Japan's 'Iron Lady' thanks Trump as party secures historic supermajority

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party secured a sweeping win in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, capturing about 316 seats in the 465-member lower house and achieving a governing supermajority alongside allies. The result gives her a strong mandate to advance a conservative agenda focused on defense, immigration and economic reforms, the Associated Press reported.

A heavy metal fan and drummer, Takaichi — who has long cited former British PM Margaret Thatcher as a personal and political inspiration — expressed gratitude for President Trump’s support, thanking him for his congratulatory message following the victory and signaling continued alignment with Washington.

Trump praised her leadership in a post after the results were announced. "Congratulations to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Coalition on a LANDSLIDE Victory in today’s very important Vote," Trump wrote on social media, "Sanae’s bold and wise decision to call for an election paid off big time. Her Party now runs the Legislature, holding a HISTORIC TWO THIRDS SUPERMAJORITY — The first time since World War II. Sanae: It was my Honor to Endorse you and your Coalition. I wish you Great Success in passing your Conservative, Peace Through Strength Agenda. The wonderful people of Japan, who voted with such enthusiasm, will always have my strong support."

SANAE TAKAICHI BECOMES JAPAN’S FIRST FEMALE PRIME MINISTER, CITING THATCHER INSPIRATION

The election outcome represents one of the strongest performances for the ruling party in years and solidifies Takaichi’s position only months after taking office as Japan’s first female prime minister.

Following the results, Takaichi said she was prepared to move forward with policies aimed at making Japan "strong and prosperous," as she seeks to implement reforms and bolster national security, the Associated Press reported.

Her agenda includes boosting defense spending, revising security policies and stimulating economic growth, while maintaining a tougher posture toward regional threats such as China. Known for her hawkish stance on Beijing, Takaichi is expected to maintain Japan’s close alignment with the United States.

"Takaichi's landslide win shows other leaders that defiance of China can be popular with voters. Nobody has to appease or please Xi Jinping anymore," Asia analyst Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital.

JAPAN'S PRIME MINISTER TAKAICHI PLANS TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT AND CALL EARLY ELECTION TO STRENGTHEN COALITION

U.S. officials also welcomed the outcome. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described aid on Fox News’ "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" that Takaichi is a strong ally and emphasized that her leadership strengthens the strategic partnership between Washington and Tokyo.

Takaichi’s victory is widely seen as a geopolitical signal as well as a domestic political triumph. Analysts say the strengthened mandate could deepen cooperation with the United States on security and economic policy at a time of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

The snap election, called just months into her premiership, was widely viewed as a referendum on her leadership. With the opposition fragmented, voters delivered a decisive result that now gives Takaichi political space to pursue her agenda through the remainder of the parliamentary term.

Takaichi backs strengthening Japan’s defense posture and supports constitutional revision to expand the role of the military. Economically, she has praised the stimulus-driven policies associated with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Her public thanks to Trump underscores how central the U.S. alliance remains to Tokyo’s strategy moving forward, experts say, as she prepares to translate electoral momentum into legislative and security action at home and abroad.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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American Olympian taking social media breather over 'hate' after Trump criticism

American Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn said Saturday she will limit her social media intake after she said she received "hate."

Glenn was critical of the Trump administration in a pre-Olympics press conference earlier in the week, saying it had been a "hard time" for her and members of the LGBT community. It was one of a handful of political remarks U.S. athletes made in the lead-up to the Winter Games.

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She received criticism for the remarks, but wrote on her Instagram Stories that the comments she received crossed the line.

"When I chose to utilize one of the amazing things about the United States of America (Freedom of speech) to convey how I feel as an athlete competing for Team USA in a troubling time for many Americans, I am now receiving a scary amount of hate/threats for simply using my voice WHEN ASKED about how I feel," she wrote in a since-expired post.

TRUMP BLASTS OLYMPIAN OVER COMMENTS ABOUT REPRESENTING US

"I did anticipate this but I am disappointed by it. I will be limiting my time on social media for my own wellbeing for now but I will never stop using my voice for what I believe in."

Glenn made the post as she shared the comments she made to reporters in Milan, Italy.

"It's been a hard time for the (LGBTQ) community overall in this administration," she said, via USA Today. "It isn’t the first time that we've had to come together as a community and try and fight for our human rights. And now especially, it's not just affecting the queer community, but many other communities, and I think that we are able to support each other in a way that we didn't have to before, and because of that, it's made us a lot stronger."

Glenn added that the issue she was talking about was something she wasn’t going to be quiet about.

She is coming off a gold medal in the U.S. Championships and is among the top stars in the figure skating event in this year’s Games.

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Duke staffers 'got punched in the face' as UNC fans stormed court after upset win, coach says

Duke Blue Devils staff members "got punched in the face" as North Carolina Tar Heels fans stormed the court in celebration of their rivalry win, head coach Jon Scheyer said Saturday.

No. 14 North Carolina topped No. 4 Duke, 71-68, after Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left. Tar Heels fans hit the court thinking the game was over but had to be corralled back to their seats once officials added less than a second back to the clock.

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Scheyer said some of the team’s staff members took hits during the fracas.

"For me it's hard to talk about the game when I was most concerned just for the safety of our players after the game," Scheyer said. "I don't want to make it about that, because Carolina, they played a great game to win. And that's a heartbreaking loss for our team.

"I got staff members that got punched in the face. My family, pushing people away, trying to not get trampled. That's not what this game is about."

North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham said he apologized for the incident, but didn’t have details on any injuries.

"When they rushed the court, a number of people got knocked over," Cunningham said. "But then we had to clear the court again. So when we normally have something like just rushing the court and the game is over, we do have a line by the benches to get people off safely.

UTAH TECH BASKETBALL PLAYER PUNCHES OPPONENT AFTER GETTING DUNKED ON IN VIRAL INCIDENT

"Obviously, if somebody got injured, that's just really, really disappointing. We'll do the best we can to make sure that doesn't happen, but again, my apologies to Duke for that."

A Duke official told multiple outlets that one person tied to the program had been injured but had no other details.

Scheyer and Duke had a similar incident happen after their lost to Wake Forest in 2022. Then-Blue Devils player Kyle Filipowski was shaken up after a Demon Deacon fan collided with him during their celebration.

Scheyer, who wondered in 2022 when court-storming was going to be banned, was asked whether he still believed it should be prohibited.

"Just shouldn't have people getting punched in the face," he said. "Shouldn't put our players in position where they're face-to-face with people who can do anything at that time. It just takes one reaction. Even today, I had to push people away just to try to protect our players.

"They won, they should celebrate. They want to court-storm, court-storm. But just let's get our guys off safely, that's it. That's where I'm at with that."

Duke fell to 21-2 on the season with the loss. North Carolina improved to 19-4.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Boxing great Mike Tyson discusses health turnaround, junk food past and Trump relationship

On Sunday, football fans tuning in for the Super Bowl matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots will also get a first look at an ad featuring a well-known professional boxer.

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson, long known as "the baddest man on the planet," joined Fox News Channel’s "Jesse Watters Primetime" Friday night to discuss his personal health journey.

"I would get up in the morning and I would eat a lot of nothing, Captain Crunch cereal … probably two giant bowls of that for breakfast. And then later on that day, I may go get some ice cream. I would just eat a bunch of junk food when I'm at my worst. Just junk food, drinking … disastrous. It wasn't good back then for me. A lot of my friends … my wife didn't think I would make it to 60."

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When asked what steps he took to get his health on track, Tyson replied: "I first started walking 10 minutes a day… I started walking 10 mins up to an hour. Then I stopped eating everything. (The) only thing I started eating was tomato soup and rice and water."

The former undisputed heavyweight world champion highlighted the importance of taking care of the physical body. "We've only got one body. And we have one chance to really indulge in it. So I wanted to be in the best shape possible."

Tyson has experienced health issues in the past. Shortly before landing on a flight to Los Angeles in summer 2024 ahead of his high-profile bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, he received medical attention. However, medical personnel recommended that Tyson only engage in "minimal to light training over the next few weeks" at the time.

ANTHONY JOSHUA KNOCKS OUT JAKE PAUL IN BOXING SPECTACLE

"During a follow-up consultation on Thursday with medical professionals regarding his recent ulcer flare-up, the recommendation is for Mike Tyson to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations," a statement released in late May 2024 read.

The event was originally scheduled for July but was postponed to November 2024. Paul ultimately defeated Tyson by unanimous decision. While the bout reportedly drew a record audience, the stream was marred by widespread technical issues.

Before the 2024 bout, Tyson had not fought competitively since his 2005 TKO loss to Kevin McBride. He returned briefly in an exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in July 2020.

Tyson said he looks forward to getting back in the ring, adding he wants to go head-to-head with Floyd Mayweather Jr. "We're going to make it happen on April 25th … around that time somewhere."

While Tyson competed in the heavyweight category and Mayweather won titles in multiple weight classes, none exceeded the 154-pound junior middleweight limit. Mayweather's last official victory in a sanctioned bout came in 2017 against MMA star Conor McGregor.

Tyson's relationship with President Donald Trump dates back decades. Tyson credited Trump for pushing him to compete in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

"That was just a great idea when he decided to have me fight in Atlantic City ... I just didn't like Atlantic City back then. I just wasn't an Atlantic City person, and he made me an Atlantic City person ... I even moved there one time. I lived there for a few years."

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Russian military intelligence official shot in Moscow: report

A Russian military intelligence figure was shot in the nation's capital city on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev was shot multiple times by an unidentified attacker at an apartment building and was hospitalized, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko noted in a statement, according to the AP.

President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine.

ZELENSKYY REVEALS 55,000 UKRAINIAN DEATH TOLL AS PEACE TALKS CONTINUE

President Donald Trump's administration has been striving to help broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.

The warring nations agreed to a prisoner swap this week, according to readouts posted on X by U.S. special presidential envoy for peace missions Steve Witkoff and Ukraine's national security and defense council minister Rustem Umerov.

TRUMP CALLS FOR NUCLEAR EXPERTS TO WORK ON ‘NEW, IMPROVED, AND MODERNIZED TREATY’

"Over February 4 and 5, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation met for the second trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi to advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The discussions were constructive and focused on how to create the conditions for a durable peace," the readouts state.

US SPECIAL ENVOY WITKOFF ANNOUNCES US, UKRAINIAN AND RUSSIAN DELEGATIONS AGREE TO PRISONER SWAP

"The delegations reached agreement whereby the Russian Federation and Ukraine will each release 157 Prisoners of War. This is the first exchange in the last five months," the readouts note.   

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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'Blue Bloods' star Jennifer Esposito slams Hollywood's lack of 'decency' after losing home to finance film

Jennifer Esposito is calling out Hollywood after revealing she lost the home she mortgaged to make her first feature film.

The "Blue Bloods" alum, 52, shared an emotional video on Instagram, telling followers she is being forced to move out of the house she leveraged to finance "Fresh Kills" — a critically acclaimed film she wrote, directed, produced and starred in.

"Yeah, I’m looking like a-- right now ‘cause I’ve been crying ‘cause I’m moving out of my home that I mortgaged to make my film," Esposito said.

JENNY MCCARTHY SAYS HOLLYWOOD 'GETS EVERYTHING WRONG' ABOUT REAL AMERICA AFTER MOVING TO MIDWEST

"Fresh Kills" was released in 2024 and earned praise from critics, but Esposito made it clear that acclaim did not translate into meaningful industry support — particularly from those with power and influence. 

"And then have people who are in the spotlight not be able to just throw one back and say, ‘Hey, thanks, watch this film,’" she continued. "I said to myself, ‘You know what? Nobody owes anybody anything.’ And then I thought, ‘Do we? Do we as human beings? ... I think actually we do owe each other something. We owe each other decency as human beings.’"

In the caption accompanying her post, Esposito continued to share her frustration.

"Maybe that singular question is the one to ask regarding every single issue we are facing currently," she wrote.

"Forget the systems that deliberately keep us at one another’s throats — and survival is now a basic, everyday occurrence. I’m talking as human to human. Basic human decency to another living being. That’s it. Think on that," Esposito added.

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She continued to expand on her message, but shifted her focus away from Hollywood and toward what she described as a culture driven by distraction and division.

"Imagine if we all actually had one another’s backs. Systems that are meant to divide actually might fall," Esposito wrote.

"And now feel free to scroll about the best new face lift, arrest of a journalist and who else was shot," she concluded.

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Fans and fellow Hollywood stars flooded her post with comments. Many praised both her work and her willingness to take personal risks in the cutthroat industry.

Debra Messing commented, "Jen, I am heartbroken for you. Your film was exquisite and I’m better for seeing it. The fact that you have to leave your home in order to give your Art to the world is maddening. Sending love and strength and appreciation."

Jerry O’Connell said, "So sorry, Jen. I WILL BE ON THE LOOKOUT. Promise!"

Don Cheadle added, "Here for you, kiddo! Ya’ll check Jennifer’s movie out. She put and puts it all on the line. A real artist in the pursuit of truth!"

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Minneapolis City Council moves to spend $500K on immigrant legal services

The Minneapolis City Council on Tuesday signaled support for a resolution that would direct additional funding toward immigrant legal services, as city leaders weigh how to respond to ongoing federal immigration enforcement activity.

The resolution would increase the budget for the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs by $500,000 on a one-time basis. 

Jason Chavez, a Minneapolis City Council member representing Ward 9, said the move would bring the city’s total investment in immigrant legal services to $1 million this year, following an earlier allocation approved in December.

"This action unanimously passed at the Committee of the Whole meeting and will now have a final vote at full council. We are hearing from providers that we desperately need to expand services, capacity, and support," Chavez wrote on Facebook.

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MINNESOTA REQUEST TO BLOCK ICE-LED OPERATION METRO SURGE

"We also know that habeas corpus and the legal system are one of the ways we have successfully reunited families," he added. "While this was one action today, I believe we must do more."

The Minneapolis City Council is scheduled to vote on Chavez's resolution on Thursday.

The city council’s action comes against the backdrop of stepped-up federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota that has drawn protests and heightened scrutiny following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens.

BORDER CZAR HOMAN MEETS WITH MINNESOTA OFFICIALS FOLLOWING IMMIGRATION OPERATION TENSIONS

Demonstrations have taken place nationwide as community members and activists question the scope and tactics of the operations, which the Department of Homeland Security says are targeted.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDENT GROUPS TEAMING WITH FAR-LEFT RADICALS TO LEAD ANTI-ICE ‘NATIONAL SHUTDOWN'

Tom Homan, the White House border czar, said at a press conference Wednesday morning that the administration would draw down 700 federal law enforcement personnel from Minnesota, citing "unprecedented collaboration" with local officials.

Homan said federal agents have arrested people with serious criminal histories, including those convicted of homicide, sex-related offenses and gang activity.

"We're taking a lot of bad people off the street," he told reporters. "Everybody should be grateful for that. Who in their right mind would want these dangerous criminals walking around communities?"

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