Overview
- President Vladimir Putin awarded medals to teams behind Russia’s nuclear‑powered Burevestnik cruise missile and Poseidon torpedo, reinforcing Moscow’s promotion of advanced strategic systems.
- North Korea’s vice foreign minister for U.S. affairs, Kim Un‑chol, condemned newly announced unilateral U.S. sanctions, calling them proof Washington treats Pyongyang as an enemy.
- Pugwash’s world conference in Hiroshima closed with a declaration cautioning that prospects for nuclear abolition are receding and that advocacy has struggled to sway policy.
- One year after a ceiling smoke panel fell at Sapporo’s subway Sapporo Station, the city replaced glass panels with shatter‑resistant resin, set stronger inspection standards, and planned similar work at North 24‑jo Station in fiscal 2026.
- A privately founded home hospice opened in Sapporo’s Toyohira Ward to provide 24‑hour nursing and caregiving in a house‑like setting, the first such facility reported in Hokkaido; separately, international sports bodies are moving to restrict one‑on‑one coaching of minors to curb abuse, with U.S. SafeSport policies cited.