Tokyo, 11 March, /AJMEDIA
Japan marks 11th anniversary of quake disaster, Fukushima crisis
TOKYO – Japan on Friday marked the 11th anniversary of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that devastated the country’s northeastern region in 2011 and left more than 15,000 dead.
Infrastructure in the hard-hit areas has largely been rebuilt, but some 38,000 people remain displaced more than a decade after the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and ensuring tsunamis devastated the region and triggered meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex.
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N. Korea tests ICBM system in “serious escalation”: U.S. official
WASHINGTON – North Korea tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile system with its two most recent missile launches, the United States said Thursday based on an assessment conducted in coordination with Japan and South Korea, calling the move a “serious escalation.”
The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden will respond by taking fresh action to stop Pyongyang from further advancing its weapons programs, while remaining open to dialogue with North Korea toward denuclearization, a senior U.S. government official said.
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No progress made in Russia-Ukraine top diplomats’ cease-fire talks
ANTALYA, Turkey – The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine held their first face-to-face cease-fire talks Thursday in Turkey but said no progress was made.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov came out of their meeting in the resort city of Antalya empty-handed, with Kuleba saying in a press conference Kyiv “will not surrender” to Moscow.
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Japan’s Jan. household spending rises 6.9% on year
TOKYO – Japan’s household spending rose a real 6.9 percent in January from a year earlier for the first increase in six months, the government said Friday.
Average spending by households with two or more people was 287,801 yen ($2,480), the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
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G-7 agrees on need to reduce energy reliance on Russia
TOKYO – Energy ministers from the Group of Seven developed nations on Thursday agreed to step up efforts to reduce their dependency on oil and gas imports from Russia over the long term, as its continued assault on Ukraine in defiance of international condemnation has raised concerns about supplies worldwide.
Japanese industry minister Koichi Hagiuda said they also agreed to promote diversification of their energy sources, including using nuclear power and renewable energy, when he met the press after attending an extraordinary online meeting.
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Uniqlo operator to close all stores in Russia as war continues
TOKYO – The operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing chain said Thursday it will temporarily close all 50 of its stores in Russia, joining other global companies in suspending business operations there as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
Fast Retailing Co.’s decision comes after the firm was met with a barrage of criticism on social media for its policy to keep its Russian stores open at a time when rivals were scaling back business there.
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Paralympics: Games must go on to send message of peace, says Parsons
BEIJING – International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said Thursday it is important the 2022 games are delivered successfully despite the ongoing war in Ukraine so a message of peace can be conveyed to the world.
Parsons told Kyodo News in an interview in Beijing there was never a threat to the games going ahead on schedule even after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in late February, approximately a week before the March 4 Paralympic opening ceremony.
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China willing to deepen ties with S. Korea under new president
BEIJING – China on Thursday expressed willingness to deepen relations with South Korea under President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties.
“China congratulates Mr. Yoon on his election as the new president of South Korea,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters, adding Beijing is willing to promote “the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.”
