June 28, Wednesday, 2023

1. Japan’s COVID-19 cases are rising again, especially in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, as people enjoy normal summer activities for the first time in three years. Some doctors fear another wave is imminent, after the government downgraded the coronavirus to the same category as seasonal flue in May. Okinawa had 157 coronavirus patients admitted to hospitals in the week through Sunday, about 1.3 times more than in the previous week.
2. The North Korean Institute has criticized the Japanese government for hosting a UN symposium on Norea’s abduction of Japanese and other foreign nationals. According to the institute, the abduction issue has been completely, finally and irreversibly settled thanks to North Korea’s sincere efforts. 3. The founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has kept people guessing as to his whereabouts since he led a march on Moscow on Saturday. He called off the uprising and agreed to go into exile. Now, he has ended days of speculation by showing up in Belarus.