Tokyo, 20 December, /AJMEDIA/
Philippines reports over 100 deaths caused by Typhoon Rai
MANILA – At least 108 people were killed in the Philippines when powerful Typhoon Rai hit the country last week, with strong winds and torrential rain ravaging the central and southern provinces, the authorities said Sunday.
The province of Bohol said 72 people had died and Dinagat Islands province reported 10. With the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also confirming 26 people had been killed in six other provinces including Cebu, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the total death toll reached 108.
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Japan, U.S. block advancement in U.N. talks on autonomous weapons
GENEVA – Japan, the United States and other countries have blocked any advancement in U.N. talks toward legally binding measures to ban and regulate the development and use of lethal autonomous weapon systems.
The Sixth Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons ended Friday in Geneva without progress, failing to reflect eight years of work and leaving countries and nongovernmental organizations that have called for legally binding rules expressing disappointment.
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Poll suggests Japan PM failed to impress voters with child voucher plan
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has failed to win public support for his government’s plan to provide cash and vouchers to families with children to boost the economy, with nearly 80 percent of households preferring all-cash handouts, a Kyodo News poll suggested Sunday.
The approval rating for his Cabinet stands at 60.0 percent, down 0.5 point from November, while the disapproval rating fell to 22.7 percent from 23.0 percent, according to the survey that came as the government has been struggling to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.
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Japanese actress Sayaka Kanda dies after apparent fall at hotel
TOKYO – Japanese actress and singer Sayaka Kanda has died after apparently falling from a height at a hotel in Sapporo, northern Japan, her office said Sunday.
Kanda, known for voicing the lead character Anna in the Japanese dubbed version of the Disney animated film “Frozen,” was found around 1 p.m. Saturday lying in an outdoor space on the 14th floor of the 22-story hotel where she was staying.
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Police identify man suspected of starting fire at Osaka clinic killing 24
OSAKA – Police on Sunday identified Morio Tanimoto as the 61-year-old male patient suspected of starting a fire at a mental clinic in Osaka two days earlier that killed 24 people.
Tanimoto, who remains in a serious condition as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, was among 27 people taken to hospitals after the fire raced through the clinic in a multiple tenant building in the western Japan city on Friday.
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H.K. holds 1st legislative election under “patriots-only” system
HONG KONG – Hong Kong on Sunday held its first legislative election under a new electoral system imposed by the mainland aimed at ensuring that only “patriots” govern the city.
As major pro-democracy parties did not field any candidates, voters have shown little interest in the election, with low turnout expected despite a last-minute voting campaign by the Hong Kong government.
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Akane Yamaguchi wins 1st badminton world championship
HUELVA, Spain – Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi won her first women’s singles title Sunday at the world badminton championships.
Ranked third in the world and seeded second at the worlds, Yamaguchi trounced world No. 1 and Tokyo Olympic champion Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan 21-14, 21-11. Yamaguchi became Japan’s second women’s world champion after Nozomi Okuhara, who won in 2017.
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4-time Olympic wrestling champ Icho to coach with national team
TOKYO – Four-time Olympic gold medalist Kaori Icho was named a Japan national wrestling team “entourage coach” on Sunday to assist athletes as part of the setup for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The new role will see the 37-year-old Icho, who failed to qualify for this year’s Olympics having topped the podium since the 2004 Athens Games, approach athlete support from both the technical and mental sides.
