Tokyo, 1 March, /AJMEDIA/
U.S., EU, Japan leaders urge int’l community to unite against Russia
WASHINGTON – Leaders of the United States, the European Union, Japan and other countries affirmed during a phone call Monday their resolve for the international community to unite to impose powerful sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin putting his nuclear forces on high alert, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, representing the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, told his counterparts that any threat or use of nuclear force is unacceptable, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Japan raises COVID-19 entry cap to 5,000 per day amid calls for more
TOKYO – Japan eased COVID-19 border controls on Tuesday, setting its limit on new entrants at 5,000 per day, up from the previous 3,500, and reducing or exempting quarantine periods for both Japanese and foreign nationals.
Within the daily cap, which was relaxed for the first time in three months, foreign nationals will be able to enter Japan for purposes other than tourism. But calls for further easing of the controls remain strong among business and academic communities at home and abroad.
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Russia and Ukraine hold cease-fire talks amid Putin’s nuclear threats
MOSCOW – Russian and Ukrainian officials on Monday held talks on the possibility of a cease-fire as Russia’s attack on its neighboring country entered the fifth day, with Kyiv reportedly demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory.
The talks, held near the Belarusian border, came after Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the country’s nuclear forces on high alert in the face of continuing resistance from Ukraine’s troops and the rollout of economic sanctions from the United States and its allies.
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Japan to limit trade with Russian central bank amid Ukraine invasion
TOKYO – Japan will impose additional financial sanctions on Russia by limiting transactions with the Russian central bank, putting itself on a par with the United States and Europe in punishing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday.
The latest measure is the toughest yet to be imposed by Japan, which on Sunday backed efforts by other members of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in excluding some Russian banks from SWIFT, a key international payment system.
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Japan slaps sanctions on Belarus over Russian invasion of Ukraine
TOKYO – Japan will slap sanctions on Belarus over its “clear involvement” in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, zeroing in on President Alexander Lukashenko and other Belarusian individuals, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday just as talks between Kyiv and Moscow got under way.
Belarus, known for its close ties with Russia and serving as an entry point for Russian forces invading Ukraine, will also be subject to Japan’s export controls.
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19.3% of Japan population received booster shot: gov’t
TOKYO – The Japanese government said Monday that 19.3 percent of the country’s population has received the third COVID-19 vaccine dose, with 49 percent of its elderly population vaccinated, as the country grapples to contain the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The pace of vaccination shots in February ranging between 300,000 and 900,000 per day is still short of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s goal of 1 million set earlier this month.
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Australia to offer weapons to Ukraine, Singapore to sanction Russia
SYDNEY/SINGAPORE – Australia will step up its aid to Ukraine by providing lethal weapons to the eastern European country fighting against Russia’s invasion, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday, joining U.S. and Germany in offering military support to Kyiv.
Singapore also said Monday it will impose sanctions on Russia by participating in international efforts to oppose the Russian aggression, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to announce such a response.
