Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on December 19th, 2023. In our top stories today:

North Korea has launched an ICBM missile, potentially using a new solid fuel technology. The Japanese Ministry of Defense is analyzing the missile, which was launched on the 18th, including the possibility that it uses a new type of solid fuel that North Korea previously launched in April and July.

In preparation for next year’s spring wage negotiations, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has notified labor bureaus nationwide to engage in discussions on wage increases. The aim is to extend the momentum for wage increases to local areas and small and medium-sized enterprises by conducting discussions tailored to the regional situation.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has compiled a proposal to strengthen regulations that would allow the request for removal of dangerous products sold by online retailers. This comes as there has been an increase in accidents caused by the sale of products such as mobile batteries that do not meet national standards.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has also put together a new system proposal that would require child products, such as toys, to comply with safety standards. This is in response to the influx of child products, banned for sale overseas, into the domestic market through the proliferation of online shopping.

In a political funding party scandal involving factions within the Liberal Democratic Party, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s Special Investigation Department is planning to conduct forced searches on the factions led by Shinzo Abe and Toshihiro Nikai. There are suspicions that both factions systematically failed to report a portion of party income in their financial reports. The Special Investigation Department is expected to proceed with an investigation to uncover the truth.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has announced that it will begin the fourth release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in late February next year.

To prevent the misuse of over-the-counter drugs, which has become a serious problem among young people, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s study group has compiled a proposal for a sales system that prohibits the sale of multiple cold medicines and other pharmaceutical products to individuals under the age of 20, in order to prevent abuse. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be overcast with a high of 8°C and a low of 6°C. There is a 0% chance of rain and the UV index is 2. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.