Tokyo, 17 November, /AJMEDIA/
G-20 declaration condemns war in Ukraine after Russia’s compromise
NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies on Wednesday barely adopted a declaration denouncing the ongoing war in Ukraine by diplomacy and compromise, following sharp differences between Western democracies and Russia over how to describe the aggression.
The declaration issued after their summit in Indonesia’s Bali said, “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine,” demanding Russia’s “complete and unconditional withdrawal” from its neighbor. But it also said, “There were other views and different assessments of the situation and sanctions.”
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G-7, NATO affirm cooperation as missile hits Poland amid Ukraine war
NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations and members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wednesday affirmed their close cooperation following a deadly missile strike in NATO member Poland’s territory amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
After a hastily convened meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit, U.S. President Joe Biden appeared to try to tamp down tensions, telling reporters it is “unlikely” that the missile that landed in Poland was fired from Russia.
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Japan has entered 8th wave of COVID-19 pandemic, medical body says
TOKYO – Japan has entered the eighth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, marking a period where “high-risk behaviors” should be controlled based on the “judgment of each individual,” the Japan Medical Association said Wednesday.
“As medical resources are limited, a sharp increase in COVID-19 patients would put a strain on the health care system,” Satoshi Kamayachi, an executive board member of the association, said at a press conference.
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APEC summit to focus on energy security amid rift over Ukraine war
TOKYO – Pacific-rim leaders will hold a two-day meeting from Friday in Bangkok, focusing on ways to address surging energy and food prices and supply chain disruptions sparked by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
During the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit, the leaders are likely to agree to advance trade, investment and economic integration to spur growth in the regional economy.
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Toyota unveils new Prius in bid to push hybrids amid rise of EVs
TOKYO – Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday unveiled the latest iteration of its flagship Prius hybrid car with improved acceleration performance, emphasizing its stance that hybrid cars are still a viable option in achieving carbon neutrality amid the rising popularity of electric vehicles.
The latest model, its fifth generation, marks the first full-model change of the car in about seven years. The Japanese carmaker said it has made the vehicle’s exterior design sportier while adopting the latest hybrid system to realize high fuel efficiency.
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Moon rocket carrying Japan lander blasts off for uncrewed flight
WASHINGTON – An uncrewed U.S. spacecraft was successfully put on course to fly around the Moon and return to Earth after being launched by NASA’s megarocket on Wednesday, as the U.S. space agency aims for future flights with astronauts under the Artemis lunar exploration project.
The Orion spacecraft, mounted atop the rocket along with mini devices including a Japanese lunar lander, was successfully separated from the vehicle after the 1:47 a.m. liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to NASA.
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Japan foreign arrivals in Oct. up 22.5-fold from 2021
TOKYO – The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in October increased 22.5-fold from a year earlier to 498,600, government data showed Wednesday, as the country removed almost all COVID-19 entry restrictions in that month.
The figure was down 80.0 percent from October in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 but improved somewhat from March 2020, when the country started to see a decline of 90 percent or more in its foreign arrivals, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.
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FOCUS: New Japanese chipmaker Rapidus joins development, investment race
TOKYO – New Japanese chip production company Rapidus Corp. is facing daunting challenges as it tries to catch up with Asian rivals in the technology development and investment race, leaving a shaky outlook for the country as it attempts to revive its once-thriving industry.
Created by Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Group Corp. and six other major Japanese companies with a total investment of 7.3 billion yen ($52 million), the next-generation semiconductor venture plans to mass-produce chips with state-of-the-art 2-nanometer technology in Japan in 2027. Such advanced chips can be used for 5G communications, quantum computing, data centers, self-driving vehicles and digital smart cities.