Tokyo, 21 April, /AJMEDIA
G-20 finance chiefs show deep rift over Russia’s war
WASHINGTON – Finance chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies showed the deep rift among members over Russia’s war in Ukraine during a meeting Wednesday, with multiple participants walking out as Russia spoke and the group ultimately foregoing a joint statement.
Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attended the gathering virtually and a senior Russian finance ministry official was at the meeting. But when the Russian of-ficials were to speak, delegations led by British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Canada’s representative left the room in protest of Moscow’s invasion, according to Sunak.
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Japan PM Kishida sends ritual offering to war-linked Yasukuni shrine
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday sent a ritual offering to Yasukuni, a Shinto shrine long at the heart of diplomatic frictions with China and South Korea which regard it as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, a source familiar with the matter said.
The “masakaki” offering on the occasion of the Tokyo shrine’s spring festival from Thursday comes as Kishida, seen as a liberal-leaning politician in the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is expected to refrain from paying a visit.
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IMF chief calls for G-20 cooperation amid tensions over Russia’s war
WASHINGTON – International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday called for cooperation in the Group of 20 major economies amid tensions among members over Russia’s war in Ukraine, while acknowledging it is a “difficult moment.”
Her remarks came as the United States and its allies step up efforts to isolate Russia from the global financial system through sanctions and other punitive measures, raising questions as to whether the G-20, of which Russia is a member, can continue to function as a forum for international economic policy coordination.
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Russia, China navy ships travel through waters in southwest Japan
TOKYO – Six Russian ships, including three navy warships, have passed through the Tsushima Strait in southwestern Japan as they traveled north from the East China Sea to the Sea of Japan, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry also confirmed that a Chinese navy reconnaissance vessel sailed from the East China Sea to the Pacific on Wednesday after traveling near Amami-Oshima Island in southwestern Japan.
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U.S., China defense chiefs speak for 1st time amid increasing rivalry
WASHINGTON – U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on Wednesday amid growing rivalry between the two countries, marking the first known communication between the two officials since Austin became Pentagon chief last year.
They discussed bilateral defense relations, regional security issues, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Defense Department said, without elaborating. The two sides likely remained apart on Ukraine and Taiwan issues.
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U.S. imposes sanctions on facilitators of Russian sanctions evasion
WASHINGTON – The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday imposed sanctions on dozens of entities and individuals allegedly involved in attempting to evade sanctions applied in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The move, which also included sanctioning a virtual currency mining company in a first for the Treasury Department, is part of a series of steps the United States is taking to pressure Moscow to end the war that has continued for nearly two months.
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Japan gov’t weighs cash handouts for low-income families’ children
TOKYO – Japan is considering a cash handout program of 50,000 yen ($390) per child for low-income households as part of the government’s economic package to cushion the impact from rising prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sources with knowledge of the plan said Wednesday.
The package would also include more subsidies for oil wholesalers to bring down retail gasoline prices, and financial assistance to struggling smaller firms and to livestock farmers hit by higher feed costs as the war in Ukraine has sent grain prices surging, the sources said.
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Nobel laureate Ramos-Horta wins East Timor presidency for 2nd term
DILI – East Timor’s former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta won the country’s presidential election runoff, returning to office 10 years after his first term, preliminary results showed Wednesday.
Ramos-Horta, 72, backed by the opposition National Congress of the Reconstruction of East Timor party, defeated incumbent President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres, the leader of Fretilin party, by 62.09 percent of the vote to 37.91 percent, according to data from election authorities.
