- Toyota will appoint Kon Kenta as its new CEO starting April 1, 2026.
- Current CEO Sato Koji will transition to the role of vice chairman.
- Sato Koji will also assume a new position as chief industry officer.

A: Hey, did you see the news about Toyota?

B: No! What’s up?

A: Kon Kenta’s going to be the new CEO! Starting in April.

B: Wow, really? Sato Koji’s stepping down?

A: Yeah! He’s becoming vice chairman.

B: That’s a big change! What's a "chief industry officer" anyway?

A: Apparently, it's a new role he made up! Sounds important, right?

B: Totally! So, Kon Kenta is now in charge of Toyota.

A: Exactly! Big things to come, maybe?

- Japanese wine producers showcased wines from Yamanashi Prefecture to UK industry professionals in London.
- The wines, particularly those made from the Koshu grape, were praised for their freshness, mineral notes, and food-friendliness.
- Organizers aim to increase the visibility of Koshu wines in London, a key trendsetting market.

A: Hey! Did you hear about some Japanese wine?
B: No way! Really? What’s going on?

A: Apparently, wineries from Yamanashi went to London!
B: Wow! London? To show off their wine?

A: Yeah! They had a special event for wine experts.
B: So, like sommeliers and journalists?

A: Exactly! They presented about 40 different kinds of wines.
B: Forty?! That's a lot! What kind of wines were they?

A: Mostly made with Koshu grapes.
B: Koshu? I’ve never heard of that!

A: One importer said they were amazing! He said they were fresh and had a citrus taste.
B: Citrus? That sounds delicious! Good with food too?

A: Yep! He wants to see more of them in the UK!
B: Cool! So Japan is trying to get their wine popular in London?

A: That's the idea! The company president said it's important to show off their wines in a cool city.
B: Makes sense! Gotta get that buzz going! He wants everyone to know about Koshu, right?

- Ukraine and Russia exchanged 157 prisoners each following talks facilitated by the US.
- Senior officials from Ukraine, Russia, and the US met in Abu Dhabi to discuss ending the fighting.
- Further progress on territory and security guarantees remains uncertain, but more talks are anticipated soon.

A: Hey! Did you hear anything about Ukraine and Russia?

B: No, what's going on?

A: They had another meeting, you know, to try and end the fighting.

B: Oh really? Did they agree on anything?

A: Yeah! They exchanged prisoners! Like, 157 people from each side!

B: Wow, that’s good news, right?

A: Definitely! Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, said they included soldiers, guards, and even civilians. Many were held since 2022.

B: That's a long time! I hope they're okay.

A: Russia said their people will get medical help too.

B: So, who was at the meeting?

A: Zelenskyy sent his top advisor, and Russia sent their military intelligence chief. America was there too, with a special envoy.

B: Any progress on the big stuff, like land and security?

A: Not really clear yet. They said they need to do more work.

B: Hopefully they’ll make some progress soon! A few weeks, maybe?

A: That's what the American envoy said! Fingers crossed!

- Mitsubishi Motors reported a significant net loss due to US tariffs and exchange rate fluctuations.
- Mitsubishi revised its sales forecast upwards for the fiscal year ending March 2026.
- Suzuki Motor saw its first drop in operating profit for five years, impacted by rising raw material costs in India.

A: Hey Hana! Did you hear anything about Mitsubishi and Suzuki?

B: No, what’s up, Kenji? Something bad?

A: Yeah, a bit. Mitsubishi had a loss! Like, 28 million dollars!

B: Wow, that’s a big loss! What happened?

A: It’s because of those US tariffs, remember? From a while ago? They really hurt them. Sales were down a little too.

B: Oh, right, the tariffs. It's tough, isn't it?

A: Totally. And their operating profit dropped a lot too! Almost 70 percent!

B: Seriously?! That’s crazy. What about Suzuki?

A: Suzuki isn't doing amazing either. Their profits went down for the first time in five years!

B: Oh no! What’s the reason there?

A: Raw materials are more expensive in India, where they make a lot of stuff.

B: That makes sense. Everything is getting pricier, huh?

A: Exactly! But… good news! Mitsubishi actually thinks they’ll sell *more* next year.

B: Really? So, things might get better?

A: They hope so! Suzuki's revenue actually *went up* though, thanks to some tax changes in India.

B: That's a positive! Well, at least someone is doing okay!

- US and Iranian officials will meet in Oman this Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear program.
- Negotiations, suspended since June, will reportedly focus on the nuclear issue and sanctions relief.
- US officials want to broaden the agenda to include Iran's missile program and human rights record.

A: Hey Hana-chan! Did you hear about the news? Something about Iran and the US?

B: Oh, really? No, what happened? Tell me!

A: Well, they're going to talk this Friday in Oman! About Iran's nuclear stuff.

B: Wow! That’s a big deal! I thought things were tense.

A: Yeah, exactly! Talks stopped a while ago, remember? After the US military... did something?

B: Right, right! I remember hearing about that. What are they planning to talk about?

A: Mostly about Iran's nuclear program and maybe lifting some sanctions.

B: Sanctions? That’s complicated! But wait, I heard Secretary Rubio wants to talk about other things too? Like missiles?

A: Yep! He wants to talk about other issues, like their missiles and... stuff.

B: Hmm. Sounds like it could get tricky. Is the US getting serious then?

A: They’ve sent a big ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln, over there! Pretty serious stuff.

B: Seriously! Do you think they’ll actually agree on something?

A: Someone who knows a lot about this said they need to be a little more flexible. Small steps, you know?

B: Fingers crossed! It’s so important to avoid another conflict, isn't it?

A: Totally! Let's hope it goes well. We'll see what happens!

- Heavy snowfall is expected across Japan, including rare snow in areas like Tokyo, through Sunday.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency warns of potential disruptions including traffic problems, avalanches, and power outages.
- Blizzards and near-zero visibility are already occurring in Hokkaido, prompting residents to limit travel.

A: Hey! Did you hear about the weekend weather?

B: No! What's up? Is it going to be okay?

A: Not really! It's supposed to snow *a lot*. Like, really a lot.

B: Seriously? Even in Tokyo? I heard something about that!

A: Yeah! The weather agency is saying even areas that don't usually get snow, like Tokyo, might see some.

B: Wow! Hokkaido and Tohoku are already getting hammered, right?

A: Totally! The wind is super strong too! They measured really high wind speeds.

B: Crazy! And the snow is piling up already. 20 centimeters already!

A: I know! They're expecting up to 70 centimeters in Niigata by Sunday morning!

B: 70 centimeters?! That's insane! We need to be careful, right?

A: Definitely! They’re warning about traffic problems, avalanches, and power outages.

B: Oh no! And they said blizzards are happening in Hokkaido now, making it hard to see anything.

A: Exactly! They're telling people to stay home if they don't *need* to go out.

B: Okay, good to know! Maybe I'll just curl up with a good book this weekend.

A: Sounds like a good plan! Stay safe!

- A Tokyo High Court ruling upheld a previous order for the state to hand over the remains of cult leader Asahara Shoko to his daughter.
- The state had argued against the handover fearing the remains could be misused for recruitment and to disturb public order.
- The court acknowledged the daughter's vow to keep the remains private and not allow them to be used by any group.

A: Hey, did you hear about Asahara’s remains? It's a bit crazy!
B: No! Asahara? The cult leader? What’s happening with him?
A: Well, the court says his daughter can finally get his ashes and hair.
B: Seriously? After all this time? I thought the government was still fighting it.
A: They were! They were worried his followers would worship his remains. You know, like make it a shrine or something.
B: Oh wow, that makes sense. Why else would they want them?
A: Exactly! But the daughter took it to court. First, the lower court agreed with her.
B: And now the High Court too?
A: Yup! They said the daughter just wants to mourn her dad and keep the remains at home. She promised not to give them to any cult groups.
B: So the government lost again? What will they do now?
A: They said they need to look at the ruling carefully. Maybe they'll appeal again? It's complicated.
B: It really is! What a story!

- President Zelenskyy revealed approximately 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since the Russian invasion began.
- Zelenskyy stated a significant number of Ukrainian personnel are currently missing.
- French President Macron is reportedly planning to resume dialogue with Putin, prompting Zelenskyy to call for conditions on such talks.

A: Hey! Did you hear anything about Ukraine lately?

B: No, not really. What's up?

A: Apparently, President Zelenskyy gave an interview. It’s pretty serious.

B: Oh? What did he say?

A: He said around 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the war started. That was nearly four years ago now, remember?

B: Wow, that’s a lot. Did he say that before too?

A: He did! Last year, he said it was over 46,000. So, the number is getting higher. Also, he mentioned a lot of people are missing.

B: That's terrible. Is anything changing?

A: Well, he said President Macron of France is planning to talk to Putin again!

B: Really? That’s something.

A: Yeah! Zelenskyy thinks pressure on Russia isn't strong enough. He wants them to talk, but with certain rules.

B: Macron’s advisor went to Moscow already, huh?

A: That's right! It’s all quite a complicated situation.

- The Milwaukee Brewers will host a "Naruto Night" on August 5, 2026, featuring a special Naruto-themed jersey giveaway.
- The Brewers and the Miami Marlins are both holding Naruto-themed nights, marking a trend of MLB teams collaborating with popular anime franchises.
- The Brewers are also hosting a "Hello Kitty Night" on August 19, complete with a Hello Kitty bobblehead giveaway and themed activities.

A: Did you hear about the news? The Brewers are doing a Naruto night!

B: え！Really? The Milwaukee Brewers? That's so random!

A: I know, right? August 5th! They're giving away Naruto jerseys!

B: Wow! What does the jersey look like?

A: It has the Naruto logo on the front and Naruto himself on the back! They’re even using “Uzumaki” instead of a name! Like Ichiro!

A: The Marlins are doing a Naruto night too, but the Brewers have shown off their design.

B: Cool! Are they doing other Japanese things?

A: Yep! Hello Kitty night on August 19th! They're giving out bobbleheads!

B: Hello Kitty taking over the stadium? That's hilarious!

A: It is! They're even having a laser show!

B: I might have to go! Do you want to?

A: Definitely! But no Kunai, okay? They’ll probably take them away! 笑

- YouTube now has 325 million paying subscribers for Google One and YouTube Premium, a significant increase from 300 million.
- YouTube's ad revenue rose 9% to $11.38 billion, with overall annual revenue up 17% to $60 billion.
- YouTube plans new, genre-specific subscription packages for YouTube TV and is seeing strong adoption of its AI creation tools.

A: Hey! Did you hear about YouTube's latest news?

B: No way! What's up with YouTube?

A: They're getting even more subscribers! Like, 325 million now! Crazy, right?

B: Wow! That's a lot of people paying for YouTube Premium.

A: Yeah! And their ad revenue went up too, to over 11 billion dollars!

B: That’s good! But I heard it didn't quite meet what everyone expected...

A: True, but their total yearly revenue is still up a lot – 17%!

B: Cool! So, they're pushing that ad-free premium plan a lot too?

A: Definitely! And they're going to add even *more* choices for YouTube TV subscribers. Like, tons of different categories!

B: Genre-specific packages? Sounds interesting!

A: And Shorts are still super popular – 200 billion views a day!

B: Really? Even with all the other apps?

A: Yep! Plus, people are listening to a ton of podcasts on their TVs now. 700 million hours in October!

B: Whoa! That’s a lot of listening.

A: Oh, and they're using AI a lot too. Lots of channels are using their AI tools!

B: AI? For YouTube? Amazing! How many people are using that?

A: Over 20 million people used an AI tool to find videos in December!