Tokyo, 2 July, /AJMEDIA/
Nikkei ends above 40,000 as yen falls to new 37-yr low vs. dollar
TOKYO – The Nikkei stock index closed above the 40,000 threshold for the first time in three months, as exporters were boosted by the weaker yen hitting a fresh 37-year low in the upper 161 range versus the U.S. dollar.
Stocks were also lifted by insurance and other financial issues as rising Japanese long-term interest rates raised hopes for improved profits, brokers said.
———-
Japan Defense Ministry rolls out 1st policy to promote AI use
TOKYO – The Japanese Defense Ministry rolled out Tuesday its first-ever basic policy to promote the use of artificial intelligence as it seeks to respond to changes in defense operations driven by technological advancements.
Also aimed at streamlining the ministry’s work, the blueprint focuses on seven fields, such as detection and identification of military targets, command and control, and logistic support.
———-
North Korea claims to have test-fired new type of ballistic missile
BEIJING – North Korea said Tuesday it successfully test-fired a new type of ballistic missile capable of carrying a 4.5-ton-class warhead, and said it planned to conduct another test within the month.
The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency quoted the country’s Missile Administration as saying the test on Monday sought to verify the flight stability of a missile tipped with a simulated super-large warhead with a maximum range of 500 kilometers and a minimum range of 90 km.
———-
China’s Xi starts Central Asia trip to attend regional summit
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping began a five-day visit to Central Asia on Tuesday to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Kazakhstan, according to Chinese state-run media, with plans to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during the trip.
Xi arrived in Astana before the two-day summit starting Wednesday and was welcomed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at an airport in the capital, the Chinese media said. He will also make a state visit to Tajikistan following the gathering, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
———-
U.S. Air Force resumes Osprey flights in Japan after Nov. fatal crash
TOKYO – The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday resumed flights of its Ospreys in Japan after suspending them following a fatal crash of one of its tilt-rotor aircraft off a southwestern Japanese island in November, a Defense Ministry official said.
The U.S. Marine Corps has already resumed the operation of its MV-22s in Japan since March, days after the lifting of a worldwide flight ban on U.S. Ospreys that was imposed after the Nov. 29 accident that killed all eight airmen aboard a U.S. Air Force CV-22.
———-
South Korea resumes live-fire drills near border with North Korea
SEOUL – South Korea said Tuesday it resumed live-fire exercises near the border with North Korea for the first time in six years, following the recent suspension of a bilateral military pact signed in 2018 to reduce tensions.
The South Korean military said the firepower exercises took place at artillery ranges located within five kilometers of the military demarcation line, with the focus on strengthening its response capabilities in the event of enemy provocation.
———-
Japan footballer Junya Ito referred to prosecutors over sex assault claims
OSAKA – Japan football player Junya Ito was referred to prosecutors Tuesday on suspicion of injuring two women through quasi-forcible sexual intercourse, sources close to the matter said, but it is unclear whether he will be indicted.
The police also referred the two women to prosecutors, suspecting their criminal complaint against the midfielder with the French club Stade de Reims contained information that differed from objective facts, the sources said.
———-
1 injured after fire breaks out at Idemitsu refinery near Tokyo
CHIBA, Japan – A male employee was injured Tuesday after a fire broke out at a refinery belonging to major Japanese oil company Idemitsu Kosan Co. near Tokyo, police and the company said.
Firefighters received a call at around 2:30 p.m. reporting that oil had leaked and caught fire at the complex in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture. The fire started in a facility manufacturing lubricating oils, according to the complex and other sources.
