日: 2025年10月8日

1. Japan posted a current account surplus for the seventh straight month in August. That’s largely due to a drop in prices for energy imports, such as crude oil and natural gas.
2. NHK has learned that a hacker group has claimed responsibility for the theft of data from Japanese beer and beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings. Asahi has been suffering a major system outage since September 29 due to a ransomware cyberattack. Its group companies in Japan became unable to process orders, ship their products or handle inquiries from customers.
3. Children on an island in Nagasaki Prefecture, southwestern Japan, have been going door to door collecting sweet potatoes and treats in a local custom to mark the mid-autumn harvest moon. The tradition has been passed down for many years in Tomiemachi in Goto City. Children visit homes chanting “Imowa-mandakana”, which means “Are the potatoes ready?”

1. Japanese scientist Sakaguchi Shimon has expressed hope that his winning of the Nobel Prize will lead to further progress in studies of the immune system. Sakaguchi and two American scientists were named winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday. They were honored for their groundbreaking achievements in immunology, including the discovery of regulatory T cells that prevent immune cells from attacking the body.
2. Students and staff at the University of Osaka have celebrated the awarding of the Nobel Prize to scientist Sakaguchi Shimon, who serves there as a specially appointed professor.
3. A study by a global organization shows that elementary and junior high school teachers in Japan work the longest hours in the world. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development released the results of its 2024 survey on Tuesday. The study showed that while elementary school teachers around the world worked an average of 40.4 hours a week, those in Japan stayed on the job for 52.1 hours. That was followed by New Zealand at 50.6 hours and Australia at 46.3 hours.

1. US President Donald Trump has pressed the Islamic group Hamas to accept the 20-point ceasefire plan he announced last week. Trump replied “Complete obliteration!” when asked by CNN via text message on Saturday what would happen if Hamas insists on staying in power in the Gaza Strip.
2. There is just one week to go until the World Expo in Osaka draws to a close. Organizers are bracing for a surge in last-minute traffic. They are also looking ahead to preserve the legacy of the 6-month event.
3. The Nobel Prize winners for 2025 are set to be announced this week. The prizes were created by dynamite inventor Afred Nobel. They are awarded to people who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind during the preceding year.