The extraordinary session of the Diet closed on December 17th, with Prime Minister Takaichi using a press conference to stress inflation relief as her top priority, defend the government’s handling of cost-of-living pressures through a supplementary budget, reaffirm her determination to pass a bill cutting the number of lawmakers, and signal a dual-track approach toward China that combines dialogue with vigilance over security concerns. (News On Japan)

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says the shelters will be in public buildings across the country.

The trial of a woman accused of urging two male followers to take their own lives opened on December 17th, with the defense arguing that she lacked criminal responsibility at the time and pleading not guilty. (News On Japan)

A fire at a private sauna in Akasaka, Tokyo, that claimed the lives of a couple in their 30s has revealed serious flaws in safety management, with the shop owner telling investigators that the control panel linked to the sauna’s emergency button had never been powered on. (News On Japan)

Tokyo has climbed to second place in the Global Power City Index, overtaking New York for the first time and ending a nine-year run in third place, according to the latest ranking released on December 17th. The index evaluates 48 major cities worldwide across six fields, including economy, cultural interaction, accessibility and livability, using a total of 72 indicators. Tokyo posted sharp gains in areas such as the number of foreign visitors and the richness of its nightlife under the cultural interaction category, while ranking first globally for the sheer number of restaurants in the livability category. (News On Japan)

Today, we explore Hiroshima, Japan. On 6th August, 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on this city, reducing it almost entirely to ash in a single second. Today, it stands as a modern metropolis like any other. (Oli Barrett Travel)

The former US Special Counsel is facing questions about his two defunct criminal investigations into President Donald Trump.

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the northern Canadian area.

It's only the 13th known case of adoption out of the 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in the northern Canadian area.

Warner Brothers says the offer for its film and streaming businesses is inferior to Netflix's.

The Nato chief said it was thanks to Donald Trump that the alliance is "stronger than it ever was".

The Nato chief said Nato countries' pledge to spend 5% of GDP on defence is Donald Trump's "biggest foreign policy success".

The Prime Minister said Roman Abramovich should make good on his pledge that money from the sale of Chelsea FC would go to benefit Ukrainians

The Prime Minister said Roman Abramovich should make good on his pledge that money from the sale of Chelsea FC would go to benefit Ukrainians

The seven Kenyans had previously been denied working visas and will now be deported, South Africa says.

Masterminds behind the classic video game series tell us how they created a successful TV show.

A tanker seized by the US is believed to be part of a "ghost fleet" used by Venezuela to evade oil sanctions.

The mother of 10-year-old Matilda, the youngest victim of the Bondi Beach attack, paid tribute to her daughter at a flower memorial on Tuesday evening.

The seven Kenyans had previously been denied working visas and will now be deported, South Africa says.

Naveed Akram, 24, faces 59 charges in total following the attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Sunday.