Tokyo, 14 May, /AJMEDIA/
Japan firms’ net profit in Jan.-March falls 41.3% on cost hikes
TOKYO – The total net profit of listed companies in Japan dropped 41.3 percent to 4.94 trillion yen ($38.34 billion) in the January to March period from the previous quarter, reflecting the surge in raw material costs prompted by the Ukraine crisis, according to a recent tally by a securities firm.
Even excluding SoftBank Group Corp., an investment giant that reported a record net loss Thursday, the companies saw a 16.0 percent fall in combined net profit in the first quarter, show data from SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
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EU council chief condemns Russian nuclear threat in Hiroshima
HIROSHIMA – European Council President Charles Michel condemned Russia on Friday for threatening to use nuclear weapons following its invasion of Ukraine, saying during his Hiroshima visit it is a “shameful and unacceptable” threat to global security.
In one of the two Japanese cities devastated by the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings at the end of World War II, Michel said he feels “seized by an intense determination” to eliminate nuclear weapons after visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
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Japan accepted 74 refugees in 2021, highest on record
TOKYO – Japan granted refugee status to 74 people seeking asylum in 2021, the highest level since it began recognizing refugees in 1982, the immigration agency said Friday.
While the number jumped from 27 in 2020, it remains significantly lower than in the West, where some countries accept more than 10,000 refugees annually.
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Japan, Ukraine top diplomats agree to keep strong sanctions on Russia
WEISSENHAUS, Germany – The foreign ministers of Japan and Ukraine agreed Friday that the international community should remain united in maintaining strong sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, now in its third month with the war showing no signs of easing.
During talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Weissenhaus, northern Germany, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Russia must be “held accountable over its atrocities,” calling its actions “unacceptable,” the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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N. Korea seems ready for nuclear test: S. Korea presidential office
SEOUL – North Korea seems ready for its seventh nuclear test, an official of South Korea’s presidential office said Friday.
Before conducting such a test, Pyongyang may test-fire more missiles of several types, the official added, although the North has carried out missile launches 15 times since January, including the test-firing of three short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday.
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U.S., Russia defense chiefs speak for 1st time since Ukraine invasion
WASHINGTON – The U.S. and Russian defense chiefs spoke by phone Friday for the first time since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressing for an immediate cease-fire, the Pentagon said.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had agreed to the call after the United States “consistently” asked for one, but it did not appear to result in any major change to Russia’s stance on the war, a U.S. defense official said.
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Body possibly of person from sunken boat found on disputed isle
SAPPORO – The body of a woman who may be one of the missing people from a tourist boat that sank off Hokkaido has been found washed ashore on Kunashiri Island, one of four Russia-controlled, Japan-claimed islands, the Japan Coast Guard said Friday.
The body was found May 6, according to the information provided Tuesday by Russian authorities, the coast guard said. Twelve passengers remain unaccounted for, with none found since April 28, five days after the boat went missing. Fourteen people have been confirmed dead.
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Quad eyes highlighting respect for sovereignty amid Russia’s invasion
WASHINGTON – Japan, the United States, Australia and India are seeking to underscore respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when their leaders meet and issue a joint statement later this month, sources close to the matter said Friday.
The “Quad” summit, the second in-person meeting of its kind, will take place in Tokyo on May 24 at a time when cohesion among the four major democracies is being tested by Moscow’s aggression as India historically has close ties with Russia and stood out by not explicitly condemning its war.