Tokyo, 20 January, /AJMEDIA/
North Korea hints at resuming nuclear, ICBM tests to counter U.S.
BEIJING – North Korea on Thursday hinted at resuming nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, saying it may restart “activities” that it had temporarily suspended to build trust with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
A key ruling party gathering held Wednesday concluded that North Korea should take “practical action to more reliably and effectively increase our physical strength” to counter the United States, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.
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Biden says Russia may “move in” to Ukraine amid invasion concerns
WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Russia could make a military move into Ukraine as it amasses troops on their border, while warning of the financial, economic and other sanctions Moscow would face if it mounts a full-scale invasion.
“My guess is he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) will move in,” Biden said at a press conference to mark the end of his first year in office, where he sought to tout his achievements despite the difficulties he is facing in moving ahead with some key legislative and domestic priorities.
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Japan logs goods trade deficit of 582.4 bil. yen in Dec.
TOKYO – Japan logged a goods trade deficit of 582.4 billion yen ($5.1 billion) in December, government data showed Thursday.
Exports rose 17.5 percent from a year earlier, while imports grew 41.1 percent, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry.
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Japan decides to put Tokyo, 12 more areas under COVID quasi-emergency
TOKYO – Japan decided Wednesday to place Tokyo and 12 other areas under a coronavirus quasi-state of emergency, with a record 41,487 new infections reported nationwide as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country.
The decision will allow the governors of Tokyo and the dozen other prefectures to ask restaurants and bars to close early and stop or limit the serving of alcohol. The measure will be implemented from Friday to Feb. 13 in an effort to curb what has become the “sixth wave” of COVID-19 infections in Japan.
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Foreign visitors to Japan in 2021 fell to record low 245,900 amid pandemic
TOKYO – The number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2021 dropped to 245,900, the lowest since 1964 when comparable data became available, as the country enforced tighter border controls amid the coronavirus pandemic, government data showed Wednesday.
The figure plunged 94.0 percent from 2020, the sharpest fall on record, the Japan Tourism Agency said. Compared with the pre-pandemic level in 2019, it dropped 99.2 percent.
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Japan to provide over $1 mil., supplies to tsunami-hit Tonga
TOKYO – Japan said Wednesday it will provide more than $1 million and relief supplies to disaster-hit Tonga after an undersea volcanic eruption and tsunami waves caused by it left at least three people dead and caused major damage on the Pacific island.
Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihiko Isozaki said the government is considering sending drinking water and equipment for removing volcanic ash, among other supplies, using the country’s Self-Defense Forces.
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Top medal candidates on board as Ayumu Hirano named to Japan Olympic team
TOKYO – Snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, a candidate for the men’s halfpipe gold at the Beijing Olympics, was named to Japan’s team Wednesday, effectively bringing all of the nation’s biggest medal prospects on board for the Feb. 4 to Feb. 20 event.
Hirano joins a national team featuring two-time defending men’s figure skate champion Yuzuru Hanyu, speed skater Miho Takagi, a gold-medal candidate in multiple events, and men’s ski jumping World Cup leader Ryoyu Kobayashi.
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Tennis: Naomi Osaka into Australian Open 3rd round for 5th straight year
MELBOURNE – Japan’s Naomi Osaka cruised past American Madison Brengle on Wednesday, advancing to the Australian Open’s third round for the fifth straight year.
Osaka, the defending women’s champion and 13th seed, dispatched the 54th-ranked Brengle 6-0, 6-4 in a 1-hour, 5-minute second-round match at Rod Laver Arena. Osaka is aiming for a third title in Melbourne. She won her maiden Grand Slam title here in 2019.
