Our daily journey around the world

🇪🇸 Beatriz Flamini, a Spanish extreme athlete, emerged after 500 days in isolation inside an underground cave. Flamini, who was 48 when she entered the cave, was monitored over the course of her stay by a team of scientists studying the impact of extreme isolation on people's circadian rhythms and perception of time. Flamini said she lost track of time after about two months, and sometimes experienced auditory hallucinations, but called the overall experience “really amazing.” She entertained herself by reading, drawing, exercising, and knitting hats.

🇯🇵🎰 The Japanese government approved a plan to build the country’s first-ever casino. A group that includes MGM Resorts International was given the green light on Friday to start constructing an $8.2 billion casino, which will be located on a man-made island in Osaka Bay and set to open in late 2029. The city of Osaka projects the new casino will bring in 20 million visitors (6 million from outside Japan) and $4 billion in revenue each year. But not all Osaka residents are happy about the plan: public polling earlier this month showed 43% of local citizens oppose the casino, with 37% in favor.

🇩🇪 Germany switched off its last three nuclear power plants. The shutdowns, which took place on Saturday but were agreed to over a decade ago, are part of the country’s planned transition to renewable energy – though officials acknowledged that the government will have to rely on more fossil fuels in the short term. German critics argue that nuclear plants are major safety hazards to local communities, due to the potential for accidents and the issue of waste disposal. Other countries like the US, Japan, China, France, and Britain have committed to relying on nuclear energy in the future, portraying it as a clean and reliable alternative to fossil fuels.