A US nuclear-powered carrier strike group has been deployed to the waters off the Korean peninsula for the first time since 2017 amid rapidly escalating tensions with North Korea over its missile tests. Reports quoted a US official as saying on Tuesday that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group …
Read More »Japan, Philippines seek pact to further defense cooperation
Japan and the Philippines agreed Saturday to start talks toward a possible defense agreement that would allow closer cooperation between their militaries amid regional tensions with China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and their Philippine counterparts, Teodoro Locsin and Delfin …
Read More »Tsunami threat recedes; volcanic ash hinders Tonga response
The massive ash cloud covering the island nation prevented surveillance flights from New Zealand from assessing the damage. The tsunami threat around the Pacific from a huge undersea volcanic eruption receded on Sunday, but a massive ash cloud covering the tiny island nation of Tonga prevented surveillance flights from New …
Read More »Japan holds drills in case ‘foreign forces’ invade disputed islands
The two-day military exercise involving Japan’s self-defense forces, coast guard, and police was conducted in late November on a remote uninhabited island. According to Kyodo news agency, citing unnamed Japanese government sources, the island was chosen specifically because its landscape closely resembles that of the disputed Senkaku Islands, which have …
Read More »Lickable TV prototype in development that could bring food flavors into your front room
An invention by a Japanese professor could take us one step closer to a multi-sensory viewing experience. A prototype of a lickable TV, dubbed Taste the TV (TTTV), with the ability to imitate food flavors are being developed. The TV works by combining sprays from a carousel of 10 flavor …
Read More »Al-Amiri in his meeting with Japan ambassador: Non-withdrawal of foreign forces will lead to instability in Iraq
The head of the Al-Fateh Alliance, Mr. Hadi Al-Amiri, warned during his meeting with the Japanese ambassador, today, Thursday, that foreign forces if not left at the end of this year, would lead to instability in Iraq. The media office of the head of the Al-Fateh Alliance said in a …
Read More »At least 27 killed in high-rise clinic fire in Japan’s Osaka
At least 27 people were feared dead after a fire swept through a psychiatry clinic in the Japanese city of Osaka on Friday, and police were investigating possible arson after reports a man had spilled liquid that fuelled the blaze. The fire broke out at the clinic on the fourth …
Read More »Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes southeast of Ryukyu Islands, Japan – EMSC
An earthquake of magnitude 6.6 struck southeast of Ryukyu Islands, Japan, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said on Wednesday. The quake was at a depth of 2 km (1.24 miles) and was about 312 km south of Naha, Japan, EMSC said.
Read More »Japan’s ruling bloc defies expectations, secures sole majority in parliament
Japan’s ruling conservative party has defied expectations and retained control of the country’s parliament in Sunday’s general elections, giving Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a thumping mandate to deliver on his promises to resurrect the pandemic-hit economy. Kishida’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) defied initial exit polls that suggested the party, attacked …
Read More »Man dressed as Joker terrorizes Tokyo train, injures 10 people
A 24-year-old man dressed in Batman’s Joker costume attacked passengers on a Tokyo train line on Sunday evening, injuring about 10 people as many party-goers headed into the city center for Halloween gatherings, media reported. Police arrested the suspected attacker on the spot, media reported. A man in his 60s …
Read More »US, Japan hold military drill in South China Sea
Exercise comes soon after China, Russia held joint patrols in contested waters last week Close on the heels of joint patrols by China and Russia in the region, the navies of the US and Japan are holding military exercises in contested waters of the South China Sea. The Japan Maritime …
Read More »Russian, Chinese warships hold first joint patrols in the Western part of Pacific
Russian and Chinese warships held their first joint patrols in the Western part of the Pacific ocean on October 17-23, Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Moscow and Beijing, which staged naval cooperation drills in the Sea of Japan earlier in October, have cultivated closer military and …
Read More »Japanese volcano spews plumes of ash, people warned away
A volcano erupted in Japan on Wednesday, blasting ash several miles into the sky and prompting officials to warn against the threat of lava flows and falling rocks, but there were no reports of injuries or casualties. Mount Aso, a tourist destination on the main southern island of Kyushu, sent …
Read More »Japan kicks off election campaign as support for the ruling LDP dips
Japan on Tuesday kicked off its first official day of campaigning ahead of the Oct. 31 general election, with a media poll showing support for the ruling party easing, in a blow for recently installed prime minister Fumio Kishida. Support for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was at 38.8 …
Read More »Chinese, Russian navy ships jointly sail through Japan strait
A group of 10 military vessels from China and Russia sailed through a narrow strait separating Japan’s main island and its northern island of Hokkaido on Monday, the Japanese defense ministry said on Tuesday. It was the first time Japan, which closely monitors military exercises in its region, has confirmed …
Read More »Japan PM Kishida says release of treated Fukushima wastewater can’t be delayed
Japan’s new prime minister on Sunday said the planned mass disposal of treated but still radioactive water stored at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant cannot be delayed, despite concerns from local residents. Speaking at his first visit to the facility since taking office, Fumio Kishida said his government would work …
Read More »Japan dissolves parliament, setting stage for general elections
Japan dissolved its parliament on Thursday, setting the stage for an election at the end of the month that will pit new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida against unpopular opposition in a battle over who can better fix the pandemic-battered economy. Kishida enjoys reasonable public support 11 days into the job, …
Read More »Japan’s ruling party presents campaign on platform of countering China, N Korea
Japan’s ruling conservative party has presented its campaign on a platform of increasing the country’s defense spending to counter alleged threats from China and North Korea. Announcing the pledge on Tuesday, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) also promised to “seek responsible actions” over alleged human rights issues related to Uyghurs, Tibet, ethnic …
Read More »Russia rejects Japan’s claim of sovereignty over disputed islands
The Kremlin has rejected a recent claim made by new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that Japan’s sovereignty extends to a chain of islands disputed with Moscow. “We disagree with such statements. This is the territory of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing on …
Read More »Magnitude 6.1 quake jolts Tokyo, causing blackouts but no tsunami warning
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 jolted Tokyo and surrounding areas late on Thursday, stopping train lines and causing sporadic power cuts, but there were no reports of major damage, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK said. The tremor, at 10:41 p.m. (1341 GMT), registered “strong-5” on Japan’s intensity …
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