Tokyo, 9 March, /AJMEDIA
Japan sends bulletproof vests from defense forces to Ukraine
TOKYO – Japan on Tuesday sent bulletproof vests and helmets from its Self-Defense Forces to Ukraine in a rare delivery of such equipment to a country under armed attack.
The delivery of SDF supplies reflects Japan’s increased commitment to helping Ukraine amid the Russian aggression and comes after the government revised its guidelines on the transfer of defense equipment to make the shipment possible.
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U.S. bans Russian oil, other energy imports amid Ukraine invasion
WASHINGTON – The United States on Tuesday announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports, in what can be seen as a highly symbolic move to punish Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine but which could risk driving crude prices higher amid concerns over supply disruptions.
Britain also said the same day it will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, while the European Union, which relies more heavily on Russian energy resources, unveiled a plan to eventually become independent from Russian fossil fuels.
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Voting starts in South Korea’s presidential election
SEOUL – Voting began Wednesday to elect South Korea’s next president to succeed Moon Jae In after a neck-and-neck presidential race between the ruling party’s Lee Jae Myung and the main opposition party’s Yoon Suk Yeol.
Among over 44 million eligible voters, about 37 percent have cast their ballots in early voting on Friday and Saturday. Over 14,400 polling stations opened at 6 a.m.
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Japan’s real GDP growth in Oct.-Dec. downgraded to annualized 4.6%
TOKYO – Japan’s economy in the October-December period grew an annualized real 4.6 percent from the previous quarter, down from the initially reported expansion of 5.4 percent, government data showed Wednesday.
The increase in real gross domestic product, the total value of goods and services produced in the country adjusted for inflation, corresponds to a 1.1 percent rise on a seasonally adjusted quarterly basis, according to the Cabinet Office.
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China’s Xi conveys to France, Germany opposition to Russia sanctions
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday voiced opposition to punitive sanctions on Russia by Western countries over its attack on Ukraine during a trilateral video summit with his French and German counterparts, state-run media reported.
Xi also told French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that China is willing to “play an active role” in settling the ongoing crisis “according to the needs of all parties concerned,” the media said without elaborating.
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Japan accepts 8 Ukrainians displaced by Russian invasion
TOKYO – Japan’s justice minister said Tuesday the government has accepted into the country eight people displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, following an earlier announcement by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to do so as Tokyo ramps up its humanitarian support.
“We will work together with the relevant ministries and agencies so that we can proactively and swiftly accept” evacuees from Ukraine, Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa said at a parliament session.
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Senior Japan, U.S. officials to meet this week over Ukraine
TOKYO – Senior foreign and defense officials from Japan and the United States plan to meet in Tokyo this week to coordinate their responses to the Ukraine crisis, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.
The director-general level meeting is also intended to bolster the bilateral alliance to better cope with closer defense cooperation between China and Russia in East Asia, the sources said.
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Japan’s JCB to halt Russia credit card operations over Ukraine crisis
TOKYO – Japanese credit card giant JCB Co. said Tuesday it will suspend its operations in Russia over the country’s invasion of Ukraine from next Monday.
JCB cards issued in Russia will no longer be supported outside the country, while JCB cards issued outside of Russia will be unusable in the country.
