Morning coverage focused on Trump's appointment of Scott Bessent as potential Treasury Secretary, continuing the previous day's economic policy focus. The UN Women's Discrimination Committee issued its fourth recommendation for Japan to allow separate surnames for married couples, generating substantial media discussion about the government's continued resistance.
By midday, coverage shifted to the abduction issue as families held a major gathering, criticizing the government's approach to negotiations with North Korea. This coincided with Putin's announcement of hypersonic missile mass production, affecting regional security discussions.
The afternoon saw China agreeing to remove a buoy from Japan's EEZ near the Senkakus, while wealthy nations proposed increasing climate funding to $300 billion at COP29. Local coverage examined the Finance Ministry facing unprecedented social media criticism following recent elections, with response volumes increasing fifteenfold since the House vote.