Tokyo, 19 December, /AJMEDIA/
Taiwan vote on U.S. pork ban fails, averts blow to U.S. ties
TAIPEI – A Taiwan referendum that sought to reinstate a ban on imports of U.S. pork failed Saturday, averting a blow to ties with Washington at a time when China has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on the self-ruled island.
The government of President Tsai Ing-wen had lifted the pork ban in January, but consumers and the main opposition Nationalist Party (KMT) were calling for the ban to be reinstated because the pork contains traces of a leanness-enhancing drug approved for use in livestock in the United States.
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Male patient suspected of setting fire at Osaka mental clinic
OSAKA – Police suspect a 61-year-old male patient of starting a fire at a mental clinic in Osaka that killed 24 people, investigative sources said Saturday.
The police found the man’s registration card for the clinic during a search of a place related to him, the sources said.
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Senate OKs ex-White House aide Emanuel as U.S. ambassador to Japan
WASHINGTON – The Senate on Saturday approved Rahm Emanuel, who served as a top aide to former President Barack Obama, as the next U.S. ambassador to Japan, filling the key post that has been vacant for more than two years.
The 62-year-old former White House chief of staff, known for his close ties with President Joe Biden, will play a crucial role in one of the most important bilateral relationships for the United States amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region and North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
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Japan’s tight entry rules over Omicron variant to last into next year
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday Japan will extend its tight entry rules until at least early next year to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The government initially said the rules, banning new entries by foreigners worldwide and requiring returning Japanese nationals and foreign residents to quarantine in government-designated facilities, would be in place for about a month to year-end.
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Japan’s Iizuka, ex-head of N. Korea abductee kin group, dies at 83
TOKYO – Shigeo Iizuka, who served for 14 years as the head of a group representing families of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s, died early Saturday morning. He was 83.
Due to poor health, Iizuka stepped down from the post last week, transferring leadership to Takuya Yokota, the younger brother of abductee Megumi Yokota who is known as a symbolic figure among those taken by North Korea.
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S. Korea strengthens COVID-19 restrictions amid virus surge
SEOUL – South Korea strengthened restrictions on dining and private gatherings on Saturday in response to a surge in coronavirus cases, with the government urging the public to get booster vaccine shots so they can be better protected against highly contagious variants.
The country reported 7,314 new cases for the previous day, recording an excess of 7,000 new infections for the fourth straight day. The number of seriously ill patients topped 1,000 for the first time during the pandemic. A total of 166 people are known to have been infected with the Omicron variant.