More than a year after the attack of Oct. 7, the Israeli military is still operating in the Gaza Strip. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel again this week, urging the Israeli government to find a way to end the war and bring the remaining hostages home. But it’s not clear at this point what Israel’s leaders are hoping to achieve. Also, Mexico’s new president wants to address the problem of childhood obesity. She’s going after junk food. And, the birth rate in Japan has fallen dramatically. The government is deeply concerned about what that means for the country’s future, and its economy. But the government’s incentives to Japanese families, aimed at encouraging them to have kids, don’t seem to be working.

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