Tokyo, 17 February, /AJMEDIA/
Japan’s H3 rocket launch aborted after glitch detected during attempt
MINAMITANE, Japan – Japan’s new flagship H3 rocket attempted to launch but was unable to achieve liftoff on Friday from Tanegashima Space Center after its airframe system detected an abnormality and its booster engines did not ignite, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.
Its maiden flight from the center in Tanegashima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima had been long-anticipated after a string of delays.
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Japan says drones included in eased rules for downing flying objects
TOKYO – Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Friday that drones will be included as conceivable targets once the government eases rules for weapon use by the Self-Defense Forces against unidentified flying objects violating the nation’s airspace.
The government is planning to relax the requirements on the scenarios in which the SDF can shoot down an unidentified flying object after several — which the Defense Ministry suspect were unmanned Chinese spy balloons — were spotted over Japan in recent years.
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Japan’s PM steps up efforts to quell criticism over LGBT rights
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday stepped up efforts to dispel intensifying criticism of his government’s conventional stance toward sexual minorities by giving a female politician a new post in charge of advocating their rights.
During a meeting with members of groups supporting LGBT people, Kishida also apologized for remarks made by a former close aide that cast the spotlight on the issue in Japan, describing them as “extremely inappropriate.”
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Kishida tells ministers to assuage public concerns over nuclear policy
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida urged his ministers Friday to assuage public concerns over the government’s planned policy shift that will allow the operation of nuclear power plants beyond the current limit of 60 years.
The instruction came after the country’s nuclear watchdog decided this week to review regulatory standards on the lifespan of nuclear reactors despite one of the five commissioners remaining opposed to the policy in a rare move.
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Dollar hits 2-month high in 135 yen zone on solid U.S. wholesale data
TOKYO – The U.S. dollar briefly topped the 135 yen line Friday, hitting a two-month high as stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data fueled expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue hiking interest rates to tackle inflation.
The U.S. producer price index for January released overnight rose 0.7 percent from the previous month, the biggest increase since June, exceeding the market forecast of a 0.4 percent increase.
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Security Council “paralyzed” amid Russia’s war: U.N. assembly chief
TOKYO – The U.N. Security Council has been “paralyzed” amid Russia’s war on Ukraine and needs reform, with Moscow’s veto power making it difficult for the body to take a unified stance, U.N. General Assembly chief Csaba Korosi said Friday, as the first anniversary of the invasion approaches.
Korosi, who is visiting Japan to promote relations between the United Nations and Tokyo, said the number of members calling for reform of the council, which is dominated by the five veto-wielding permanent members, has reached more than 65.
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Paper cranes by A-bomb victim Sasaki eyed for UNESCO heritage list
HIROSHIMA – A relative of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl known for the numerous paper cranes she folded until radiation-induced leukemia cost her life following the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, said Friday he aims to list her cranes and other items on a UNESCO documentary heritage program.
Yuji Sasaki, a 52-year-old nephew of Sasaki, said he hopes to apply next year for inscription on the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Memory of the World Register, with the goal of having the items registered in 2025, the 80th anniversary of the U.S. attack.
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Skateboarding: Japan to host SLS Championship Tour event for 1st time
TOKYO – Japan will host a street skateboarding Championship Tour event for the first time later this year, organizers announced Friday.
The second stop of the 2023 Street League Skateboarding Championship Tour will take place at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on Aug. 12, following the April 29 season opener in Chicago.
