Tokyo, 13 May, /AJMEDIA/
U.S. vows $150 mil. in investment to ASEAN amid China’s growing clout
WASHINGTON – The United States on Thursday pledged over $150 million in investment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for maritime cooperation, infrastructure and other initiatives as it kicked off a two-day summit with the 10-member group in Washington.
The gathering is intended to demonstrate the commitment the United States has to the Indo-Pacific, where China has been increasing its clout and making extensive claims in regional waters.
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North Korea fires 3 short-range ballistic missiles
SEOUL/TOKYO – North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Thursday, the South Korean military said, days after the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has indicated he will take a hard-line stance with Pyongyang.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched the missiles from Pyongyang’s Sunan area at around 6:29 p.m. toward the Sea of Japan.
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Japan PM vows to help developing nations’ COVID response with $5 bil.
TOKYO – Japan will assist developing nations with their anti-coronavirus steps with cumulative assistance worth $5 billion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday during a global summit aimed at galvanizing efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
In a video message, Kishida said Japan will continue to promote vaccinations so the world can see an end to the pandemic. At the same time, he pledged Japan will do its part to strengthen the global health system to prepare for future pandemics.
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Chinese aircraft carrier’s activity “security concern”: Japan officer
TOKYO – Japan’s top uniformed officer of the Defense Ministry said Thursday that recent activities by China’s navy, including fighter jets taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier near the southern prefecture of Okinawa, are “a security concern.”
Gen. Koji Yamazaki, chief of the ministry’s Joint Staff, aired a strong sense of caution against the activities “held in waters close to Japan” with the aim of “bolstering navigating capabilities of the aircraft carrier in the Pacific region” when speaking at a press conference in Tokyo.
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Hong Kong’s Cardinal Zen arrested under national security law
HONG KONG – Hong Kong police have arrested veteran church leader Cardinal Joseph Zen and four others for allegedly colluding with foreign forces, according to local media reports on Thursday.
Zen, 90, has long been an advocate of democratic causes in Hong Kong and mainland China, as well as an outspoken critic of the Communist Party of China led by Xi Jinping, its general secretary who is president of the country.
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U.N. panel to probe alleged human rights abuses in Ukraine
GENEVA – The U.N. Human Rights Council agreed by a majority vote Thursday to scrutinize alleged human rights violations committed by Russia in northeastern regions of Ukraine, including Bucha, in late February and March 2022.
The independent commission, launched in March, will be tasked with investigating and preserving evidence of human rights violations by Russia in the war-torn country.
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Nissan returns to black for 1st time in 3 yrs in fiscal 2021
TOKYO – Nissan Motor Co. said Thursday it logged a net profit of 215.53 billion yen ($1.67 billion) in the last fiscal year, returning to the black after two straight years of massive losses, as its earnings were helped by a weaker yen against the U.S. dollar.
The automaker said it expects net profit to fall 30.4 percent to 150 billion yen for the current business year through March 2023 amid a global shortage of semiconductors and surging raw material prices.
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NTT appoints Shimada as new president ahead of reorganization
TOKYO – Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. said Thursday it has appointed Senior Executive Vice President Akira Shimada as its president as the Japanese telecommunications giant plans to reorganize its business structure.
NTT also said its net profit for fiscal 2021 stood at 1.18 trillion yen ($9.2 billion), up 28.9 percent from a year earlier, surpassing 1 trillion yen for the first time due to increased demand by firms for new digital systems amid the coronavirus pandemic.
