Tokyo, 9 August, /AJMEDIA/
Nagasaki urges nuke elimination as city marks 77th A-bomb anniv.
NAGASAKI – Nagasaki marked the 77th anniversary Tuesday of the U.S. atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city during World War II, with Mayor Tomihisa Taue calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons amid mounting concern over their potential use following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The atomic bombing of Nagasaki, three days after a similar bomb was dropped on Hiroshima around 300 kilometers to the northeast, had taken the lives of an estimated 74,000 people by the end of 1945, with many others suffering from the effects of burns and radiation-related illnesses long after the attack.
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Pandemic delivers major blow to no. of new marriages in Japan: study
TOKYO – The coronavirus pandemic has caused a major decline in the number of new marriages in Japan, with there expected to be some 150,000 fewer newly wedded couples than expected in the three years to the end of 2022, a recent study showed.
The fall, believed to be a result of several factors including fewer opportunities to socialize due to pandemic-related restrictions, could also lead to around 243,000 fewer babies being born if there is no recovery in the new marriage rate, researchers warned.
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Biden expresses concern over China’s activities near Taiwan
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday expressed concern over China’s increased military activities around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island, but indicated he does not expect further moves by Beijing to heighten tensions.
What concerns him is that China is “moving as much as they are,” Biden told reporters in Delaware, adding, “But I don’t think they’re going to do anything more.”
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U.S. unveils $1 bil. more military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war
WASHINGTON – The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled an additional $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine, bringing the total amount of such assistance from Washington to more than $9 billion since Russia’s invasion began nearly six months ago.
“We’re committed to continued security assistance for Ukraine as they stand up to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion,” Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for policy, told a press conference as he made the announcement.
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China urges Japan to stay true to nuclear disarmament commitment
BEIJING – China on Monday urged Japan to stay true to its commitment to building a world without nuclear weapons, as it expressed doubt about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge to do so on the 77th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Beijing claimed that despite its pledge, the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks in war has been protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella and is opposed to Washington relinquishing the no-first-use policy regarding its nuclear weapons.
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Japan to offer Omicron COVID shot to people at least twice-vaccinated
TOKYO – A new COVID-19 vaccine considered effective against the Omicron variant will be available in Japan to all people who have completed at least two coronavirus inoculations from as early as mid-October, the government said Monday.
The bivalent vaccine, so named for its combination of ingredients deriving from existing COVID-19 shots and from the Omicron variant’s BA.1 subtype, has been reported to provide some increase in neutralizing antibodies against the BA.5 subtype currently prevalent across the country.
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FOCUS: Japanese government steps up efforts to care for women who miscarry
TOKYO – With an increasing number of women in Japan marrying late in life, more are seeking advice from local governments about the anxiety or depression they feel at suffering repeated miscarriages or stillbirths during pregnancies.
As consultations pour in from women grieving such losses, municipalities are promoting mental care programs, receiving the backing in March of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to enhance their support by creating a handbook compiled by a research team of experts for use by local governments and medical institutions.
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Abe’s fatal shooting continues to ripple through Japan a month on
NARA, Japan – The fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to ripple through Japan a month on, with many returning to the site of the attack Monday to pay their respects and investigators working to unravel the motive of the assailant.
In the western city of Nara, flowers were placed at the traffic island near the train station where Abe was shot at close range during a campaign speech on July 8, with commuters also stopping to offer prayers.
