Tokyo, 05 March, /AJMEDIA/
China sets modest 2023 GDP goal of some 5% after COVID
BEIJING – China on Sunday set a modest gross domestic product growth target for 2023 at around 5 percent after missing its goal last year due to the economic fallout from its now-ended “zero-COVID” policy.
The target figure, which is slightly down from approximately 5.5 percent in 2022, was unveiled at the opening of an annual session of parliament. Last year, the world’s second-biggest economy registered just a 3.0 percent expansion from the 2021 figure.
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South Korea to unveil solution to wartime labor rift with Japan on March 6
SEOUL – The South Korean government plans to announce its solution to a wartime labor compensation dispute with Japan on Monday morning, according to diplomatic sources.
Seoul has been considering providing compensation payments to former Korean laborers through a government-backed South Korean foundation, instead of requiring Japanese companies to pay the damages as ordered by South Korean court rulings.
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Hiroshima group makes int’l “okonomiyaki” dishes to tempt G-7 leaders
HIROSHIMA – With world leaders set to gather in Hiroshima for May’s Group of Seven summit, a food academy is aiming to make local favorite “okonomiyaki” pancakes a global hit with new twists that pay homage to member countries’ cuisine.
A U.S.-style burger okonomiyaki and one featuring a German sausage and sauerkraut selection are among the variations organizers hope will prove beguiling enough to convince the deluge of summit-related visitors to take the recipes home.
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Japan’s H3 rocket’s maiden launch pushed back to March 7
TOKYO – Japan’s new flagship H3 rocket is scheduled to be launched for the first time Tuesday, one day later than planned due to unfavorable weather conditions, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Saturday.
The rocket, which has been plagued with repeated launch delays, including one in mid-February, is slated to blast off from Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima Island in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima, sometime between 10:37 a.m. and 10:44 a.m.
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G-7 should vow “no first use” of nukes at Hiroshima summit: ex-mayor
LONDON – The Group of Seven industrialized nations should declare a nuclear weapon “no first use” policy during a summit in May in Hiroshima, the former mayor of the atomic-bombed Japanese city said in a speech on Saturday in London.
Japan, as host of the summit, can lead efforts to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to not use nuclear weapons in his war on Ukraine, but G-7 members should “aim higher,” said Tadatoshi Akiba during a ceremony where he received a peace award from a British Islamic group.
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40% of firms want BOJ to scale down monetary easing: survey
TOKYO – Some 40 percent of companies want the Bank of Japan to scale down its ultraloose monetary policy over the next year, a recent survey by research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd. showed.
Of around 1,000 valid respondents, 39.6 percent called for a scaling back of the stimulus program, while 36.4 percent said the central bank should maintain its current policy aimed at keeping interest rates at very low levels to support the economy.
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Athletics: Gelmisa leads Ethiopian trifecta at Tokyo Marathon
TOKYO – Ethiopia’s Deso Gelmisa outsprinted compatriot Mohamed Esa down the final stretch to claim a thrilling victory in Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon.
The 25-year-old Gelmisa clocked a winning time of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 22 seconds as he crossed the finish line in the capital’s Marunouchi district less than a second ahead of Esa.
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Speed skating: Leerdam wins 1,000 world title, Japan’s Takagi 3rd
HEERENVEEN, Netherlands – Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam continued her dominance of the women’s 1,000 meters at the world championships Saturday, beating compatriot Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong and Japan’s Olympic gold medalist Miho Takagi to the title in Heerenveen.
The runner-up to Takagaki at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, Leerdam finished the season unbeaten over 1,000 meters with a decisive victory on home ice at the Thialf arena, clocking 1 minute, 13.03 seconds to finish 1.23 seconds ahead of Rijpma-de Jong.
