Tokyo, 3 December, /AJMEDIA/
M4.8 quake hits area near Mt. Fuji, no reports of damage
TOKYO – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8 struck near Mt. Fuji in Japan’s Yamanashi Prefecture on Friday morning, but there were no initial reports of injuries or serious damage to infrastructure.
The quake occurred at around 6:37 a.m., registering lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Otsuki in the eastern part of the prefecture and 4 in some areas of Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, including Sagamihara and Atsugi, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
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U.S. to tighten COVID-19 testing rules for international travelers
WASHINGTON – The administration of President Joe Biden said Thursday it will strengthen coronavirus testing rules for those entering the United States amid concerns over the new Omicron variant, requiring all air travelers to provide a negative result within one day of their scheduled departure.
The announcement came amid signs of the Omicron variant seeping into the United States, with multiple cases detected in the state of New York and elsewhere after the first U.S. case was announced on Wednesday.
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Tokyo Olympics cost less than budgeted, need for extra money unlikely
TOKYO – The total cost of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics was at least 150 billion yen ($1.3 billion) less than expected as the games were mostly held without spectators, helping to cut labor costs and other outlays, officials with knowledge of the matter said Friday.
Cost reductions stemming from the absence of spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic more than compensated for losses on ticket sales, estimated at around 90 trillion yen, meaning there is unlikely to be an additional burden placed on taxpayers.
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Japan to oblige security camera installation on trains
TOKYO – The Japanese government will oblige railway operators nationwide to install security cameras in newly built trains following a knife attack aboard a Tokyo train in October, the transport ministry said Friday.
Under safety measures compiled by the ministry, it will also call on railway firms to obtain passengers’ understanding and cooperation over baggage inspections after a revised ordinance enabled operators to begin conducting security checks from July this year.
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U.S., EU voice “strong concern” over China’s behavior toward Taiwan
WASHINGTON – The United States and the European Union on Thursday expressed their “strong concern” over China’s growing assertiveness in the South and East China seas and toward Taiwan, saying that Beijing’s moves directly affect their security.
They stated their position in a joint statement issued after a second high-level meeting of the U.S.-EU dialogue on China, reflecting what a U.S. State Department official called “increasingly convergent” U.S. and EU outlooks on Beijing.
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China’s top diplomat voices support for formal end of Korean War
BEIJING – China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, has expressed support for Seoul’s push for the declaration of a formal end to the 1950-1953 Korean War, Yonhap News Agency reported Friday, citing South Korea’s Embassy in Beijing.
During his talks with South Korea’s National Security Director Suh Hoon in Tianjin on Thursday, Yang said China believes “the end-of-war declaration will contribute to promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” according to Yonhap.
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Didi, China’s Uber, to delist from U.S., set for Hong Kong listing
BEIJING – Didi Global Inc., China’s major ride-hailing service, said Friday that it would delist from the New York Stock Exchange and make preparations to go public on the Hong Kong bourse.
The announcement comes as China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping has been stepping up efforts to prevent data leakage to the United States as economic and security tensions between the two countries show few signs of easing.
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Kishida, Gates agree to cooperate over COVID, nutrition summit
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates agreed Friday to closely work together to deal with the novel coronavirus pandemic and hold a successful summit in Tokyo next week on the global challenge of malnutrition .
During the 15-minute-long teleconference, Kishida expressed hope to strengthen ties with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, co-chaired by Gates, to respond to the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus among other international health issues.