Tokyo, 27 August, /AJMEDIA/
Nuke disarmament talks end without consensus again as Russia resists
NEW YORK – The member parties of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference failed to adopt a report Friday, the final day of a nearly monthlong session, due to irreconcilable differences over contentious issues.
The review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York also failed to adopt a document in the previous session held in 2015.
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Japan, African leaders to discuss challenges posed by Russia, China
TUNIS – Japanese and African leaders will begin talks Saturday on ensuring sustainable growth despite the challenges posed by Russia’s war in Ukraine and China’s outreach to the continent with infrastructure investments.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, remotely participating in the eighth round of conference on African development known as TICAD in Tunisia, is expected to stress the importance of investing in people and growing together with Africa in an apparent bid to draw a contrast with Beijing.
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FOCUS: China’s large drills near Taiwan raise Japan, U.S. alert level
BEIJING – China’s large-scale military exercises held earlier this month in areas encircling Taiwan in response to a high-profile U.S. visit to the democratic island have demonstrated Beijing’s ability to target Japanese and U.S. troops based in the region and raised their alert level.
The drills, which included China firing ballistic missiles into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, highlighted the need to avoid a major military conflict over Taiwan and boost defense for the Nansei Islands, a chain covering Japan’s Okinawa and stretching southwest from Kyushu toward the self-ruled island, military experts said.
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Japan aims to expand size of circular economy to 80 tril. yen by 2030
TOKYO – Japan aims to boost the size of its domestic circular economy, which focusses on reducing carbon emissions through reuse of products and resources, to 80 trillion yen ($583.7 billion) by 2030, government sources said.
The move to promote its circular economy, currently worth 50 trillion yen and intended to foster sustainable economic practices by reusing and recycling goods and materials, comes as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government is stepping up efforts to achieve a carbon neutral society by 2050.
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China strikes deal on audit cooperation with U.S. amid delisting woes
BEIJING – China has reached an agreement with the United States on audit cooperation, the Asian country’s securities regulator said Friday, in a move that would allow Chinese companies to maintain their listings on U.S. stock exchanges.
The regulator said the deal is an “important first step” to solve the audit issue between Beijing and Washington, which has been sparking fears that Chinese firms may be kicked off U.S. bourses due to the failure to accept inspections and investigations of audit firms in line with U.S. standards.
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A-Bomb survivors disappointed with nuclear weapons confab flop
HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI – Atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Saturday expressed anger and disappointment that the parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty were unable to make progress toward the elimination of nuclear weapons while gathered at the United Nations.
The breakdown Friday of the NPT review conference at the U.N. headquarters suggests “disarmament has stalled,” said Toshiyuki Mimaki, head of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.
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Baseball: Ohtani drives in 2 of 12 runs as Angels rout Blue Jays
TORONTO – Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run triple as part of a five-run second inning that helped the visiting Los Angeles Angels pummel the Toronto Blue Jays 12-0 and snap a six-game losing streak on Friday.
The Angels won for just the second time in 11 games, with all but two members of the starting lineup logging at least one hit at Rogers Centre. Reid Detmers (5-4) and four relievers combined on a six-hitter.
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FOCUS: Monkeypox challenge for Japan is not just disease but stigma, too
TOKYO – Japan has only seen a handful of monkeypox cases so far, with the government making concerted efforts with medical institutions and activists to contain the disease when it is detected domestically.
But with the risk of more cases appearing, and the global outbreak currently mostly affecting men who have sex with men, some question how well Japan can tread the line between preventing stigma and adequately informing the population of the reality of the disease.
