Tokyo, 10 May, /AJMEDIA/
U.S. Indo-Pacific economic initiative launch eyed in May: Japan envoy
WASHINGTON – The U.S. government is aiming to launch its Indo-Pacific economic engagement initiative around the time of President Joe Biden’s visit to Japan later in May, Japanese envoy to the United States Koji Tomita said Monday.
“I’m expecting the visit will also coincide with the formal launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework initiative,” Tomita said during an online think-tank event, adding that the initiative will be “very important” for the creation of a “free and open” region where China has been increasing its clout.
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Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sweeps election to become next Philippine leader
MANILA – Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, won a landslide victory in Monday’s presidential election to become the country’s next president, according to early returns and local media.
The 64-year-old has vowed to continue President Rodrigo Duterte’s policies such as the “war on drugs,” which has left thousands of civilians dead, and the Philippines’ friendly ties with China despite a territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
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Japan’s foreign minister, next South Korean counterpart vow to mend ties
SEOUL – Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his incoming South Korean counterpart Park Jin on Monday agreed on the need for their countries to thaw icy relations caused by decades-old wartime issues.
As for regional issues, the ministers affirmed the importance of strengthening trilateral cooperation involving the United States to deal with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats as they met in Seoul on the eve of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol’s inauguration, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Putin calls Russia’s military operation in Ukraine “right decision”
KYIV – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday stressed the “special military operation” in Ukraine was the “only right decision” for his country during a speech at an annual event to mark the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
In a public address during Victory Day celebrations at Red Square in central Moscow, Putin justified sending troops into Ukraine as a “pre-emptive rebuff to aggression” from member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, saying the security bloc had created an “absolutely unacceptable threat.”
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China tells Germany escalation of Ukraine crisis should be avoided
BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the international community should make efforts to prevent the ongoing Ukraine crisis from turning into an “unmanageable situation,” state-run media reported.
Xi was also quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as telling Scholz by video link that Europe should seek to solve Russia’s invasion of its neighbor “in a responsible way,” at a time when Germany has been providing military support for Ukraine.
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Japan vigilant against China navy activity involving aircraft carrier
TOKYO – Japan is keeping a close watch on the Chinese navy’s activities in waters around the nation after fighter jets and helicopters were seen taking off from and landing on a Chinese aircraft carrier off the southwestern prefecture of Okinawa, the top government spokesman said Monday.
The activities could be part of China’s efforts to bolster its joint aerial and maritime operational capabilities in the Pacific, and Japan will continue to take heed of the situation and keep up surveillance at sea and in the air, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press briefing.
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60-meter-long spiral slide opens at Osaka’s iconic Tsutenkaku Tower
OSAKA – A 60-meter-long spiral slide attached to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower in the western Japan city of Osaka opened to the public Monday, giving riders a roughly 10-second thrill of going down on their backs while getting a view of the area.
The new attraction, named Tower Slider, takes people from the third floor of the observation tower at 22 meters above ground to the first basement floor. About 40 people lined up before the ride’s opening at the 108-meter-high tower, a famous tourist spot with its surrounding area known for having a retro atmosphere.
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Tennis: Naomi Osaka out of Italian Open with injured Achilles tendon
TOKYO – Japan’s Naomi Osaka said Monday she is pulling out of the ongoing Italian Open due to pain in her left Achilles tendon.
The former world No. 1 went out in the Madrid Open second round on May 1 having suffered the discomfort earlier in the tournament. Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain, who knocked Osaka out of that tournament, was to face her again in the first round in Rome.