December 20, Monday, 2021 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline

1. A Japanese billionaire is back on earth after a 12-day journey to space. Maezawa Yusaku landed on a plain in Kazakhstan on Monday. Maezawa became the first private citizen from Japan to visit the International Space Station.
2. Chilean leftist lawmaker Gabriel Boric has won the country’s presidential runoff election, defeating rightist party leader Jose Antonio Kast. The runoff election was held on Sunday after no candidates secured a majority in November’s election for the successor of President Sebastian Penera.
3. NHK has learned that a 61-year-old man suspected of starting a deadly fire at a medical clinic in Osaka City, western Japan, bought gasoline in the city in late November. Police believe the suspect had made advance preparations for setting the fire. Police say Tanimoto Morio is suspected of carrying out an arson attack on Friday, at the clinic located on the fourth floor of an eight-story building. Twenty-four people were killed.