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Japan’s first female PM to meet Trump: What to know about the heavy metal fan
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President Donald Trump offered complimentary words about Sanae Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — upon arriving in Japan on Monday. Takaichi’s resume blends her strong brand of conservatism with a rock-and-roll streak while drawing inspiration from former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Takaichi, 64, came to power earlier this month after the resignation of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, following the Liberal Democratic Party’s loss of its upper-house majority in July.
Known for her uncompromising views on defense and social issues, Trump’s visit will be her first major diplomatic test. The two leaders will discuss regional security, trade and Japan’s defense spending — areas where their views largely align.
SANAE TAKAIHI BECOMES JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER, CITING THATCHER INSPIRATION
Lawmakers applaud Sanae Takaichi during a lower house session in Tokyo on Oct. 21, 2025, after she was elected Japan’s first female prime minister. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
«She’s a hawk on China, and that’s exactly what’s needed right now,» said Gordon Chang, author and Asia analyst, in an interview with Fox News Digital. «That’s not going to upset President Trump — in fact, it will help him in his discussions with Xi Jinping because he can say, ‘Look, the alliances are strong and getting stronger.’»
Chang said the meeting comes at a critical time for regional stability.
«America’s alliance relationship with South Korea is in danger because Lee Jae-myung … is very pro-China and very anti-American,» he added. «That makes it even more important that our relationship with Japan gets stronger — which it will under Takaichi. Things were going very well with Japan, and I think that Takaichi is going to continue Japanese policies, so this will be important.»
Sanae Takaichi, now Japan’s prime minister, is seen playing drums in Tokyo on Sept. 24, 2021, when she was the internal affairs minister. (Kyodo via Reuters)
From small-town roots to heavy metal
Takaichi’s rise is remarkable in a party long dominated by political dynasties. Born in Nara Prefecture to a police officer mother and a father who worked for a car company affiliated with Toyota, she often describes herself as an outsider in Japan’s elite political world.
Left: Newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Right: British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher attends a British-French meeting with President François Mitterrand in the United Kingdom, May 5, 1990. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo/ Georges De Keerle/Getty Images)
Before entering politics, she channeled her energy into music — playing drums in a heavy metal band during her youth, performing songs by Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. She reportedly still keeps an electronic drum kit in her Tokyo residence and plays with headphones to unwind after work. Takaichi was also known in her younger years as an avid motorcycle rider.
JAPAN CALLS AXIS OF CHINA, RUSSIA, NORTH KOREA THE ‘GRAVEST THREAT’ TO GLOBAL ORDER SINCE WWII
In early remarks, Takaichi said she admired Thatcher’s «strong character and convictions» and that she met the former British leader at a symposium shortly before Thatcher’s death in 2013.
The combination of a conservative politician with a rock-and-roll past — Japan’s first female prime minister behind a drum kit and once on a bike — has helped shape her public image as both disciplined and unconventional.
A hawk on China, an heir to Abe
President Donald Trump, meeting the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace during his first term as president in Tokyo on May 27, 2019. (Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo)
Takaichi is widely described as an ideological heir to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, aligning with his push to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution and boost the country’s defense capabilities. Her economic policy continues much of Abe’s «Abenomics,» emphasizing fiscal expansion and monetary easing — a contrast to Thatcher-style austerity. Yet her assertive tone and ideological discipline echo the British prime minister she idolizes.
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At home, Takaichi holds staunchly traditional views. She opposes same-sex marriage, rejects allowing separate surnames for married couples and supports the imperial family’s male-only succession, according to The Associated Press.
The two leaders are expected to meet later tonight in Tokyo.
donald trump,japan,asia world regions,china
INTERNACIONAL
En una carta pública, el presidente de Irán dijo que Netanyahu manipula a Trump en la guerra y lanzó una advertencia a EE.UU.
Mientras se cruzan las versiones por un alto al fuego entre Washington y Teherán, este miércoles por la tarde el presidente iraní publicó una carta abierta en la que dijo dirigirse «al pueblo de los Estados Unidos». Masoud Pezeshkian cuestionó la «guerra de desinformación», deslizó que Donald Trump puede estar siendo manipulado por Benjamin Netanyahu y cerró con una fuerte advertencia: «A lo largo de su milenaria y orgullosa historia, Irán se sobrepuso a muchos agresores. Lo que queda de ellos sólo son nombres manchados en la historia».
Se trata de una misiva de cuatro carillas publicada en los perfiles oficiales de redes sociales de Pezeshkian, presidente de Irán, este miércoles por la noche, hora local. Llegó apenas horas después de que Donald Trump afirmara en Truth Social que «el nuevo presidente del régimen iraní acababa de pedirle un alto al fuego», lo cual sería considerado por Washington sólo después de que se liberara el estrecho de Ormuz.
En su carta, Pezeshkian no se pronuncia explícitamente sobre el posible cese al fuego, pero señala: «Hoy el mundo está en una encrucijada. Seguir por el camino de la confrontación es más caro y fútil que nunca. La elección entre confrontación y compromiso es real y consecuente; su resultado moldeará el futuro de las generaciones venideras».
Tampoco aclara si la carta fue escrita con aprobación del líder supremo, Mojtaba Khamenei, de mayor poder que el presidencial.
«Al pueblo de los Estados Unidos de América y a todos aquellos que, en medio de un caudal de distorsiones y relatos fabricados, continúan buscando la verdad y aspira a llevar una vida mejor. Irán –en su nombre, carácter e identidad– es una de las civilizaciones más antiguas en la historia. Pero además de sus ventajas históricas y geográficas a lo largo de los tiempos, Irán nunca ha elegido, en su historia moderna, el camino de la agresión, expansión, colonialismo o la dominación», comienza la carta del presidente iraní.
Y continúa: «Incluso ante la ocupación, invasión y de la presión sostenida de las potencias globales –y a pesar de tener superioridad militar sobre varios de sus vecinos–, Irán nunca inició una guerra. En cambio, resolvió y repelió valientemente a aquellos que lo atacaron (…) Por eso, retratar a Irán como una amenaza no es ni consistente con la realidad histórica ni la moderna; y esa percepción responde a la necesidad de justificar la presión, mantener superioridad militar y la industria bélica (…) En ese contexto, si no hay una amenaza, se la inventa».
To the people of the United States of America pic.twitter.com/3uAL4FZgY7
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) April 1, 2026
También señala a Estados Unidos por concentrar «sus más numerosas fuerzas y capacidades militares alrededor de Irán». «Lo que Irán ha sostenido es una respuesta mesurada en legítima defensa, lo cual no significa la iniciación de guerra o agresión alguna», amplía Pezeshkian en su carta abierta.
Además, dice -en referencia a las negociaciones por el programa nuclear, previas al estallido de la guerra- que «Irán buscó negociar, alcanzó un acuerdo y cumplió con sus compromisos».
«La decisión de salir de ese acuerdo, escalar el conflicto y lanzar dos ataques en medio de las negociaciones fueron dos decisiones destructivas del gobierno estadounidenses. Haber atacado infraestructura crucial de Irán –instalaciones energéticas e industriales– atentó directamente contra su pueblo», sigue.
Luego desliza acusaciones sobre el rol de Benjamin Netanyahu y su influencia sobre Trump: «¿Acaso los Estados Unidos no entraron en el conflicto arrastrados como un proxy de Israel, manipulados por su régimen? ¿Acaso no es evidente que Israel busca confrontar contra Irán hasta la vida del último soldado norteamericano y del último dolar de impuestos de cada estadounidense? ¿Es realmente ‘Primero EE.UU.’ la prioridad del gobierno norteamericano?».
«A lo largo de su historia y orgullosa historia, Irán se sobrepuso a numerosos agresores. Lo único que queda de ellos son nombres manchados en la historia, mientras que Irán persiste, resiliente, digno y orgulloso«, concluyó el presidente iraní.
Más temprano este miércoles, Trump publicó en su propia red social, Truth, un mensaje para anunciar que el régimen de Teherán había pedido un alto al fuego. «El nuevo presidente del régimen iraní, mucho menos radicalizado y mucho más inteligente que sus precesores, ¡acaba de pedir un alto al fuego a los EE. UU.! Lo consideraremos cuando el estrecho de Ormuz esté abierto, libre y despejado», comenzó el mandatario norteamericano.
De lo contrario, aseguró, Estados Unidos continuará «bombardeando Irán hasta la aniquilación o, como dicen algunos, hasta que regrese a la Edad de Piedra».
No tardó en llegar la respuesta desde Teherán: el portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Esmaeil Baqaei, dijo que «la afirmación de Trump es falsa e infundada».
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As artificial intelligence continues to expand into homes and the workplace, voters are less concerned about it taking their jobs and more worried about its overall influence.
The latest Fox News Poll finds 66% of registered voters are concerned about artificial intelligence, up from 63% in December and 56% in 2023 (the first time the question was asked).
The increase in concern is across the board, with the biggest jumps happening among women, voters without a college degree, Democrats and liberal voters.
FOX NEWS POLL: SOUR VOTERS SAY WASHINGTON IS OUT OF TOUCH
Yet when it comes to how AI will affect the workforce, voters aren’t concerned about their own jobs even though most think it will eliminate more positions (59%) than it will create (7%) over the next 5 years.
FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE ACTION IN IRAN BUT GIVE US MILITARY POSITIVE MARKS
Seven in 10 (69%) employed voters are unconcerned their job will be cut in the next five years, while three in 10 are worried (31%). This matches where sentiment was in November.
The lack of concern may reflect broader attitudes toward AI in the workplace: Seven in 10 say it is not important to their career that they learn how to use AI, including six in 10 employed voters.
Another three in 10 say it is important, and that jumps to roughly in 10 among workers, voters with graduate degrees, and those living in households with an annual income of $100,000 or higher. Those most likely to feel learning AI is a career priority are men under age 45 (48%).
But if they must tech up, a majority of voters feel comfortable adopting and using new technology (60% comfortable vs. 40% not comfortable).
The highest numbers saying they’re comfortable are voters under age 45, particularly younger men (81%) and younger Republicans (82%).
Artificial intelligence and the military…
As the Iran conflict enters its fifth week, nearly two-thirds of voters are uncomfortable with the military using autonomous weapons systems (AWS). About four in 10 feel comfortable.
The partisan divide on this issue is wide: 52% of Republicans are comfortable with AWS vs. 27% of Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of MAGA Republicans are comfortable vs. 40% of non-MAGA Republicans.
There is also a prominent gender gap with men (43%) more comfortable than women (31%).
Still, nearly all voters say that when the military is considering a strike that could kill people, a human should be required to make the final decision: 93% feel that way vs. 7% saying AI systems alone should have the final say.
This is a bipartisan belief, with at least nine in 10 Democrats, Republicans and independents agreeing a human needs to make the decision.
More than half of voters who have served in the military are uncomfortable with the use of AWS systems (54% not comfortable vs. 45% comfortable), and an overwhelming majority thinks a human should be making the choice between life and death (90%).
One more thing…
While concern about AI is up among voters, it’s far from the top worry with inflation (86% extremely/very concerned), healthcare (81%), gas prices (80%), political divisions (80%), unemployment (73%), attacks by Islamic (73%) and non-Islamic terrorists (70%), ability to pay bills (70%) and gun violence (69%) ranking higher.
Concern about Iran getting a nuclear bomb ties with concern over AI (66% extremely/very) while antisemitism (63%) and detentions by ICE (62%) rank lower.
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Conducted March 20-23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
artificial intelligence, politics, military tech, military, democratic party, republicans, fox news poll
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday touted new momentum toward ending the country’s war with Russia after a high-level call with President Donald Trump’s envoys, pointing to progress on a U.S.-backed security deal.
Zelenskyy announced in an X post that he and his officials had a «positive» conversation with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with talks centered around forging a «dignified peace.»
«We agreed to strengthen security guarantees, and I have already instructed our team to promptly update the documents so that the security guarantees for Ukraine are strong, the prospects for post-war reconstruction are real, and everything is doable,» Zelenskyy wrote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
WITKOFF AND KUSHNER SCHEDULED TO MEET PUTIN IN MOSCOW
He emphasized Ukraine needs clear agreements so that its citizens understand exactly how international partners will respond to deter any renewed Russian aggression.
«We need strong, shared positions, and Ukraine’s contribution to this strength is unquestionable,» Zelenskyy wrote. «… I expect that the teams will work substantively in the coming days so that we can all feel progress. A trilateral format — a leaders’ format — all of this is necessary.»
Ukranian leaders at a meeting discussing the Ukraine-Russia war Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
TRUMP CONFIRMS HE INVITED PUTIN TO JOIN HIS BOARD OF PEACE: ‘HE’S BEEN INVITED’
In a subsequent video, Zelenskyy reported Russia launched a massive wave of more than 700 drones Wednesday, including «shaheds,» targeting Ukraine’s energy sites, food warehouses and residential buildings across multiple regions.
Although Ukrainian forces intercepted roughly 90% of the incoming drones, Zelenskyy condemned the bombardment as Russia’s direct response to Ukraine’s proposal for an Easter ceasefire.
Leaders meet to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (@ZelenskyyUa via X)
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He noted that a halt in fighting during the holidays was intended to be a signal that diplomacy could be successful.
Beyond the U.S. and Europe, Zelenskyy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is working to secure long-term defense contracts with several Middle Eastern nations, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Turkey.
volodymyr zelenskyy, ukraine, russia, world politics, wars
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