Tokyo, 28 August, /AJMEDIA/
U.S. warships transit Taiwan Strait, 1st since Pelosi visit
WASHINGTON – Two U.S. warships passed through the strait between China and Taiwan, the U.S. Navy said Saturday, in the first such operation since U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the self-ruled island in early August caused tensions to spike.
While the U.S. 7th Fleet said the two guided-missile cruisers had conducted a “routine” transit through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday local time, the action is certain to draw ire from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
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Japan, Africa leaders to end talks, vow to cope with food crisis
TUNIS – Leaders from Japan and African nations are set to wrap up a two-day meeting here on Sunday underscoring their commitment to better cope with the food crisis propelled by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The leaders are also expected to affirm the importance of fair and transparent financing to spur growth in Africa, where China is increasing its clout through investment and development aid, according to Japanese government sources.
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Japan PM airs regret, blames Russia for opposition at nuke confab
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday expressed his disappointment after a review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ended without an outcome document, saying Russia should take the blame for its opposition.
Kishida said maintaining and strengthening the NPT is “the only realistic approach” to nuclear disarmament, as he is pushing for a world without nuclear weapons as a lawmaker representing a constituency in atomic-bombed Hiroshima.
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Japan mulls letting asymptomatic COVID patients go out if mask worn
TOKYO – Japan is considering allowing asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to leave their homes to buy daily necessities as long as they wear a mask and take other measures against spreading the virus, government sources said Saturday.
The proposal comes as cases have hit record numbers in many regions amid a seventh wave of the pandemic that shows no signs of abating, threatening to disrupt societal functions should many be confined to isolation.
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Baba elected new leader of opposition Japan Innovation Party
TOKYO – Nobuyuki Baba was elected Saturday as the Japan Innovation Party’s new leader, succeeding Ichiro Matsui as he vowed to carry on the conservative party’s efforts to become the country’s strongest opposition after it fared well in the last two national elections.
Emphasizing continuity with the party’s goal of broadening its support base from its stronghold of the Osaka area to the rest of the nation, Baba, who was its co-leader, won by a wide margin ahead of contenders Yasushi Adachi, a former industry ministry official, and Mizuho Umemura, a former freelance announcer.
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JAXA, Mitsui Sumitomo to sell insurance for civilian space travelers
TOKYO – The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. will jointly develop insurance products for space travelers as they bet more civilians will venture beyond the Earth in the future.
The new products will likely cover travelers against damage to possessions just like existing travel insurance as well as bodily damage before and after the adventure, the two organizations said last month.
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Baseball: Ohtani dominant on mound in win over Blue Jays
TORONTO – Shohei Ohtani struck out nine over seven dominant innings to pitch the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
Ohtani (11-8) allowed just two hits and a walk from his 109 pitches as he outlasted Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah in an intense pitchers’ duel at Rogers Center.
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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.
