Tokyo, 15 June, /AJMEDIA/
G7 ups pressure on China, condemns Russia-N. Korea military ties
FASANO, Italy – Group of Seven leaders on Friday ramped up pressure on China to curb its provocative activities in the Indo-Pacific region, and condemned Russia and North Korea for deepening their military ties amid the former’s invasion of Ukraine.
While agreeing to fresh financial aid for the war-torn eastern European country, the major industrialized democracies warned Israel not to worsen the already deteriorated humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in its offensives against the militant group Hamas.
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China’s new rule allowing maritime trespasser detention takes effect
BEIJING – An updated regulation allowing China’s coast guard to detain foreigners suspected of trespassing in waters it claims for up to 60 days took effect on Saturday, raising concerns in countries such as the Philippines that have sovereignty disputes with it.
The new development is feared to further escalate tensions in the South China Sea, where Chinese and Philippine vessels often confront each other. The Chinese coast guard has fired water cannons at Philippine ships.
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Saipan marks 80th anniversary of fierce WWII Japan-U.S. battle
SAIPAN – The Pacific island of Saipan on Saturday marked the 80th anniversary of a fierce World War II battle between Japanese and U.S. troops that claimed over tens of thousand lives.
The U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, with Saipan as its capital, held a ceremony commemorating the Battle of Saipan, attended by U.S. and Japanese officials. Due to their advanced age, no surviving former soldiers were able to attend the ceremony.
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Kishida, Modi agree to enhance ties across wider range of fields
FASANO, Italy – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi agreed Friday the two nations will further enhance relations by broadening their bilateral cooperation across a range of fields, Japan’s government said.
Kishida and Modi also confirmed that their governments will collaborate in preparation for a planned visit by the Indian leader later this year, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Japan, Italy agree on action plan to forge ties in diplomacy, defense
FASANO, Italy – The leaders of Japan and Italy agreed Friday on an action plan to beef up cooperation in seven areas, such as diplomacy, defense and economic security, amid China’s military rise and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni agreed to the plan during their meeting in Fasano in southern Italy on the sidelines of a three-day Group of Seven summit through Saturday.
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Japan’s Nikka whisky maker ramps up investment to increase exports
TOKYO – Japan’s Nikka Whisky Distilling Co. has said it will invest 6 billion yen ($38 million) this year on storage facilities in a bid to boost its production capacity and tap into surging demand overseas.
The Asahi Breweries Ltd. unit, known for its Taketsuru, Yoichi and Miyagikyo brands, said the investment including on ramping up the barrels at its Tochigi plant north of Tokyo will increase the company’s storage capacity by around 10 percent compared with 2021.
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Golf: Matsuyama surges up U.S. Open leaderboard with bogey-free 66
PINEHURST, North Carolina – Hideki Matsuyama climbed 42 spots on the U.S. Open golf leaderboard to eighth Friday after having the day’s best round, a 4-under 66.
The Japanese star made four birdies without a bogey on Pinehurst’s difficult No. 2 course in North Carolina, leaving him at 2 under for the tournament, three strokes behind second-round leader Ludvig Aberg of Sweden, who shot a 69.
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BOJ chief expresses caution over impact of yen’s fall on prices
TOKYO – Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda struck a cautious tone on Friday regarding the effects of a weak yen, saying the central bank is “carefully” watching developments as the currency’s recent decline threatens to drive up inflation.
After his previous remarks, which helped push the yen to levels not seen in over three decades and prompted Japanese authorities to intervene, Ueda emphasized that inflation has become more susceptible to currency swings than before.
