Society

Japan pledges $1 bn to back UN development goals

Jul 18 (digitaljournal.com) - Japan on Monday pledged $1 billion over the next two years to back the UN's development agenda, raising its profile as one of the world's largest foreign aid donors.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told a meeting at the United Nations that the funding will go to help children and youth worldwide, in particular to promote education, health, disaster response and gender equality.

The announcement provided a boost to the United Nations as it seeks to build support for its sustainable development goals (SDGs) that call for ending extreme poverty by 2030 among other objectives.

UN humanitarian aid agencies are facing a funding crisis as they struggle to cope with growing demands from world crises while the United States is threatening deep cuts to its financial support for the world body.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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