Tokyo, 4 February, /AJMEDIA/
Japan mulls sending natural gas to Europe in contingency over Ukraine
TOKYO – Japan is weighing an option to divert part of its natural gas reserves to Europe in case Russia restricts gas supplies to the region in response to projected sanctions following a Russian invasion of Ukraine, government sources said Thursday.
Japan is likely to seek coordination with other countries in supporting Europe, which heavily relies on natural gas supplies from Russia through pipelines.
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Islamic State leader killed in U.S. counterterrorism mission in Syria
WASHINGTON – The leader of the Islamic State was killed in a U.S. military counterterrorism operation in Syria, President Joe Biden said Thursday, possibly delivering another blow to the extremist group that lost its charismatic figure Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
“Last night, operating on my orders, United States military forces successfully removed a major terrorist threat to the world — the global leader of ISIS,” Biden said at the White House, referring to Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi.
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Japan mulls extending COVID quasi-emergency in Tokyo, 12 prefs.
TOKYO – Japan is considering extending a COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency in Tokyo and 12 prefectures by two weeks from the original end date of Feb. 13, sources close to the matter said Thursday, as the country continues to see record-breaking infection numbers.
Despite having placed 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures under quasi-state of emergency measures to curb infections, the country’s daily tally further rose to 104,470 on Thursday, topping 100,000 for the first time and pushing up the cumulative total to 3 million cases.
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Olympics: Bach will meet with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai in Beijing
BEIJING – International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach confirmed Thursday he has plans while in Beijing to meet with Peng Shuai, a tennis player who disappeared from public view after making a sexual assault accusation against a powerful Chinese official.
Speaking in a press conference at the Beijing Games Main Media Centre, Bach confirmed he is to meet the professional tennis player and three-time Summer Olympian to confirm her current status and well-being.
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Japan seeks Saudi Arabia’s cooperation in stabilizing oil markets
TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday asked Saudi Arabia to cooperate in stabilizing crude oil prices amid supply shortages and geopolitical tensions in telephone talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Japanese government said.
Calling Saudi Arabia a “strategic partner,” Kishida expressed hope that he could deepen ties with the crown prince of the major oil-producing country.
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Japan, South Korea exchange protests over World Heritage nomination
TOKYO – Japan and South Korea lodged protests with each other Thursday over their views on Tokyo’s recent nomination for the 2023 UNESCO World Heritage list of a gold and silver mine site, which Seoul says is linked to wartime Korean forced labor.
South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui Yong expressed “deep disappointment and protest” when he held phone talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi over Tokyo’s attempt to register the mine on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
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Olympics: Japan beats Sweden 3-1 in women’s ice hockey opener
BEIJING – The Japanese women’s ice hockey team made a winning start to its Beijing Winter Olympics campaign on Thursday, beating Sweden 3-1 after Rui Ukita scored a tie-breaking goal in the final period.
Japan came into the Group B clash at Wukesong Sports Centre having won two of its last three games against Sweden, including the most recent meeting in the preliminary round of the 2019 world championships.
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1st direct int’l flight in nearly 2 yrs arrives in Indonesia’s Bali
JAKARTA – A Garuda Indonesia plane arrived in the Indonesian resort island of Bali from Narita airport near Tokyo on Thursday, becoming the first direct international passenger flight there in almost two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The government on Tuesday shortened the period of quarantine for fully vaccinated foreign visitors from seven days to five days. Visitors also have to take three lab tests — within 48 hours of departure, upon arrival and on the fourth day of quarantine — and test negative in each.