New Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday that he received a “strong” message from President Joe Biden about the US commitment to defending the disputed East China Sea islets known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan. In phone talks on Tuesday morning that lasted roughly 20 minutes, the …
Read More »Space mission to Mercury gets first glimpse of the planet
Joint European-Japanese mission to Mercury gets its first glimpse of the planet A joint European-Japanese spacecraft got its first glimpse of Mercury as it swung by the solar system’s innermost planet while on a mission to deliver two probes into orbit in 2025. The BepiColombo mission made the first of …
Read More »Japan’s next leader sets sights on wage hikes to fuel growth
Fumio Kishida, the man soon to become Japan’s prime minister, says he believes raising incomes is the only way to get the world’s third-largest economy growing again. Kishida says he wants to promote a “new capitalism” that would be more equitable, with fairer distribution of national wealth — the only …
Read More »Japan picks ex-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida for PM
Japan’s former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is set to become the country’s next prime minister, after winning leadership of the long-ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Kishida, 64, overcame popular reformer Taro Kono on Wednesday, in a runoff after moving ahead of two female candidates Sanae Takaichi and Seiko Noda in …
Read More »Contaminants found in Pfizer vaccine in Japan
The local administrations in two locations near Tokyo and one in Osaka Prefecture said Tuesday that foreign substance were discovered in five unused vials of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine. The vials containing the white floating matter belong to the same lot, FF5357, according to the cities of Sagamihara and Kamakura, …
Read More »Japan, US, South Korea urge North Korea to return to arms talks
Senior diplomats from Japan, the United States, and South Korea urged North Korea on Tuesday to return to talks over its missile and nuclear development, a day after it announced it successfully tested new long-range cruise missiles, indicating an advancement of its military capabilities. The three-way meeting in Tokyo was …
Read More »Biden to host leaders of Australia, Japan, India Sept. 24 – White House
US President Joe Biden will host a first in-person summit of leaders of the “Quad” countries – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – which have been seeking to enhance cooperation to push back against alleged China’s growing assertiveness. The summit will be held at the White House on …
Read More »Japan, Vietnam sign defense transfer deal amid China worries
Japan can now give defense equipment and technology to Vietnam under an agreement signed Saturday, as the two countries step up their military cooperation amid worries about China’s growing military influence. Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said the deal elevates their defense partnership “to a new level” and that Japan …
Read More »Japan to extend COVID state of emergency in Tokyo area until last week of September
The Japanese government plans to extend a state of emergency in and around Tokyo until the last week of September in a further bid to contain the coronavirus epidemic, the Mainichi newspaper reported on Saturday. Japan last month expanded emergency curbs to cover about 80 percent of its population until …
Read More »Japan PM Yoshihide Suga to step down after a year in top job amid anger over COVID response
Japan’s prime minister Yoshihide Suga has announced he will not run for the leadership of his governing party later this month – paving the way for a new premier after just a year in office marred by an unpopular COVID-19 response. Mr. Suga was appointed to the role in September …
Read More »Japan to relocate its Kabul embassy to Qatar: Top Japanese diplomat
Japan’s top diplomat says his country has temporarily moved its embassy from Afghanistan to Turkey but now plans to relocate it to Qatar, where the Taliban have an office Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi earlier this month had visited the Middle East. “I believe various forms of communication will take …
Read More »Japan suspends Moderna Covid vaccine after another million doses found contaminated, bringing total to 2.6 million
Japanese officials have suspended the use of millions of doses of the Moderna Covid vaccine after foreign substances were found in a number of batches and two people died after receiving jabs from the affected lots. The Japanese government discovered the contamination over the weekend in a batch of the …
Read More »Japan eyes mixed use of COVID-19 shots to speed vaccine rollout
Japan is looking into the possibility of mixing shots of AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine with those developed by other drugmakers in a bid to speed up its vaccine rollout, the minister in charge of vaccinations said on Sunday. Japan, which has previously relied on the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE and Moderna …
Read More »Japan’s ruling party sets date for leadership vote, incumbent PM likely to face strong challenge
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will hold a vote to choose its leader on September 29, with incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga expected to face strong opposition. The LDP approved the date on Thursday morning, with a general meeting expected to approve the decision later in the day. Suga, …
Read More »‘Quad’ countries kick off joint naval exercises in Pacific Ocean
India, the United States, Australia, and Japan, which form a security grouping commonly known as the Quad, have kicked off the 25th edition of joint naval drills off the coast of the Pacific island of Guam. According to Press TV, the navies of the four countries will hold the latest …
Read More »Japan suspends 1.6 mln doses of Moderna shot days after contamination reports
Japan suspended the use of 1.63 million doses of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, more than a week after the domestic distributor received reports of contaminants in some vials. Both Japan and Moderna said that no safety or efficacy issues had been identified and that the suspension was just …
Read More »Fukushima nuclear plant to construct UNDERSEA tunnel to release a million tons of treated water
The operators of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant have announced plans to build an undersea tunnel to facilitate the release of more than one million tons of treated water from the site into the surrounding ocean. The 1km-long and the eight-feet-wide tunnel will run east from the water container tanks …
Read More »Maki Kaji, ‘Godfather of Sudoku’, dies at 69
Sudoku number puzzles are hugely popular around the world with millions challenging themselves every day. Maki Kaji, a puzzle enthusiast and publisher who was known as the “Godfather of Sudoku” – the number puzzle played daily by millions around the world – has died at the age of 69, his …
Read More »Fire at Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Japan
Chubu Electric Power Co Inc said fire alarms were triggered and a worker saw smoke early on Tuesday in the turbine building of the suspended No. 5 unit at its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan. There were no injuries and no radiation leak, the company said. The local …
Read More »Tokyo Paralympics to be held without spectators, Tokyo governor says
The four parties concerned with running the Tokyo Paralympics agreed on Monday that the Games will be held generally without spectators, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters. Koike also said that municipalities and schools will still be able to have schoolchildren attend events as long as proper COVID-19 safety measures …
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