1. A group of researchers in Japan says an experiment using mice has confirmed that a certain strain of gut bacteria improves the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Immunity- boosting cancer drugs are said to be sufficiently effective in less than half the subjects. The patients’ gut microbiome had been pointed out as a possible factor, but the mechanism remained unclear.
2. Torrential downpours are intermittently hitting the Tokai and Kanto-Koshin regions. Weather officials warn that bands of heavy rain clouds could develop in the Tokai region, and sharply raise the risk of rain-triggered disasters.
3. The average price of rice at supermarkets in Japan has fallen for a seventh straight week. Yet it remains higher than a year ago. Officials say consumers were buying more lower-priced grain from government stockpiles than before.