A: Hey there, any news from back home? B: Not much, just that our Defense Secretary Pete talked about US defense priorities. A: Oh, really? What did he say? B: Well, he wants to focus on deterring China and getting allies to share more of the defense burden. A: Deterring China? What does that mean exactly? B: I think it means making sure China doesn't get too powerful in the Indo-Pacific region. He said a balance of power is needed for peace, but not confrontation. A: Makes sense. But isn't he trying to weaken China? B: No, he said they're not trying to strangle China's growth. They just want to make sure the US and its allies are strong enough to balance China's power. A: Got it. And how does he plan to get more help from allies? B: He urged them to take on a larger share of defense spending, especially since free riding won't be tolerated anymore. A: I see. And what about NATO's defense spending? B: He commended NATO for spending five percent of GDP on defense and said he hopes other allies in the Indo-Pacific will follow suit in a few years using NATO's formula. A: Sounds like a tough job, but someone has to do it!

1. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emphasized four main priorities: defending the US and western hemisphere, deterring China without confrontation, increasing defense burden sharing among allies, and strengthening the US defense industrial base. 2. Hegseth called for a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure peace, stating that the US is not aiming to hinder China's growth but to counterbalance its growing power. 3. The Defense Secretary urged US allies to contribute more to defense spending, commending NATO's 5% GDP commitment and expressing optimism that other Indo-Pacific allies will follow this model in the coming years.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has outlined US defense priorities that focus on deterring China and increasing defense burdens of US allies and partners. Hegseth was delivering a speech at a forum in California on Saturday. He listed four high priority areas: defending the US homeland and the western hemisphere; deterring China through strength, not confrontation; increased burden sharing for US allies and partners; and super-charging the US defense industrial base. Referring to deterring China, Hegseth said a balance of power will enable all countries to enjoy a "decent peace" in the Indo-Pacific region. He also said the United States is not trying to "strangle China's growth." He said the United States along with its allies should be postured strongly enough in the Indo-Pacific region to balance China's growing power. He added the US and its allies should be so strong that aggression is not even considered and that peace is preferred and preserved. Hegseth urged US allies to take on a larger share of defense spending, saying that the United States will no longer tolerate "free riding." He commended NATO's commitment to spend five percent of GDP on defense. He said the United States is optimistic that other Indo-Pacific allies will follow suit in a few years through the use of the NATO formula. Quiz 1: What was one of the four high priority areas outlined by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his speech? A. Strengthening the US economy B. Increasing defense burdens of US allies and partners C. Exploring new galaxies for colonization D. Reducing the global carbon footprint Quiz 2: According to Hegseth, what is the aim in deterring China? A. To strangle China's growth B. To confront China forcefully C. To maintain a balance of power for a 'decent peace' in the Indo-Pacific region D. To provoke conflict with China Quiz 3: What did Hegseth encourage US allies to do regarding defense spending? A. Increase defense spending to match the United States B. Decrease defense spending to reduce burden sharing C. Maintain current defense spending levels D. He did not urge any action about defense spending

A: Hey there! Heard anything interesting lately? B: Nah, just the usual stuff. What's up? A: You know about that tragic fire in Hong Kong last month, right? Well, guess what's happening now? B: Uh, they're removing the condolence message board there? Is that right? A: Yep! They're taking it down on Sunday. Remember where it was? Park near the high-rise complex, right? It's been a place for people to express their sympathy after the fire. B: Oh wow, I can't believe it. So many messages demanding justice and criticizing the government response... A: Yeah, exactly! The volunteers running the location decided they had to remove it by Sunday. They wanted to avoid any content that might upset the authorities. B: That makes sense. Too bad some people are sad about it being taken down, ten days after the fire. A: Totally understandable. One woman in her 20s said the messages were a way for many Hong Kong people to show their support and help those affected by the disaster heal. B: Makes me feel a bit emotional just thinking about it... I hope they find peace soon.

1. The condolence message board near the site of the deadly Hong Kong fire will be removed on Sunday. 2. The board, which was set up in a park near the high-rise complex where 159 people died, has been a place for visitors to leave messages demanding punishment for those responsible and expressing criticism of the government's response. 3. People visited the park on Sunday to pay their respects, with some expressing regret over the removal of the board as it serves as a symbol of support from Hong Kong people, helping those affected by the disaster recover.

A message board near the site of last month's deadly fire in Hong Kong is set to be removed on Sunday. The board where visitors can leave condolence messages was set up in a park near the high-rise complex where 159 people died. Many others remain unaccounted for. Volunteers who manage the location decided to remove the board by the end of Sunday. Some of the messages demanded severe punishment for those responsible for the fire and criticized the Hong Kong government's response. The volunteers had urged people not to post content that the authorities might deem extreme or hateful. People visited the park on Sunday to pay their respects. Some expressed regret that the board would be removed over ten days after the fire. A woman in her 20s said the messages convey the support of many Hong Kong people, and help those affected by the disaster to recover. Quiz 1: Where was a message board set up for condolences regarding last month's deadly fire? A. Central Park, New York B. A park near the high-rise complex where the fire occurred in Hong Kong C. The high-rise complex where the fire occurred in Hong Kong D. Victoria Park, Hong Kong Quiz 2: What was the original purpose of the message board set up near the site of last month's deadly fire? A. To post content that authorities might deem extreme or hateful B. To provide updates on the number of people accounted for after the fire C. To allow visitors to leave condolence messages regarding the fire D. To demand severe punishment for those responsible for the fire and criticize the Hong Kong government's response Quiz 3: When was the message board set up near the site of last month's deadly fire scheduled to be removed? A. The day after it was set up B. Three days after it was set up C. Ten days after it was set up D. Two weeks after it was set up

A: Hey, Yuki-chan! Did you check out the news lately? B: Nope, not yet. What's up? A: Turns out China told their people not to visit Japan, and it looks like they haven't changed their minds yet. That means places like Osaka could be hit hard since they have a lot of Chinese tourists. B: Oh, really? I didn't know that! So, what's going on in Osaka now? A: Well, our friend Haruka went to the famous canal district, Dotonbori, and it seems that there are still a lot of tourists, but fewer Chinese ones compared to before. It used to be full of shady-looking folks and pushy salespeople, but now it's cleaner and has more Asian and European visitors. B: Interesting! What about the shops? Are they doing okay? A: Well, there are a lot of drugstores around because Japanese cosmetics are popular with Chinese tourists, but they're not selling as much now since there are fewer Chinese shoppers. There's also overcapacity in terms of stores, which could hurt their business in the long run. B: Wow, that sounds tough. What about the food places? Are people still going there? A: Yeah! Places like takoyaki and cheesecake shops are still packed with tourists from all over. It's just the shopping stores that seem to be affected more. Haruka felt like the consumerist touristy stores were getting less attention, though. B: That makes sense. So, it seems that Osaka is not empty, but there are definitely fewer Chinese tourists. Let's hope things get better soon!

1. Travel advisory from the Chinese government has significantly affected tourist numbers in Osaka, Japan's third-largest city. - The majority of foreign tourists in Dotonbori, a popular tourist area, are from Southeast Asia and other Asian countries, with Chinese tourists being a minority. - Many drugstores in the Namba neighborhood, which typically cater to Chinese tourists due to their low prices and high-quality products, are experiencing a drop in customers. This could potentially impact their long-term business sustainability.

We head to Osaka’s world-famous canal district and see who’s thriving and who’s struggling with the drop in travelers from China. In November, both the Chinese central government and the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo issued statements telling Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling to Japan, and they haven’t yet done anything that could be construed as taking those words back. Since China accounts for the largest single source of leisure tourists to Japan, this frosty mood could potentially have a major effect on some of Japan’s most famous travel destinations, and we’ve headed to Tokyo’s Asakusa and Shibuya neighborhoods, as well as Kyoto, Nara, and Yokohama, to see what the current situation is like. One place we hadn’t checked in on yet, though, is Osaka. As Japan’s third-largest city, and the biggest metropolis of the Kansai region, Osaka has also become a major magnet for inbound foreign travelers, especially since it’s just a short ride from Kyoto while offering a wider variety of hotel, shopping, and dining options than Japan’s former capital. Osaka’s biggest tourist draws are the Namba neighborhood and canal area of Dotonbori, so that’s where our Japanese-language reporter Haruka Takagi went on a recent morning, arriving at the Ebisubashi bridge at roughly 11 a.m. Even this early in the day, there were large crowds of tourists standing on the bridge to snap pictures of Osaka’s world-famous signage, including the running man on the sign of snack food maker Glico. There were as many foreign tourists as Japanese ones, and out of the overseas visitors those coming from other Asian countries were the largest demographic, followed by travelers from Europe and North America. However, out of the Asian sightseers the majority seemed to hail from southeast Asia, with those from east Asian countries, including China, the minority within the subset. Haruka also noticed that Dotonbori’s atmosphere, in her opinion, is greatly improved compared to how she remembers it from 10 years ago. She recalls walking through the area in her more youthful days and finding it full of shady-looking teens and twenty-somethings, plus pushy barkers for bars trying to convince you to come to their establishments by making dubious discount promises. Granted, on this visit it was still pretty early in the day for any significantly seedy shenanigans to be afoot, but still, Haruka prefers the touristy vibe the neighborhood seems to have acquired compared to how the place used to feel. However, a cleaned-up aura isn’t the only way Namba and Dotonbori have changed since becoming a travel hotspot, and Haruka was shocked by the number of drugstores in the neighborhood. ▼ You can spot drugstores in Japan by the kanji for medicine (薬) on their storefront signs. Pictured above is a branch of Daikoku Drug, but without even seeking them out, Haruka also stumbled across shops from the Matsuoto Kiyoshi, Koko Kara Fine, Sugiyakkyoku, Sun Drug, Tsuruha Drug, Kokumin Drug, and Cosmos chains. It seemed like she couldn’t walk more than 10 seconds before suddenly finding herself in front of another. Japanese cosmetics and skincare products are perennially among the most popular shopping items for Chinese tourists in Japan, due to their high quality, low prices, and tax-free status when purchased by foreign travelers in sufficient quantities, and it’s even become the norm for drugstores in heavily-touristed areas to employ Chinese-speaking staff to assist Chinese shoppers. That explains the rapid proliferation of drugstores around Namba, but as Haruka poked her head into them, one after another she found them to be almost completely devoid of customers. She visited close to a dozen stores, and in each one she could practically hear crickets chirping in the emptiness. On the other hand, there were a lot of employees standing around, some wearing “Chinese speaking” badges, without much to do. It was kind of nice for Haruka to be able to browse as easily and freely as she wanted, then not have to wait in any kind of line when she found some eyeliner she was looking for. She can’t help worrying, though, about what now seems to be a whole lot of overcapacity in terms of drugstores in the area, and how that’s going to affect their long-term ability to stay in business and continue employing their workers. One clerk, in a store that had zero customers in it at the time, told Haruka that they usually start getting more patrons in the evening, but when she came back for another look sometime after 3 p.m., there were maybe five shoppers in the store. Even when Haruka did see people making purchases, they were in quantities consistent with individual personal use, not the giant bundles she’s become accustomed to seeing Chinese tourists make at drugstores in Japan. Haruka came away with a similar impression when she made the rounds of some of the neighborhood’s stores that specialize in brand-name fashions and accessories, both new and used. These types of establishments have also been enjoying significant popularity with foreign tourists during Japan’s weak yen-triggered inbound travel boom, but none of the stores she checked out were crowded with customers or making rapid sales. Stopping to chat with the operator of one of the canal boat tours, for which almost all of the passengers were foreign tourists, the employee told Haruka that most of their customers are from Europe and southeast Asia, and confirmed that they’ve had a drop in Chinese bookings lately. And yet, Haruka can’t say the crowds were sparse, especially as it got to be later in the day. By 4 p.m., there were so many people on the Ebisubashi Bridge, including a European tour group, that she had to weave back and forth through them when making her way across. The Dotonbori shopping street was also full of travelers, and Haruka observed long lines for local street food favorites like takoyaki octopus dumplings… …Rikuro’s cheesecake… …and 551 Horai steamed pork buns. Adventurous foreign tourists were even exploring the neighborhood’s less famous side streets, seeking out new dining experiences in their smaller restaurants and pubs. In contrast, Haruka felt like the more overtly consumerist touristy stores were getting less attention, like the ones displaying hodgepodge collections of anime souvenirs or cheap suitcases. Overall, Namba and Dotonbori have by no means become ghost towns during the Chinese government’s travel advisory, and one of the first impressions you’re likely to have when arriving is “Wow, there sure are a lot of foreign tourists here.” However, from what tourists there are, Haruka can definitely detect decreased interest at stores that have long been the beneficiaries of wealthy Chinese tourists’ passion for shopping. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

1. Several startups, including Airtable, Handshake, and Opendoor, have announced they are "refounding" recently, indicating a significant change or shift in their business models or AI product launches. 2. Airtable's co-founder and CEO, Howie Liu, clarified that this is not a pivot but a "refounding moment," as it involves building upon the existing platform rather than changing direction due to past mistakes. 3. Handshake's chief marketing officer, Katherine Kelly, explained that their aim is to reintroduce startup culture into an established business. This could mean increased work hours and office presence requirements for employees.