Tokyo, 25 February, /AJMEDIA/
G-7 vows to strengthen coordinated sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
TOKYO – The leaders of the Group of Seven economies pledged to levy further sanctions on Russia in a bid to stop its war in Ukraine, according to a joint statement released after their online summit Friday, the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of its neighbor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the video gathering, the first summit presided over by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Japan, this year’s chair of the G-7, is scheduled to host the three-day in-person summit in May.
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U.S. unveils new sanctions against Russia, more aid for Ukraine
The United States on Friday unveiled new sanctions on Russia, targeting over 200 individuals and entities, as well as more military and economic aid for Ukraine in a show of Washington’s commitment with its allies to disrupt Moscow’s ability to sustain its war machine.
As part of the wide-ranging package, coinciding with the one-year mark since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, the Treasury Department said the scope of its punitive measures has expanded to include metal and mining companies, in addition to taking further steps against the country’s financial, defense and technology industries.
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Japan vows to keep supporting Ukraine 1 year on from Russian invasion
TOKYO – Japan showed its strong commitment to supporting Ukraine on Friday, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the Eastern European country, hours before hosting a Group of Seven summit online as the chair.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join the video gathering, which would be the first summit presided over by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Japan is this year’s chair of the G-7 and is scheduled to host the three-day in-person summit in May.
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Japanese court orders gov’t to pay damages over forced sterilization
SHIZUOKA, Japan – A Japanese court on Friday ordered the government to pay damages to a hearing-impaired woman who underwent forced sterilization under a now-defunct eugenics protection law, the fourth such ruling.
The Shizuoka District Court found the 1948 law unconstitutional and awarded 16.5 million yen ($123,000) to the plaintiff, a resident of the central Japan prefecture, who filed the lawsuit in 2019 claiming she underwent sterilization surgery in 1970.
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Japan inn in hot water for bathwater bacteria 3,700 times the limit
FUKUOKA – A century-old ryokan traditional inn in southwestern Japan has only been changing its hot spring bathwater twice yearly, leading to legionella bacteria levels as much as 3,700 times over standard limits, local officials said Friday.
The Daimaru Besso inn in Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture, which says in its website that its past guests include Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, is suspected of providing false information about the frequency of bathwater replacement. Local ordinance says such water should be changed at least once a week.
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Bank of Japan chief nominee Kazuo Ueda vows to maintain monetary easing
TOKYO – Nominee for Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda said Friday he views the current monetary easing policy as “appropriate” and will maintain it to support the economy and stably achieve the central bank’s 2 percent inflation target.
Ueda, an academic and former member of the central bank’s Policy Board, told a confirmation hearing in parliament that he does not see the need to revise a decade-old joint statement with the government that includes a pledge to achieve 2 percent as soon as possible. But he said the BOJ would examine the pros and cons of monetary easing as required.
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India calls on G-20 finance chiefs to address rising prices
BENGALURU, India – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday called on financial chiefs of the Group of 20 leading economies to address rising prices and other economic challenges the world faces as they met in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru.
“Many societies are suffering due to rising prices…Even the financial viability of many countries is threatened by unsustainable debt levels,” Modi said in a video message, adding, “It is now up to you — the custodians of the leading economies and monetary systems to bring back stability, confidence and growth to the global economy.”
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China seeks cease-fire in Ukraine on 1st anniv. of Russian invasion
BEIJING – China called for a comprehensive cease-fire in Ukraine on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of the country on Friday and opposed the unilateral sanctions on Moscow imposed by Western countries in a position paper repeating its past stances.
Despite increasingly close relations with Russia, China showed its consideration toward Ukraine in the paper on the crisis, saying, “The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld.”
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Japan to signal illegality of nonconsensual sex in crime rename
TOKYO – Japan’s Justice Ministry said Friday it plans to rename a sexual offense charge to make clearer the illegality of nonconsensual intercourse as part of the country’s Penal Code reforms.
The Cabinet is expected to approve the change, initially demanded by sexual victim support bodies, in mid-March for the enactment in the current session of parliament.
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Japan’s manga sales hit record but growth slows as more people go out
TOKYO – Sales of manga comic books and magazines in Japan were estimated to have hit a record 677 billion yen ($5 billion) in 2022, but the rise was only marginal as fewer people stayed indoors than during the earlier years of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry data showed Friday.
The sales — both in print and digital format — saw a record high for the third year in a row but were only up 0.2 percent from a year before, substantially lower than the 10 percent year-on-year increase seen in 2021, the Research Institute for Publications said.
