Tokyo, 13 April, /AJMEDIA
16 injured in shooting on NYC subway, suspect on loose
NEW YORK – At least 16 people were injured in a shooting rampage in a New York City subway station Tuesday morning and a gunman described as wearing a gas mask and construction vest remains at large, according to local authorities.
A fire department official told media that 10 of the 16 people injured suffered gunshot wounds, with five in critical but stable condition following the mass shooting during morning rush hour in the city’s borough of Brooklyn.
———-
Chilean man gets 28 yrs in prison for killing Japanese ex-girlfriend
BESANCON, France – A Chilean man on Tuesday was sentenced to 28 years in prison for murdering his former girlfriend, a Japanese woman who came to Besancon, eastern France, as an exchange student in 2016 and went missing at age 21 later in the year.
The ruling by a local French court came a day after prosecutors demanded lifetime imprisonment, the maximum sentence, for Nicolas Zepeda Contreras, 31, claiming the murder of Narumi Kurosaki was premeditated.
———-
U.S. human rights report says China continues “genocide” of Uyghurs
WASHINGTON – The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that acts of “genocide” have continued against the Muslim Uyghur minority in China’s far-western Xinjiang region, revealing the findings in its latest annual human rights report.
While covering events that took place last year, the report also warned of the “creeping authoritarianism that threatens both human rights and democracy,” pointing to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as the most notable example at present.
———-
U.S. conducted subcritical nuclear tests in 1st under Biden gov’t
TOKYO – The United States conducted two rounds of subcritical nuclear tests last year, the first such tests under the administration of President Joe Biden, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
An NNSA spokesperson recently told Kyodo News the experiments were conducted on June 22 and Sept. 16, both in Nevada, adding data derived from the testing aims to ensure the reliability of nuclear stockpiles without returning to nuclear testing.
———-
Shionogi to not recommend use of oral COVID drug for pregnant women
TOKYO – Japanese pharmaceutical firm Shionogi & Co. is considering not recommending the use of its oral COVID-19 drug for pregnant women due to animal testing finding fetal abnormalities after it was administered, a source familiar with the matter told Kyodo News on Tuesday.
The Osaka-based drugmaker applied for approval of the drug with the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in February. But the finding may indicate a safety management system is needed to prevent pregnant women from taking the drug.
———-
Sri Lanka declares default on external debt, 1st time in history
NEW DELHI – Sri Lanka declared Tuesday that with critically low foreign exchange reserves, the crisis-hit country will default on its external public debt pending a bailout package from the International Monetary Fund.
It is the first time that the South Asian island nation has announced debt default since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.
———-
Japan, Italy defense chiefs condemn Russian aggression on Ukraine
TOKYO – The defense ministers of Japan and Italy on Tuesday condemned Russia’s aggression on Ukraine as a “violation of international law” and “totally unacceptable,” while agreeing to enhance their security ties.
Nobuo Kishi said after meeting with his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini that they vowed to oppose any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo by force, as well as any act that could intensify tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, apparently referring to China’s growing maritime assertiveness in the region.
———-
Japan top diplomat Hayashi plans Central Asia tour from late April
TOKYO – Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is planning to visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan starting in late April, Japanese government sources said Tuesday, in an apparent effort to counter growing Chinese clout in Central Asia.
Tokyo also plans to host a meeting of foreign ministers from five countries in the region, also involving Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, by the end of June to discuss measures to enhance their economic relations, the sources said.
