Tokyo, 6 January, /AJMEDIA/
North Korea confirms testing of newly developed hypersonic missile Wed.
BEIJING – North Korea has confirmed it test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile, state-run media reported Thursday, sparking concern over the nuclear-armed country’s technological advances in hard-to-intercept weapons.
The launch came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged late last year to strengthen the nation’s defense capabilities, saying the military environment of the Korean Peninsula and the international situation have been “getting instable.”
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U.S., Germany to cooperate on China, back Lithuania amid pressure
WASHINGTON – The top diplomats from the United States and Germany agreed Wednesday to cooperate in dealing with China, saying the Asian power poses a “significant challenge” to democratic values and the observance of rules fostering international stability and freedom.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said he and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock share an “immediate concern” about China’s attempt to “bully” Lithuania in light of the European country’s move to build closer ties with Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island which Beijing views as its own.
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Japan’s daily COVID cases top 2,000 for 1st time in over 3 months
TOKYO – Japan confirmed a total of 2,638 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, surpassing the 2,000 mark for the first time in over three months and sparking concerns about what may be a sixth wave of COVID-19 infections in the country amid the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Of the tally, Okinawa accounted for 623 new infections, with Gov. Denny Tamaki set to request that the central government declare a quasi-state of emergency in the southern island prefecture from Sunday to the end of the month.
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Japan PM calls for aggressive wage hikes in push for redistribution
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida asked business leaders on Wednesday to raise wages more aggressively for employees as part of his pursuit of wealth redistribution.
Ahead of this year’s annual wage negotiations between management and labor unions, Kishida, who took office in October, is calling for a pay hike of over 3 percent by companies that have seen their earnings recover to prepandemic levels.
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Toyota outsells GM in U.S. in 2021 to clinch top spot for 1st time
NEW YORK – Toyota Motor Corp. outsold General Motors Co. in the United States last year with new car sales of 2.33 million, clinching the top spot in the market for the first time despite a chip crunch.
Toyota became the first non-U.S. carmaker to top the annual sales ranking in the country, dethroning GM that had been the No. 1 seller since 1931, according to U.S. media.
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BOJ’s gov’t bond holdings down in 2021 for 1st time in 13 years
TOKYO – The Bank of Japan said Wednesday its holdings of Japanese government bonds as of the end of 2021 fell for the first time in 13 years as the central bank reduced the pace of its massive asset purchases.
The BOJ’s holdings totaled 521.12 trillion yen ($4.5 trillion) as of Dec. 31, down 14.39 trillion yen from a year earlier and prompting some private-sector economists to call the development “de facto tapering.”
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Tiger attacks 3 safari park workers near Tokyo, 1 loses hand
UTSUNOMIYA, Japan – A tiger attacked three keepers at a safari park north of Tokyo on Wednesday, with one of them having her hand bitten off, police and other sources said.
The police are investigating if there were any flaws in keeping the animal at Nasu Safari Park in Tochigi Prefecture, after its operator said it had failed to confirm that the tiger was in its fenced enclosure the previous day.
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Lithuanian president says opening “Taiwanese” office a mistake
TAIPEI – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that allowing Taiwan to open a representative office under its name in Vilnius was a mistake, amid mounting pressure from China, according to a report by Lithuanian media.
Nauseda told Lithuanian National Radio and Television on Tuesday that although there was nothing wrong with Taiwan setting up an office in Lithuania, his country’s decision to let it use “Taiwanese” in the name of the office was a mistake.
