Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on May 18th, 2024. In a significant development, a revised civil law introducing ‘shared custody’ where both parents have custody of their children after divorce has been passed in the parliament. However, concerns remain regarding issues such as domestic violence and child abuse. Moving on to another news story, in the early hours of the 18th, two men were attacked with what appeared to be a knife in a building in Osaka’s Minami district. The victims were rushed to the hospital, while several young men fled the scene. The police are now investigating the incident as attempted murder. In other news, three members of the political group ‘Tsubasa no To’ were arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Offices Election Act for disrupting speeches by other candidates during a by-election in Tokyo’s 15th district. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have confirmed multiple cases where the interruptions caused other candidates to suspend or relocate their speeches. The investigation into the group’s activities during the election period is ongoing. Shifting our focus, a 26-year-old defendant from Chiba City, who was arrested and charged for illegally manufacturing a homemade firearm capable of causing fatal injuries, has stated during questioning that he intended to imitate the shooting incident targeting former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to sources, the defendant mentioned that he wanted to ‘recreate’ the incident and also confessed to test-firing the weapon in a park. The police are further investigating the motive behind his actions. In relation to a series of robbery incidents in remote mountain residences, two individuals who were arrested for using a victim’s card in Tochigi Prefecture were captured on surveillance cameras near the crime scene in Fukushima Prefecture. The police have also discovered similar footprints at the Fukushima location, leading them to suspect the involvement of the arrested individuals in the entire string of robbery cases. Meanwhile, the government is taking steps to implement ‘active cyber defense’ to proactively counter cyber attacks. A panel of experts will soon be established to discuss legal measures and facilitate the implementation process. Lastly, the revised civil law, which serves as the foundation for introducing ‘shared custody’ where both parents have custody of their children after divorce, has been approved and passed in the House of Councillors with a majority vote. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be sunny with a maximum temperature of 27°C and a minimum temperature of 19°C. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.