November 29, Wednesday, 2023

1. The release of captives by Israel and Hamas continued on Tuesday, as a pause in the fighting in the Gaza Strip between the two sides was extended for two more days until Wednesday. Attention is now focused on whether the two sides can agree to a further extension of the truce, as the United States and other parties are working to achieve this.
2. An Osprey transport aircraft belonging to the US military has reportedly crashed into waters off Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan. Japanese coast guard officials say they received information that the aircraft crashed off Yakushima Island at around 2:47 p.m. on Wednesday. They deployed patrol ships and aircraft to the site. The Osprey was reportedly carrying eight people, but no information is available about their safety. 3. A municipality in Miyagi Prefecture, northeast Japan, aims to become the first in the country to certify that its oyster farming helps make the planet cleaner, by contributing to what is known as the blue carbon ecosystem. The concept is attracting attention as the world strives to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Blue carbon refers to carbon dioxides which are trapped and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems, including seaweeds such as wakame and kombu kelp. The town of Minamisanriku, in a major oyster producing region, is seeking blue carbon status for the seaweeds attached to rafts used in oyster farming. The town has teamed up with Tohoku University for the project.