April 15, Monday, 2024

1. Media reports say Israel is considering a counterstrike against Iran, which carried out a massive drone and missile attack on Israel. Tension over the Gaza Strip is also growing as Israel may reportedly go ahead with a ground offensive in the southern city of Rafah. 2. Russian forces are spreading surface land mines by the thousands in Ukraine’s east. The plastic weapon’s petal shape allows them to be scattered from the air quickly across wide areas. Ukraine’s military is stepping up vigilance against the palm-sized mines. The use of petal mines is worsening tension ahead of Russia’s May 9 World War II Victory Day celebrations. Russian President Vladimir Putin is known to consider the holiday important for military planning.
3. Tokyo investigative sources say a man suspected of stealing an expensive gold tea bowl has admitted taking it because the display case was not locked. Horie Masaru was arrested for allegedly stealing the bowl worth about 10 million yen, or about 65,000 dollars, from the Takashimaya department store in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi district last Thursday.