1. At least 12 people, including a young child, have been confirmed dead in a UPS cargo plane crash that happened in the US state of Kentucky. One of its engines reportedly fell off during takeoff. The McDonnel Douglas MD-11, carrying a crew of three, crashed immediately after taking off from an international airport in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday.
2. Japan has raised the fishing quota for flying squid for the second time this season. But a ban on catches by small vessels remains in place, leading to growing frustration among some fishers. A government panel on Wednesday approved a plan to expand the quota by 6 percent to 27,600 tons. It is the first time the quota has been hiked twice in the middle of the fishing season.
3. Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has expressed readiness to continue implementing support for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. The pledge came during her first phone talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday since assuming the prime ministerial post last month. Takaichi stressed that Japan’s stance that it stands with Ukraine remains unchanged.