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The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) recently stated that China’s diplomatic restrictions on travel to Japan in November had little impact on overall visitor numbers. The total number of visitors to Japan in November increased by about 10.4% compared with the same period last year.

According to JNTO, amid continued tensions in China–Japan relations, the number of Chinese visitors to Japan in November reached 562,600. While this still represented growth, the increase was about 3 percentage points higher than last year’s rate of 37.5%, but lower than the growth recorded during the January–November period. In contrast, the total number of overseas business and leisure travelers entering Japan in November reached 3.52 million. Total inbound arrivals this year have surpassed 39 million, and by the end of November had already exceeded last year’s full-year record of 36.87 million.

Asakusa in Tokyo has long been a must-visit destination and is usually crowded with tourists. Recently, however, there have been reports of a noticeable decline in Chinese visitors. Shoji Imai, owner of a kimono rental shop in Asakusa, said, “My impression is that revenue has dropped by around 20 to 30 percent.” With fewer Chinese tourists, kimono rental businesses in Asakusa have been affected, and operators are concerned about future operations.

Data released by JNTO show that although the growth rate of Chinese visitor arrivals to Japan slowed in November, the overall number of foreign visitors to Japan still increased by 10.4% year-on-year. This suggests that Japan’s tourism sector has not been significantly affected by the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Japan and China. Since the beginning of the year, Chinese travelers have remained the largest group of visitors to Japan, accounting for about one-quarter of all foreign arrivals.

Leaders of the United States and several European countries have recently reaffirmed their long-term commitment to Ukraine’s security, stating that they are exploring the creation of a “NATO-like defense mechanism” to ensure that Ukraine receives substantive and binding security guarantees before it formally joins NATO. These statements are widely seen as a clear signal to Russia that the West will not allow a postwar security vacuum in Ukraine.

The U.S. president noted that Western countries are working closely with allies to discuss establishing an institutionalized framework of cooperation in areas such as military training, intelligence sharing, air defense systems, and rapid response capabilities. The goal is to ensure that Ukraine can receive swift assistance should it again face external military threats. Several European leaders voiced support as well, emphasizing that while such defense commitments would not be equivalent to NATO’s Article 5 collective defense clause, they nonetheless carry significant political and strategic weight.

However, Ukraine’s stance remains firm against any proposal that would trade “territorial concessions” for peace or security guarantees. The Ukrainian president reiterated that national sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable, stressing that all territories—whether currently occupied or still under conflict—are inseparable parts of Ukraine. He emphasized that no peace plan premised on ceding territory could gain the support of the Ukrainian people.

Analysts point out that the proposed NATO-like defense mechanism reflects Western efforts to strike a balance between “avoiding direct confrontation with Russia” and “ensuring Ukraine’s security.” Whether such arrangements can provide sufficient deterrence, however, remains to be seen—especially in the absence of a formal collective defense clause.

Russia, for its part, has criticized these statements, arguing that they amount to a de facto expansion of military alliances and risk further escalating regional tensions. The international community is closely watching whether the United States, Europe, and Ukraine can reach consensus on the details of security guarantees in the coming months, as this will directly affect the trajectory of the war and the scope for future peace negotiations.

Against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities, Ukraine’s unwavering refusal to cede territory, combined with steadily increasing Western security commitments, suggests that the conflict is unlikely to be resolved quickly through compromise. Its future course will continue to have far-reaching implications for the global geopolitical landscape.

Australia’s national broadcaster ABC reported on the 15th that a major shooting occurred on the 14th at Bondi Beach, one of Sydney’s most popular landmarks, leaving 16 people dead and 40 injured. Police confirmed that the attackers were a father and son and have classified the incident as a terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community. The shooting took place during celebrations for the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. According to Agence France-Presse, while police have not publicly announced a motive, they believe the attack clearly constituted an antisemitic act of terrorism.

Investigators revealed that a vehicle parked on Campbell Parade, believed to belong to the gunmen, appeared to have an ISIS flag displayed on its windshield, though New South Wales Police said this has not yet been confirmed. At the time of the attack, the 50-year-old father, Sajid Akram, and his 24-year-old son, Naveed Akram, were dressed in black and stood side by side on a small bridge, firing rifles into the crowd. The father was shot dead during a gunfight with police and became one of the fatalities, while the son was seriously wounded and taken to hospital. Police said Sajid Akram legally owned six firearms, all of which are suspected to have been used in the attack.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Sajid Akram arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and obtained a partner visa in 2001. Naveed Akram lived in the Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg and had told his mother before the incident that he was going fishing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that flags nationwide would be flown at half-mast to mourn the 15 victims killed in the Bondi Beach shooting, stressing that it was the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in nearly 30 years.

The U.S. military said a joint convoy of American and Syrian forces came under attack on the 13th in the central Syrian town of Palmyra, killing two U.S. service members and one civilian interpreter, and wounding three other U.S. troops. The unit was meeting with key local leaders at the time, and the gunman is suspected to have been a member of the Syrian security forces. U.S. President Donald Trump vowed the “harshest retaliation.”

In a post on social media, Trump said the incident was “an attack by ISIS in an extremely dangerous area of Syria, targeting the United States and Syria.” He pledged severe retaliation and said Syrian President al-Sharaa was shocked and disturbed by the incident. Pentagon officials said U.S. forces were providing security for a meeting related to counter-ISIS operations, attended by U.S. commanders and Syrian Interior Ministry officials, with both sides jointly responsible for security.

According to officials, during the meeting a gunman suddenly opened fire with a machine gun from a window. U.S. and Syrian forces returned fire and killed the attacker, but the assault left three Americans dead and three wounded, and injured three members of the Syrian security forces. Reuters reported that the shooter was a member of the Syrian security forces who was about to be dismissed due to extremist views. Pentagon officials said the attack occurred in an area not fully under the control of the Syrian government, and ISIS has not claimed responsibility.

Russia–Ukraine peace talks have recently reached an impasse. Ukrainian officials said that Kyiv has submitted an updated proposal to Washington outlining steps to end Russia’s invasion. According to the proposal, the United States hopes Ukrainian forces would withdraw from parts of Donetsk Oblast, where a demilitarized “free economic zone” would be established as a buffer between the two armies, while Russian forces would not be required to pull back.

Ukrainian officials reiterated today that these ideas remain under discussion and have not been finalized. Russia, meanwhile, said that even if its troops were to withdraw, other law-enforcement forces would be deployed to maintain order in the area.

France’s Le Monde reported that Ukraine has accepted the relevant arrangements in the draft and that the plan has received backing from European leaders. However, Ukrainian media quoted presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak as denying this claim. Podolyak said that any buffer zone or demilitarized area must be discussed within a broader security-guarantee framework.

Russia has maintained a hardline stance. Russian foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov told media that Russian forces would also withdraw from Donbas, but would be replaced by other Russian personnel, reiterating Moscow’s position that Donbas will ultimately belong to Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that territorial issues and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remain the two main unresolved elements in Ukraine’s peace proposal. Earlier on the 12th, a German government spokesperson said Zelenskyy will travel to Berlin on the 15th to meet with several European leaders, as well as senior officials from the European Union and NATO, with a focus on progress in Russia–Ukraine peace negotiations.

Brazil’s lower house of Congress passed a bill early on the 10th that could significantly reduce the prison sentence of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup. Attempts by some lawmakers to disrupt the agenda ahead of the vote triggered turmoil inside Congress.

Bolsonaro has been serving a 27-year-and-three-month sentence since November for allegedly orchestrating efforts to overturn the results of the 2022 election and block current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office. For months, Bolsonaro’s supporters have floated various proposals to ease his punishment, including an amnesty plan that previously collapsed amid nationwide protests.

Lawmakers have continued debating legislation that would substantially cut sentences for several offenses, including attempted coup d’état. If approved and applied, the changes could reduce the 70-year-old Bolsonaro’s remaining prison term to just over two years. Any final reduction, however, would still require the judiciary to resentence him under the new provisions approved by Congress.

The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced the 2025 “Kanji of the Year” on the 12th at Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto. The character “Bear” (熊) won first place with 23,346 votes. The annual event selects a single kanji through a nationwide public vote to symbolize the social mood or most representative events of the year in Japan, making it highly symbolic.

This year, Japan has faced an especially severe problem of bear-related incidents due to climate change and poor fruit harvests in mountainous areas. Bears have frequently wandered into urban districts, intensifying human–bear conflicts, which have so far resulted in more than ten deaths. The bear problem has become a nationwide social issue in Japan. Along with major events such as the return of giant pandas to China, it formed important background for the selection of “Bear” as the 2025 Kanji of the Year.

The second-ranked kanji was “Rice” (米), which received 23,166 votes. Rising rice prices became a major livelihood issue this year. Factors such as abnormal weather, panic buying, and a surge in tourists significantly increased demand for rice. At the same time, the weakening yen affected everyday life, placing heavy pressure on households, the restaurant industry, and food manufacturers.

Third place went to the character “High” (高), reflecting a wide range of developments, including soaring prices, stock prices reaching record highs, record-high temperatures, a rising aging population, and Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, among other “high”-related phenomena.

After Thailand and Cambodia experienced a border military clash in July, the two sides—already under pressure from Trump’s tariff threats—had successfully reached a ceasefire agreement, and formally signed the *Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord* on October 26 in Kuala Lumpur. Unexpectedly, the situation escalated again on the 7th after Cambodian troops opened fire on a Thai engineering team that was repairing a road along the disputed border, injuring two Thai soldiers. The clashes have already forced more than 500,000 civilians to flee their homes, about 400,000 of whom are Thai.

Beginning on the 8th, the Thai military launched attacks using F-16s and drones on the town of Samraong, about 20 kilometers from the border. The Thai military accused Cambodian forces of firing rockets that landed near Phanom Dong Rak Hospital in Surin Province, while Cambodia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that at dawn on the 11th, the Thai military shelled the area around Khnar Temple in Oddar Meanchey Province. The Thai military also announced that a curfew from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. would be imposed starting on the night of the 10th in parts of Sa Kaeo Province.

In addition, the fighting has endangered valuable local cultural heritage. UNESCO has expressed particular concern over hostilities near the Preah Vihear Temple—a World Heritage Site—and has provided both sides with the coordinates of relevant cultural monuments to help prevent irreversible loss to humanity.

In an interview, Trump said he planned to speak with leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia to urge an immediate ceasefire. The Pope has also called for an immediate halt to fighting and a resumption of dialogue. In an interview with Reuters on the 9th, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated that tariff threats should not be used as leverage to pressure Thailand and Cambodia into negotiations or to end border clashes. He added that the current situation is not suitable for third-party mediation, emphasizing that the cessation of conflict depends on whether Phnom Penh is willing to take the first step to halt its actions and ease tensions.

A powerful magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Aomori Prefecture late on the night of the 8th, with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 and a shallow depth, affecting Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate, and surrounding regions.

So far, at least 50 people have been reported injured—mostly minor injuries—and no fatalities have been confirmed. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the quake, and a wave of up to 70 centimeters was observed at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture. All tsunami warnings have since been lifted. Sporadic fires, road collapses, and brief power outages were reported, and Shinkansen services were temporarily suspended.

Japan Meteorological Agency issued, for the first time, a “Major Aftershock Advisory” for earthquakes off Hokkaido and Sanriku, warning that there is a high likelihood of a magnitude 6 or stronger quake—and even the possibility of a magnitude 8 event—within the next week.

Disaster-preparedness measures have been fully activated across the Tohoku region, including the opening of autonomous evacuation shelters staffed around the clock. Residents are being urged to remain on high alert and be ready to evacuate at any time.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called on residents in affected areas to maintain maximum vigilance. She emphasized that the government has established an emergency response team and will prioritize the safety of the public above all else. Takaichi stressed: “Please stay tuned to information from your local authorities. If you feel any shaking, take immediate action to evacuate.”

A ceasefire agreement that had been in effect for less than two months has collapsed as Thailand and Cambodia once again clash along their shared border. Thailand deployed F-16 fighter jets to strike Cambodian military bases, leaving four Cambodian civilians and one Thai soldier dead, with several others injured. The Thai government has ordered the urgent evacuation of roughly 400,000 residents in border areas, while more than 600 schools and multiple hospitals have been temporarily closed. The escalation threatens the ceasefire deal brokered in October by U.S. President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The confrontation began on the afternoon of the 7th. Thailand accused Cambodian forces of firing first on Thai soldiers repairing a road inside Thai territory, prompting return fire. Early the next morning, Cambodian troops again opened fire on several locations in Ubon Ratchathani Province, killing one Thai soldier and injuring four. Cambodia, however, countered that Thai forces had launched pre-dawn attacks on positions in Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey Provinces. Thailand later dispatched F-16 jets to conduct precision strikes on Cambodian targets, insisting the attacks were limited to military facilities and aimed at “crippling Cambodia’s military capability” to ensure Thailand’s long-term security.

The fighting has triggered panic across border communities, with residents fleeing en masse. Streets have emptied as civilians seek refuge in warehouses, tunnels, and makeshift bomb shelters. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar urged both sides to halt fire immediately and resolve their disputes through diplomacy, but Thai Prime Minister Anutin reiterated that Thailand would not tolerate violations of its sovereignty and rejected calls for restraint. The century-old border dispute, now flaring again just weeks after the ceasefire took effect, has cast a dark shadow over regional peace.