Tokyo, 19 December, /AJMEDIA/
Japan care home requires sterilization of mentally disabled couples
HAKODATE, Japan – A group home in Hokkaido, northern Japan, has required residents with intellectual disabilities to undergo sterilization treatment if they want to get married or live together with a partner at the facility, its operator admitted Sunday.
The government will likely look into the case as Japan has been under international scrutiny over its past policy that ran counter to efforts to improve the lives and societal participation of people with disabilities.
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Football: Argentina beat France in shootout to win World Cup in Qatar
DOHA – Argentina beat France 4-2 on penalties following a dramatic 3-3 deadlock after extra time in the World Cup final on Sunday, helping captain Lionel Messi crown one of soccer’s greatest careers.
The 35-year-old superstar said before the final this World Cup is his last, and the thrilling showdown against the defending champions at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium provided a memorable exit from the sport’s biggest stage.
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North Korea says it conducted key test for reconnaissance satellite
BEIJING – North Korea has conducted an “important final-stage test” for the development of a reconnaissance satellite, state media reported Monday, a day after it launched two ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan.
North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration said it will complete preparations for its first military reconnaissance satellite by April 2023, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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Tokyo-Osaka bullet train services suspended for 4 hrs due to blackout
NAGOYA – Bullet train services between Tokyo and Osaka were suspended for up to four hours due to an electricity outage Sunday, affecting tens of thousands of travelers including holidaymakers using the government’s domestic tourism subsidy program.
The blackout hit the Tokaido Shinkansen Line connecting the cities of Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka that constitute the country’s three largest metropolitan areas.
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Australia’s foreign minister to visit China amid improving ties
SYDNEY – Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong will visit China on Tuesday and hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, the Australian government said, marking the first such trip by a minister in three years.
Wong will meet China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang and hold the sixth Australia-China foreign and strategic dialogue during the visit, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties on Wednesday.
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BOJ owned half of outstanding Japan gov’t bonds for 1st time
TOKYO – The Bank of Japan held more than half of outstanding government bonds for the first time at the end of September, after stepping up purchases to keep bond yields low even as its counterparts began raising interest rates, data showed Monday.
The BOJ owned 536 trillion yen ($4 trillion) worth, or 50.26 percent, of Japanese government bonds, which stood at 1,066 trillion yen. The Japanese central bank has been offering to buy unlimited amounts of 10-year bonds to prevent the benchmark yield from rising above its 0.25 percent cap, as overseas yields continue to rise.
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BOJ likely to keep low rate policy amid 40-yr high inflation
TOKYO – The Bank of Japan is widely expected to maintain ultralow rates at a two-day policy meeting starting Monday despite inflation hitting a four-decade high as companies pass on increased costs to consumers.
The meeting, the first of the three left in Governor Haruhiko Kuroda’s term, comes after government sources told Kyodo News that the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to revise a decade-old accord with the BOJ, with details likely to be worked out with whoever succeeds Kuroda when he steps down in April.
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64% disapprove tax hikes to cover Japan’s rising defense budget: poll
TOKYO – The Japanese public has raised pressure on the administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, with a poll by Kyodo News finding Sunday that 64.9 percent disapprove of a recently announced plan to raise taxes to finance a substantial increase in the nation’s defense spending.
The support rate for his Cabinet stayed at 33.1 percent from last month’s survey, the lowest since its launch last year. The disapproval rating was almost unchanged at 51.5 percent.
