Tokyo, 12 June, /AJMEDIA/
Japan, U.S., South Korea to resume drills to counter North Korean missiles
SINGAPORE – Defense chiefs from Japan, the United States and South Korea agreed in Singapore on Saturday to resume joint drills to deal with North Korea’s ballistic missiles following its repeated launches since the start of this year.
Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong Sup, in a statement issued after their talks, also highlighted the importance of “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait, across which China has been exerting military pressure.
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Zelenskyy urges world to forestall wars, citing Ukraine crisis
SINGAPORE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the world on Saturday to take steps to prevent wars from happening, saying conflicts like the one Russia is waging on his country could take place anywhere.
“Today’s example of Ukraine is an example for the whole world,” Zelenskyy said in a virtual address at a high-profile Asia security forum in Singapore, while calling on the global community to “support any action that is related to preemptive measures to forestall violence.”
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Japan, Singapore to launch talks on defense equipment transfer pact
SINGAPORE – Japan and Singapore will start negotiations to reach a deal on the transfer of defense equipment and technology, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday, setting the stage for more security cooperation in a region facing challenges by an assertive China.
During a summit meeting, Kishida and Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong agreed on the launch and jointly defend the rules-based order after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent ripples to the Indo-Pacific region.
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Baseball: Murakami bombs Hawks as Swallows clinch interleague title
FUKUOKA – Munetaka Murakami homered twice and drove in six runs to power the Central League-leading Yakult Swallows to a 7-4 interleague title-clinching win over the Pacific League’s SoftBank Hawks on Saturday.
The Swallows improved to 13-4 in the annual interleague session, when each team plays six three-game series against the rival league. Yakult earned 30 million yen ($223,000) in prize money for clinching the best interleague record.
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Okinawa governor announces re-election bid
NAHA, Japan – Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki on Saturday announced his bid for a second four-year term, likely facing a challenger backed by the Liberal Democratic Party in the Sept. 11 election.
Tamaki made clear at a news conference his continued opposition to the controversial relocation of a U.S. Marine Corps base within the prefecture, saying construction of a new airfield off the eastern coast is “absolutely unacceptable.”
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Boxing: Kyoguchi TKOs Bermudez for 4th WBA light flyweight defense
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – World Boxing Association super champion Hiroto Kyoguchi defended his light flyweight title for the fourth time Friday with an eighth-round technical knockout of Mexico’s Esteban Bermudez.
The 28-year-old from Japan dominated the WBA’s regular light flyweight champion Bermudez with a range of attacks including right and left uppercuts before the referee stopped the fight following a flurry of punches in the eighth.