01:48⇢Snow Buries the Ballot Box
⌨Japanese editors are prioritizing the logistical and human toll of extreme weather, as record snowfall disrupts the February 8 election and causes 38 fatalities (Yahoo, Chunichi, NHK). Simultaneously, the 'Moumuri' resignation agency scandal has escalated with the referral of lawyers to prosecutors (TBS). In foreign policy, attention centers on the expiration of the New START treaty and U.S. efforts to form a critical minerals trade zone to isolate China (Asahi, Kyodo).