Tokyo, 20 November, /AJMEDIA/
Japan’s Kishida mulls replacing scandal-hit internal affairs minister
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering replacing internal affairs minister Minoru Terada, who is mired in a funds-related scandal, and he is set to make a final decision as early as Sunday, administration sources said Saturday.
The premier told reporters in Bangkok earlier Saturday he will decide on Terada’s fate based on the need for Cabinet ministers to explain their conduct and for the government to focus its efforts on dealing with policy challenges.
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Most APEC leaders strongly condemn Russia over war on Ukraine
BANGKOK – Most of the leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Saturday strongly condemned Russia for invading Ukraine, saying the war has adversely impacted the global economy.
In a leaders’ declaration issued after a two-day summit in Bangkok, most of the APEC leaders said the war in Ukraine is “exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy,” citing increased inflation, supply chain disruption, heightened energy and food insecurity, and elevated financial stability risks.
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Malaysians vote in general election amid political instability
KUALA LUMPUR – Vote counting was under way in Malaysia’s general election Saturday after polling stations closed, with a high turnout expected to favor the coalition led by Anwar Ibrahim, opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, though whether it can win is still unknown.
Amid political instability in the country that has seen three leadership changes in the past four years, control of the 220 seats in the lower house of parliament and 116 seats in three state assemblies is at stake. The contests for two parliamentary seats was postponed due to death of a candidate and bad weather.
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Figure skating: Uno retains NHK Trophy men’s crown
SAPPORO – World champion Shoma Uno successfully defended his men’s title Saturday at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating’s NHK Trophy, beating short program winner Sota Yamamoto in a 1-2 finish for Japan.
Uno scored 188.10 for his free skate to total 279.76 at Makomanai Sekisuiheim Ice Arena, finishing 21.91 ahead of Yamamoto, who claimed his second straight silver medal on the Grand Prix circuit. South Korea’s Cha Jun Hwan took bronze with 254.76.
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N. Korea reveals Kim’s daughter, fuels successor speculation
BEIJING – North Korea reported on leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter for the first time on Saturday, with photos released of a young girl who appeared to be her alongside him, fueling speculation on whether she is a potential successor to her father.
One photo taken Friday when North Korea says it successfully test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile showed Kim’s daughter in a white jacket next to his wife Ri Sol Ju, with Kim in the foreground. She could be “Ju Ae,” and from her appearance is likely either the first or second of three children believed to have been born between Kim and Ri.
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FIFA boss says World Cup critics should focus on soccer
DOHA – FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Saturday used his opening press conference of the World Cup in Qatar to slam media critics of the host nation, singling out European outlets for their “hypocrisy.”
In an impassioned hourlong monologue, the 52-year-old Swiss railed against the media’s focus on the rights of foreign workers, LGBTQ people and women in the conservative Middle Eastern nation, calling for engagement instead of editorializing.
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Giant panda gifted to Taiwan from China dies after seizures
TAIPEI – A giant male panda in the Taipei Zoo, Tuan Tuan, died Saturday afternoon after having multiple seizures since early morning, the zoo said. The 18-year-old was one of two pandas gifted to Taiwan from China.
Tuan Tuan was pronounced dead at 1:48 p.m., zoo spokesman Eric Tsao told a press conference. The panda’s age was the equivalent of 67 years for a human being.
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Federer shares memories with Japanese stars at kids’ event
TOKYO – Twenty-time tennis Grand Slam singles champion Roger Federer reflected on the reality of retirement, his history with Japan’s Kei Nishikori and the advice he gave to wheelchair tennis star Shingo Kunieda on Saturday.
Federer, Nishikori, Kunieda and British wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid participated in a question-and-answer session before a clinic at Tokyo’s Ariake Tennis Park sponsored by the Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo.
