Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch is one of two judges who resigned days before the finals in Thailand.

Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch is one of two judges who resigned days before the finals in Thailand.

Local media say one person was killed in the fire in the city of Oita, on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

Russia launched more than 470 drones and 47 missiles in the "brazen attack", he wrote in a post on Telegram.

Osaka prosecutors have decided not to indict a 21-year-old man from Shizuoka Prefecture in a case where the body of a Russian woman was discovered in a multi-unit residence in Osaka City in July, concluding on October 18th that the evidence did not warrant pursuing charges. (News On Japan)

Childcare workers in Saitama, a prefecture popular among families for its convenient access to central Tokyo, are increasingly leaving for jobs in the capital due to a growing wage gap, creating deep concern in communities that border Tokyo. (News On Japan)

Osaka City’s proposal to halt new applications for so-called special-zone minpaku at the end of May next year has been approved by the government as noise, waste management issues, and other disturbances continue to draw complaints from local communities. (News On Japan)

Workers began cutting bamboo along the famous Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto on November 19th as the city moved to halt a surge in graffiti damage that has spread across the popular tourist path, where at least 350 stalks have already been defaced. (News On Japan)

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that the country’s main crop rice harvest for the 2025 season is expected to reach 7.468 million tons, marking an increase of 676,000 tons from the previous year and representing growth of roughly 10 percent. (News On Japan)

The Real Estate Companies Association of Japan has drafted a policy that would prohibit the resale of condominium units before they are handed over to buyers, an effort aimed at curbing speculative short-term flipping that has been cited as one factor behind the sharp rise in condominium prices. (News On Japan)

Core machinery orders — a leading indicator of private-sector capital investment — rose in September, with the Cabinet Office reporting that orders excluding ships and electric utilities climbed 4.2 percent from the previous month to roughly 920 billion yen. It marked the first increase in three months. (News On Japan)

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has decided to introduce routine vaccination for pregnant women as early as April 2026 to protect newborns from the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which can lead to severe symptoms in infants. (News On Japan)

China’s Communist Party–affiliated Global Times reported on its front page this morning that it had “demanded a clear explanation from the Japanese side” regarding the discussions held on the previous day, underscoring Beijing’s position that Tokyo must address the issue directly. (News On Japan)

A large-scale fire in Oita City’s Saganoseki district entered its third day on November 20th, and although authorities declared the blaze “brought under control” late in the morning, firefighters continued battling smoldering hotspots across the affected area as a full extinguishment remained out of reach. (News On Japan)

The US-based Trinidadian rapper addressed the UN in New York alongside Trump administration officials, making claims that lack evidence.

The US-based Trinidadian rapper addressed the UN in New York alongside Trump administration officials, making claims that lack evidence.

Thousands of women have been raped in Ethiopia’s Amhara conflict, BBC Global Women finds.

Thousands of women have been raped in Ethiopia’s Amhara conflict, BBC Global Women finds.

A light aircraft carrying three people that departed from Saga Airport on the morning of November 19th was found crashed in the mountains of Hoshino Village in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture, where emergency crews recovered three bodies whose identities and genders have yet to be confirmed. (News On Japan)

Okinawa Hotel in Naha received a commemorative bronze plaque from the Agency for Cultural Affairs after being designated as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property by the national government. (News On Japan)