Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on December 3rd, 2023. In breaking news, a strong earthquake near the Philippines has triggered a tsunami warning along the Pacific coast of Japan. Late on the night of December 2nd, a powerful earthquake originating near the Philippines caused a tsunami measuring 40 centimeters to be observed in Hachijojima, part of the Izu Islands. The tsunami also reached the Pacific coast from Kyushu to Kanto and the Amami region. The Japan Meteorological Agency has lifted the tsunami warning for Miyakojima and Yaeyama, but a warning remains in effect for the Amami Islands, Tokara Islands, Izu Islands, and the Pacific coast from Kyushu to Chiba. Residents in these areas are advised to stay away from the coast and river mouths. Moving on to another news story, an Osprey aircraft belonging to the U.S. military crashed off the coast of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture. The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that the deceased crew member is a 24-year-old serviceman stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. In Tokyo, a convenience store in Shibuya was targeted by a robber on the night of December 2nd. The suspect entered the store and threatened the clerk with a knife-like object before stealing 30,000 yen in cash. Fortunately, the clerk was unharmed. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident as a robbery. Shifting gears, a study conducted by a group of researchers at Kyoto University suggests that the COVID-19 vaccine may have significantly reduced the number of infections and deaths. The study analyzed the first 10 months of vaccine administration and found a substantial decrease in cases and fatalities. Finally, let’s discuss the tsunami situation along the Pacific coast. Following the earthquake near the Philippines, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning from Miyakojima and Yaeyama to Chiba. At 3:12 am on December 3rd, a tsunami measuring 20 centimeters was observed in Amami Oshima and Kokonoe in Kagoshima Prefecture, leading to a tsunami warning for the Tokara Islands. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story. That wraps up today’s news from Japan Daily News. Thank you for listening. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be sunny with a maximum temperature of 13°C and a minimum temperature of 8°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.