Tokyo, 27 April, /AJMEDIA/
Japan imperial couple to visit Britain as state guests in June
TOKYO – Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday, marking the first state visit by a sitting emperor since his father Akihito’s in 1998.
The trip, aimed at fostering goodwill and friendship, will be the second overseas one since their June 2023 official goodwill visit to Indonesia.
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Yen sinks to 158 range vs. dollar, new 34-yr low
NEW YORK – The embattled Japanese yen continued weakening to the 158 range against the U.S. dollar in New York on Friday, falling to a fresh 34-year low, after the Bank of Japan kept intact its current monetary easing policy.
The Japanese currency was hovering in the upper 155 range before the BOJ announced its policy decision. But continued yen-selling and dollar-buying sent the Japanese currency to below the 158 line in New York, briefly hitting 158.44, a level that has not been seen since May 1990.
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U.S. urges China to stop aiding Russia, agrees to keep exchanges
BEIJING – The United States expressed Friday its serious concern over China’s support for the Russian defense industry, claiming it enables Moscow to prosecute its war against Ukraine, while the two countries agreed to continue high-level exchanges to stabilize ties despite differences on many issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Beijing after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Beijing is a “top supplier” of components Russia uses to ramp up its defense industry base amid its invasion of Ukraine.
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Japan Airlines cancels flight as captain drunk at U.S. hotel
TOKYO – Japan Airlines Co. said Friday it recently canceled a flight from Dallas to Tokyo after the 49-year-old captain engaged in disruptive behavior while drunk at his hotel in the U.S. city and received a warning from local police.
The airline said it decided to cancel Flight 11 to Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Wednesday as it needed to check his physical and mental status, but could not find an alternate pilot for the 11:05 a.m. departure. JAL helped 157 passengers transfer to other flights.
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IAEA says Fukushima treated water discharge “progressing as planned”
TOKYO – An International Atomic Energy Agency task force confirmed that the discharge of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant is “progressing as planned,” as it wrapped up Friday its latest review on the process.
It was the second visit to Japan by an IAEA task force, comprised of IAEA officials and international experts, after the country began releasing the wastewater into the Pacific Ocean last August despite opposition from neighboring countries such as China.
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Taiwan opposition lawmakers visit China, may meet senior officials
TAIPEI – A group of Taiwan opposition party members arrived in China on Friday to advance cross-strait dialogue, with speculation rife that the island’s legislators may meet with senior Chinese officials during their three-day stay.
The visit by the 17-member delegation of the Nationalist Party comes ahead of the May 20 inauguration of Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te, who China condemns as an independence advocate.
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Japan startup reveals “world’s first” close-up space debris image
TOKYO – Japanese space company Astroscale Holdings Inc. on Friday unveiled what it calls the world’s first publicly released close-up image taken of space debris, hailing it as progress toward understanding the challenges posed by trash orbiting Earth.
The debris — the second-stage section of Japan’s H2A rocket launched in 2009 — was captured by the startup’s cuboid-shaped demonstration satellite, known as ADRAS-J, from several hundred meters away.
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Hundreds in northeast Japan get sick after drinking school lunch milk
SENDAI – More than 600 students and others got sick after drinking milk provided for school lunches in Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on Thursday, a tally by Kyodo News showed Friday.
Morinaga Milk Industry Co. said the milk was produced by a subsidiary and was supplied to 258 elementary and junior high schools located in 12 cities and towns in the prefecture. Shipments of the milk were stopped after the incident came to light.
