Tokyo, 26 January, /AJMEDIA/
Japan PM Ishiba Cabinet support rate flat at 35%,84% fret over U.S. tariffs
TOKYO – The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet stands at 35.7 percent, little changed from 36.5 percent last month, amid economic uncertainties, with most respondents fretting over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff plan, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.
The weekend telephone survey found 84.3 percent of them were either “concerned” or “somewhat concerned” over the impact of Trump’s tariff plans on the Japanese economy.
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Sumo: Hoshoryu set for yokozuna promotion after winning New Year meet
TOKYO – Mongolian ozeki Hoshoryu earned his second Emperor’s Cup and promotion to yokozuna Sunday by winning the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in a thrilling three-way championship playoff against rank-and-file wrestlers Kinbozan and Oho.
The 25-year-old nephew of former yokozuna Asashoryu is set to become the sport’s sole grand champion following the mid-tournament retirement of Terunofuji, with the Japan Sumo Association’s Yokozuna Deliberation Council scheduled to meet Monday to give its approval to the promotion.
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South Korean President Yoon indicted over insurrection charges: report
SEOUL – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on Sunday over charges of insurrection relating to his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, according to a local report.
With the indictment, Yoon has become the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be indicted, Yonhap News Agency reported.
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North Korea conducts cruise missile test, 1st since Trump inauguration
BEIJING – North Korea said Sunday it test-fired strategic cruise missiles the previous day, with leader Kim Jong Un overseeing Pyongyang’s first missile test since the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The examination of the sea-to-surface cruise guided weapons was aimed to “raise the effectiveness of strategic control against potential enemies in conformity with the changing regional safety circumstances,” the official Korean Central News Agency said.
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Suspect arrested in Nagano stabbing attack that left 1 dead
NAGANO, Japan – A 46-year-old male suspect in a random stabbing attack in Nagano, central Japan, that left a man dead and two others injured, was arrested Sunday, police said.
Yusuke Yaguchi was apprehended at his home 3 kilometers east of the crime scene in front of JR Nagano Station on suspicion of the attempted murder of a woman who sustained a minor injury in the attack on Wednesday night, the police said.
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Athletics: Ethiopia’s Edesa wins 2nd straight Osaka Women’s Marathon
OSAKA – Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa ran the final 15 kilometers alone and unchallenged en route to winning the Osaka Women’s Marathon for the second straight year Sunday.
Edesa crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes at Yanmar Stadium Nagai, 19 seconds ahead of surprise runner-up Kana Kobayashi.
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Japan fishermen, researchers join hands to study oceanic changes
TOKYO – Fishermen and researchers in Japan have joined hands to collect and analyze data of the changing marine environment around the country, such as warmer sea temperatures, in the hope to contribute to an industry that is struggling with dwindling hauls of popular fish like saury.
The project, involving the Nippon Foundation, Japan’s national federation of fisheries cooperative associations and the University of Tokyo’s ocean research institute, will start in April, with fishers planning to send data on water temperatures, salinity and their catches to the university for study.
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Japan OKs 83 bil. yen in extra loans for new Indonesia international port
TOKYO – Japan will provide Indonesia with an additional 83.4 billion yen ($530 million) in low-interest loans for an ongoing project to build a new international seaport east of Jakarta.
The loans are for the development of Patimban Port in Subang Regency in Indonesia’s West Java Province and it is hoped the port, set to be completed in 2028, will boost the fast-growing Southeast Asian country’s exporting capacity amid surging demand for shipments, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.
