Overview
- Government advisory forums are weighing changes to the Labor Standards Act, including limits on hours and consecutive workdays, with concerns raised by bereaved families and labor‑safety advocates.
- The Bank of Japan increased its policy rate to about 0.75% in December, the highest since 1995, sharpening focus on sustaining wage growth against persistent inflation.
- Hokkaido recorded 129 traffic fatalities in 2025, up 25 from the prior year for the first annual increase in two years, as a cold snap drove temperatures to −24.7°C in Rikubetsu and set seasonal lows at 42 observation points.
- Venezuela announced the release of 88 people detained after the July 2024 presidential election, following a similar announcement at Christmas.
- Gabon’s government suspended the national football team after a first‑round exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, Reuters reported.