Tokyo, 4 April, /AJMEDIA
Global outrage stirred as Ukraine says hundreds killed in Kyiv region
LVIV, Ukraine – Shock and condemnation spread globally Sunday as Ukrainian authorities said they found the bodies of 410 civilians in the Kyiv region following the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of committing “genocide” on a news program of U.S. network CBS on Sunday. The Russian Defense Ministry denied the allegations.
———-
Tokyo stock market revamped in hope of attracting foreign investors
TOKYO – The Tokyo stock market was reorganized Monday into three trading segments in a major reform aimed at imposing stricter listing standards and attracting more foreign investment.
The Prime, Standard and Growth markets replace the four sections formerly on the Tokyo bourse, as the operator has tried to create a clearer concept for each segment and revitalize a market that has fallen far behind its U.S. peers in terms of capitalization.
———-
Defense experts back Japan acquiring enemy base strike capability
TOKYO – Many experts, well versed in defense and foreign policy, have backed a controversial plan that would allow Japan to acquire so-called enemy base strike capabilities, government sources said Sunday, but critics are likely to question giving weight to opinions of pundits who worked in the government.
Among the experts invited by the government to closed-door hearings on the issue were former high-ranking officials who said they believe possessing such capabilities is necessary, according to the sources. Details of the hearings, including the minutes, remain undisclosed.
———-
Japan foreign minister visits Poland-Ukraine border crossing point
WARSAW – Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Sunday observed a border checkpoint in Medyka in southeastern Poland, where Ukrainian refugees have been arriving as Japan prepares to bolster humanitarian aid for the Eastern European country besieged by Russian aggression.
Having arrived in Poland on the previous day as a special envoy of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Hayashi also visited a refugee reception center before moving on to Rzeszow, where Japan has set up a temporary liaison office.
———-
Former Japan PM calls for supplementary budget to stimulate economy
TOKYO – Japan cannot avoid crafting a supplementary budget for fiscal 2022 as part of measures to mitigate the impact of rising prices on the economy, former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Sunday.
“It’s very important to take action aimed at invigorating the economy,” Suga said on a Fuji TV program, without specifying when an extra budget should be formed.
———-
Ukraine says entire Kyiv region now seized back from Russia
LVIV, Ukraine – Ukraine said Saturday it has taken back all areas around Kyiv over a month into the Russian invasion.
In a Facebook post, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said the “whole Kyiv region is liberated from the invader” including areas such as Irpin and Bucha.
———-
Kim Jong Un’s sister slams South Korea’s remarks on military ability
BEIJING – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister on Sunday condemned South Korea for escalating military tensions, after the South’s defense minister made remarks about its ability to strike against the North.
Calling the minister, Suh Wook, a “senseless and scum-like guy,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency that his “rhetoric about the ‘preemptive strike’ has further worsened the inter-Korean relations.”
———-
Pakistan dissolves National Assembly after move to oust PM blocked
ISLAMABAD – Pakistani President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly Sunday for an election in 90 days following a request by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who survived an opposition attempt to oust him.
The deputy speaker of the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, earlier dismissed a motion to hold a no-confidence vote against Khan filed by opposition lawmakers, who have accused the premier of mismanaging the economy.
