Tokyo, 29 October, /AJMEDIA/
Russian ambassador to Japan to leave post, possibly in late Nov.
TOKYO – Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin is expected to leave his post, possibly late next month, and it is not yet known who will succeed him, a Russian government source said Friday.
His departure comes amid strained bilateral ties over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that began in February, which has sparked condemnation and triggered international sanctions against Moscow.
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Pelosi’s husband attacked in home invasion targeting House speaker
WASHINGTON – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband suffered injuries Friday in an assault by a man who broke into the couple’s San Francisco residence, raising fears of political violence ahead of the midterm elections.
The 42-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene, with his motive yet to be determined, police said. He demanded to see the speaker as he attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, with U.S. media reporting that he shouted, “Where is Nancy?”
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Japan automakers boost exports in Sept. as yen hits 24-yr low
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp., Mazda Motor Corp., and Subaru Corp. doubled vehicle exports in September from a year earlier as the negative impact from a global parts shortage eased and the yen fell to a 24-year low against the dollar, industry data showed Friday.
Honda Motor Co., Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., meanwhile, logged nearly 50 percent increases in shipments from Japan.
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China says won’t take part in Japan naval fleet review in Nov.
TOKYO – China informed Japan on Friday that it will not participate in Japan’s international fleet review slated for Nov. 6 near Tokyo, according to the Defense Ministry.
While China will not attend the event in Sagami Bay off Kanagawa Prefecture, it has expressed an intention to send a delegation to a two-day Western Pacific Naval Symposium to be held in Yokohama from Nov. 7, the ministry said.
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Japan, U.S. train Philippine Coast Guard using Japan-made patrol ship
MANILA – Japanese and U.S. coast guards have begun training their Philippine counterparts using a large patrol vessel supplied by Japan, part of efforts to boost Manila’s maritime capabilities in the contested South China Sea.
The joint training for the Philippine Coast Guard, which began earlier this week and to which journalists were invited to observe Friday, is only the second following a similar exercise in June. Japan had previously provided training to its Philippine counterpart on its own, but signed a cooperation agreement with the United States in May.
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Musk completes Twitter takeover after months of disputes
NEW YORK – U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk has completed the procedures to acquire Twitter Inc. for $44 billion through twists and turns since the deal was first agreed in April, including legal battles and his one-time withdrawal.
The finalization of the acquisition, dated Thursday, was confirmed in a document by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Japan to spend 29.1 tril. yen on economic package amid inflation
TOKYO – Japan will spend 29.1 trillion yen ($199 billion) under an economic package unveiled Friday, featuring steps to alleviate the pain of accelerating inflation and lift the economy out of the doldrums amid COVID-19, Russia’s war against Ukraine and a weaker yen.
Faced with faltering public support, the government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is reducing household utility bills as a major pillar of the package. It estimates the average household will save 5,000 yen a month from January to September.
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FEATURE: Man with ADHD disorder finds career path through art
KOCHI, Japan – Shoichi Nakajima, 28, who lives with the developmental disorder ADHD, always knew he was different. But while his unique way of looking at things once led him to drop out of school, it also found expression in a talent for design that has now brought him commercial success.
Nakajima runs a small company making fashion accessories that he founded in his home prefecture of Kochi in western Japan. The firm takes its name from the prefecture, and since the name sounds the same as the way the U.S. fashion brand Coach is pronounced in Japanese, he has played with references to Coach items in his signature product, a wallet.
