Tokyo, 17 May, /AJMEDIA/
Sweden follows Finland in applying for NATO membership
STOCKHOLM – Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson formally announced Monday that her country will apply for NATO membership, ending more than 200 years of military neutrality in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The announcement comes on the heels of a similarly historic declaration by Finland, ready to risk Russia’s ire to gain security against its powerful neighbor through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s collective defense guarantee.
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Court finds COVID restrictions for Tokyo restaurant chain illegal
TOKYO – A Japanese court ruled Monday that an order by the Tokyo metropolitan government for a restaurant chain operator to reduce business hours amid the coronavirus pandemic was illegal, finding the case did not fulfill certain conditions.
But the Tokyo District Court rejected a claim by Global-Dining Inc. that imposing blanket restrictions without offering evidence that eateries are a source of infections violates the freedom of business guaranteed under the Constitution.
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New S. Korea envoy to Japan says trust-building can mend soured ties
SEOUL – Yun Duk Min, the next South Korean ambassador to Japan under the new Yoon administration, said Monday that trust-building efforts by the countries’ leaders could help resolve issues that have sent their ties to the lowest point in decades.
Yun, a former head of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy known for his knowledge of Japan, said bilateral relations should not deteriorate any further under new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office last week.
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Some residents of Fukushima village can finally return home in June
FUKUSHIMA, Japan – Some residents who used to live in part of a Fukushima village that is still off-limits due to high radiation levels from the 2011 nuclear disaster will finally be allowed to return home as an evacuation order will be lifted on June 12, officials said Monday.
Even more than a decade after the disaster, a zone totaling about 337 square kilometers remains subject to the order. Of the “difficult-to-return” zone, authorities have decided to end the designation for a 0.95 square km area in Katsurao, a village near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as radiation decontamination has progressed.
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Japan inks 13 bil. yen loan deal to rescue Ukraine economy
TOKYO – Japan signed a 13 billion yen ($100 million) loan agreement with Ukraine Monday, offering financial assistance as the country faces an economic crisis due to Russia’s invasion.
The aid will be co-financed with the World Bank and incorporated into the Ukrainian government’s budget, the Japan International Cooperation Agency said. Ukraine will not use the funds for military purposes.
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U.S. welcomes Finland, Sweden intentions to seek NATO membership
WASHINGTON – The United States welcomes the recent statements from Finland and Sweden on their intentions to seek NATO membership and will “strongly support” the applications when they are formally presented, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday.
“We believe in NATO’s open-door policies, and the right of each country to decide its own future foreign policy and security arrangements,” she told a press conference, her first as a successor to Jen Psaki who served for more than a year as press secretary under the administration of President Joe Biden.
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Japan to help Ukrainian evacuees find jobs
TOKYO – Japan’s welfare ministry said Monday it will offer specialized job assistance services for Ukrainian evacuees starting this week in Tokyo and Osaka.
Ukrainian people who have fled to Japan since Russia’s invasion of their country will have access to free consultations on job hunting and requirements for obtaining residency, according to the ministry.
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U.S. to re-establish military presence in Somalia after pullout
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden has decided to re-establish a persistent U.S. military presence in Somalia, a senior administration official said Monday, reversing a pullout order issued by his predecessor Donald Trump.
The redeployment, which will involve fewer than 500 troops, is intended to increase the safety and effectiveness of U.S. special operators who have been moving in and out of the East African country to help with counterterrorism.
