and inertia, probed military governors, and seized illicitly acquired properties.
“Yet it was his declaration that Africa had come of age that immortalized him, the speech that he made 34 days before he was assassinated”, he said.
“He was speaking of the awakening of responsibility, identity, and self-determination, and his context was the generational obligation of African leadership of his era to fight the viciousness of neocolonialism as those before them had fought colonialism. He was summoning the high values of integrity, dignity, and individual autonomy, by virtue of which African people, like others, had a right and an obligation to determine their own destinies and who they chose to undertake that journey with”, Osinbajo said.
Also speaking on whether Africa has come of age, former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, said the real question should be whether Africa today stands in the world with a settled sense of identity, responsibility, and purpose, not only as a political space but as a moral presence within humanity. (Nation)
The governing party of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a two-thirds supermajority in a key parliamentary election Sunday, Japanese media reported citing preliminary results, earning a landslide victory thanks to her popularity.
Takaichi, in a televised interview with public television network NHK following her sweeping victory, said she is now ready to pursue policies to make Japan strong and prosperous.
NHK, citing results of vote counts, said Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, alone secured 316 seats by early Monday, comfortably surpassing a 261-seat absolute majority in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber parliament. That marks a record since the party’s foundation in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by late Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
With 36 seats won by its new ally, Japan Innovation Party, Takaichi’s ruling coalition has won 352 seats.
Voter turnout was 56.23 percent, according to an estimate by Kyodo News as of 3 a.m. Monday.
A smiling Takaichi placed a big red ribbon above each winner’s name on a signboard at the LDP’s headquarters, as accompanying party executives applauded.
Despite the lack of a majority in the other chamber, the upper house, the huge jump from the preelection share in the superior lower house would allow Takaichi to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan’s economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China and she tries to nurture ties with the United States.
Takaichi said she would try to gain support from the opposition while firmly pushing forward her policy goals.
“I will be flexible,” she said.
Takaichi is hugely popular, but the governing LDP, which has ruled Japan for most of the last seven decades, has struggled with funding and religious scandals in recent years. She called Sunday’s early election only after three months in office, hoping to turn that around while her popularity is high.
The ultraconservative Takaichi, who took office as Japan’s first female leader in October, pledged to “work, work, work,” and her style, which is seen as both playful and tough, has resonated with younger fans who say they weren’t previously interested in politics.
The opposition, despite the formation of a new centrist alliance and a rising far-right, was too splintered to be a real challenger. The new opposition alliance of LDP’s former coalition partner, Buddhist-backed dovish Komeito, and the liberal-leaning Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, is projected to sink to half of their combined preelection share of 167 seats.
Takaichi was betting with this election that her LDP party, together with its new partner, the JIP, would secure a majority.
Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform Sunday congratulated Takaichi “on a LANDSLIDE Victory in today’s very important Vote. She is a highly respected and very popular Leader. Sanae’s bold and wise decision to call for an Election paid off big time.”
Akihito Iwatake, a 53-year-old office worker, said he welcomed the big win by the LDP because he felt the party went too liberal in the past few years. “With Takaichi shifting things more toward the conservative side, I think that brought this positive result,” he said.
The prime minister wants to push forward a significant shift to the right in Japan’s security, immigration and other policies. The LDP’s right-wing partner, JIP leader Hirofumi Yoshimura, has said his party will serve as an “accelerator” for this push.
Japan has recently seen far-right populists gain ground, such as the anti-globalist and surging nationalist party Sanseito. Exit polls projected a big gain for Sanseito.
The first major task for Takaichi when the lower house reconvenes in mid-February is to work on a budget bill, delayed by the election, to fund economic measures that address rising costs and sluggish wages.
Takaichi has pledged to revise security and defense policies by December to bolster Japan’s offensive military capabilities, lifting a ban on weapons exports and moving further away from the country’s postwar pacifist principles.
She has been pushing for tougher policies on foreigners, anti-espionage and other measures that resonate with a far-right audience, but ones that experts say could undermine civil rights.
Takaichi also wants to increase defense spending in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressure for Japan to loosen its purse strings.
She now has time to work on these policies, without an election until 2028. (JapanToday)
Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Byron Murphy and the rest of Mike Macdonald’s ferocious unit pummeled Drake Maye, and the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots 29-13 on Sunday to win the franchise’s second Super Bowl.
Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to AJ Barner, Kenneth Walker III ran for 135 yards and Jason Myers set a Super Bowl record by making all five of his field-goal tries.
Walker became the first running back to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis 28 years ago.
Uchenna Nwosu punctuated a punishing defensive performance by snagging Maye’s pass in the air after Witherspoon hit his arm and ran it back 45 yards for a pick-6.
“It’s a one-of-a-kind feeling, bro,” Witherspoon said. “You talk about a group of guys who battle every day, who believe in each other and believe in their coach, you can’t describe this group no better. It’s just a one-of-a-kind feeling. I was just so happy to battle with these guys. We went through a lot, but we believed. All of you all doubters out there who said all that other stuff, you all don’t know what’s going on in this building. We’re one of one over here.”
Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense helped Darnold become the first quarterback in the 2018 draft class to win a Super Bowl, ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald hold the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
“To do this with this team, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Darnold said. “So proud of our guys, our defense. I mean, I can’t say enough great things about our defense, our special teams.”
Labeled a bust, dumped by two teams and considered expendable by two others, Darnold proved his doubters wrong while helping the Seahawks go 17-3.
After leading the NFL with 20 turnovers in the regular season, Darnold didn’t have any in three playoff games. He wasn’t particularly sharp against a solid Patriots defense but protected the ball and made enough plays, finishing 19 of 38 for 202 yards.
“I know we won the Super Bowl, but we could have been a little bit better on offense, but I don’t care about that right now,” Darnold said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling, man. I’m just so happy for the guys in the locker room and the coaches that put in so much effort throughout the whole season.”
The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, including two apiece by Hall and Murphy. Hall’s strip-sack late in the third quarter set up a short field and Darnold connected with Barner on 16-yard scoring toss to make it 19-0.
Julian Love’s interception set up another field goal that made it 22-7 with 5:35 left.
The Patriots (17-4) punted on the first eight drives, excluding a kneel-down to end the first half.
“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “But this game wasn’t a reflection of that. We were outcoached and outplayed.”
Down 19-0, Maye and the Patriots’ offense finally got going. He hit Mack Hollins over the middle in traffic for 24 yards and then lofted a perfect 35-yard TD pass to Hollins down the left side to cut the deficit to 19-7.
Tom Brady once led Bill Belichick’s Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, when New England rallied from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta for a 34-28 overtime victory. (JapanToday)
Donald Trump threatened legal action on Monday against the host of the 68th Grammy Awards over the comedian’s comment on the U.S. president and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
After congratulating Billie Eilish for winning the Grammy for Song of the Year for her track “Wildflower,” host Trevor Noah brought up Trump and Epstein.
“Wow. That’s a Grammy that every artist wants — almost as much as Trump wants Greenland,” he quipped, referring to the president’s threats to seize the autonomous Arctic territory.
Noah then added: “Which makes sense because, since Epstein’s gone, he needs a new island to hang out with Bill Clinton.”
Noah, who announced that this will be his final year hosting the Grammys after six turns as emcee, has been light on political commentary in previous years.
His comments drew the ire of the president, who took to his Truth Social platform first saying that the “Grammy Awards are the WORST and virtually unwatchable,” before criticizing Noah.
“I can’t speak for Bill, but I have never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close, and until tonight’s false and defamatory, statement, have never been accused of being there, not even by the Fake News Media,” Trump asserted.
The Republican then branded South African Noah a “total loser” who needs to “get his facts straight.”
“I’ll be sending my lawyers to sue this poor, pathetic, talentless, dope of an M.C. … Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!” Trump added.
Trump, who moved in the same social circles as Epstein in Florida and New York, has fought for months to prevent the release of a vast trove of documents about the disgraced financier and has given varying accounts of why he eventually fell out with Epstein.
More than three million documents were released on Friday that included mention of numerous powerful figures, including the 79-year-old president, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. (JapanToday)
Ebo Taylor, the iconic Ghanaian guitarist and composer whose work helped define the highlife genre, has passed away at the age of 90.
His family announced the news on Sunday via his Instagram page, although the cause of death was not revealed.
Taylor died at the Saltpond Hospital, according to a statement from the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).
His death came just one day after he launched the inaugural Ebo Taylor Music Festival, and exactly one month after celebrating his 90th birthday.
“The world has lost a giant. A colossus of African music,” the post reads.
“Ebo Taylor passed away yesterday; a day after the launch of Ebo Taylor Music Festival and exactly a month after his 90th birthday, leaving behind an unmatched artistry legacy. @ebo.taylor your light will never fade.”
Born Deroy Taylor in Cape Coast on January 6, 1936, he rose to prominence in the late 1950s and 1960s, an era when highlife was Ghana’s dominant musical form. Playing with leading bands like the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band, he gained a reputation for his distinctive guitar style and intricate arrangements.
Taylor’s six-decade career was marked by prolific innovation. He masterfully fused Ghanaian rhythms with jazz, funk, soul, and early Afrobeat, influencing generations of musicians both within Africa and beyond.
A pivotal moment came in the 1960s when he took his Black Star Highlife Band to London, leading to a historic collaboration with the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
He later led renowned groups such as the Ghana Black Star Band and the Uhuru Dance Band in Ghana, and collaborated with greats like the Apagya Show Band, CK Mann, and Pat Thomas throughout the 1970s.
While a celebrated figure in West Africa for decades, Taylor gained broader international recognition in 2010 with the release of ‘Love and Death’ on Strut Records.
This was followed by acclaimed albums including ‘Appia Kwa Bridge’ (2012) and ‘Yen Ara’ (2018). His vast catalogue of influential songs includes ‘Heaven’, ‘Atwer Abroba’, ‘Life Stories’, ‘Ayesama’, ‘Saana’, and ‘You Need Love’.
Taylor is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Ghanaian music history. (TheCable)
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