TBS News Dig

Ikeda Seima, the shortstop for Yokohama High School, says he is excited as he waits for the Nippon Professional Baseball amateur draft. In an interview with TBS News Dig, he spoke about how track and field training shaped his baseball skills and about pursuing a shared dream with his father, drawing attention ahead of the draft.

Elon Musk is concentrating his political donations on the Republican camp in Texas, according to reporting carried by TBS News Dig. The move is seen as likely to influence US midterm races that could prove pivotal, with Texas viewed as a key battleground for control. Commentators are weighing what his financial backing means for the balance of power.

Japanese professional baseball held its amateur draft, with the Yomiuri Giants making a contested first-round pick of Shosei Oda, who has stated his aim to challenge for MLB. Aoyama Gakuin teammates Watanabe and Suzuki were both fought over by two clubs, while two-way player Komoda went to the Nippon-Ham Fighters. The first-round selections drew wide attention.

In the first round of Nippon Professional Baseball's draft, the Yomiuri Giants moved to select Oda, who had publicly declared his intention to pursue a career in Major League Baseball. Aoyama Gakuin pitchers Watanabe and Suzuki were each contested by two clubs, while two-way player Komoda was picked first by the Nippon-Ham Fighters. The list of first-round picks is drawing attention from baseball fans.

Yokohama High School pitcher Oda Shoki, whose fastball tops out at 157 km/h, has publicly declared his ambition to become 'the world's best pitcher' and to eventually challenge Major League Baseball. With the NPB draft approaching, attention is focused on whether any professional club will select him and how his MLB aspirations might affect that decision.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said Japanese-made products should be regarded as equivalent to those made in the EU. His remarks respond to a reported agreement between Germany and France on preferential treatment for European-made electric vehicles, a move that could disadvantage Japanese manufacturers in the European market and has raised trade concerns in Tokyo.