Tokyo, 12 October, /AJMEDIA/
G-7 leaders warn Russia of “severe consequences” of possible nuke use
TOKYO – Leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized countries on Tuesday warned Russia that any use of a nuclear weapon would be met with “severe consequences,” as they reaffirmed their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Moscow’s aggression.
The G-7 leaders got together following a wave of Russian attacks in retaliation for an operation attributed to Ukrainian forces late last week that damaged a bridge connecting Russia with Crimea. Moscow responded by unleashing one of its largest missile strikes on Ukraine since its invasion began in late February.
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Japan scraps COVID border controls in hopes of reviving tourism boom
TOKYO – Japan removed on Tuesday its cap on daily arrivals and its ban on individual, non-prearranged trips as it seeks to revive the country’s struggling inbound tourism sector by easing its COVID-19 border controls.
In addition to lifting the 50,000-person entry cap and ending the requirement that tourists travel on package tours, Japan will no longer require visitors to obtain a visa if they are citizens of one of 68 countries and regions with which Japan had a waiver agreement before the pandemic.
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IMF cuts 2023 growth outlook amid inflation, monetary tightening
WASHINGTON – The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its global growth forecast for this year at 3.2 percent, but lowered the outlook for next year to 2.7 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from its earlier projection, amid high inflation and monetary policy tightening.
Japan’s growth projection for 2022 was left unchanged at 1.7 percent from the July projection and that for 2023 was downgraded by 0.1 point to 1.6 percent, with the IMF citing rising energy import prices and lower consumption as inflation outpaces wage growth.
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Nissan to exit Russia, sell local operations amid war in Ukraine
TOKYO – Nissan Motor Co. said Tuesday it is pulling out of the Russian market, joining a growing list of companies exiting the country after its invasion of Ukraine.
The company said it is selling its business to a state-run research institute and will post a one-time loss of about 100 billion yen ($686 million). The automaker said it will keep its full-year earnings forecast unchanged despite the loss.
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Japan, Canada to begin talks on security intelligence-sharing pact
TOKYO – The foreign ministers of Japan and Canada agreed Tuesday to begin negotiations on signing an agreement for exchanging intelligence to boost security cooperation.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly announced the two nations’ action plan toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region at a joint press event held after their meeting in Tokyo, with the plan envisioning an agreement on the intel-sharing accord “as soon as possible.”
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Israeli charged with smuggling drugs into Japan dies in detention
YOKOHAMA – An Israeli resident of Japan who was being held at a detention center near Tokyo after being charged in 2020 for smuggling drugs into the country has died, his lawyer said Tuesday.
The facility and the Yokohama District Court had refused to approve special treatment for Amnon Hanoh Tenenboim, 60, even though he was suspected of having a heart condition, lawyer Takashi Takano said.
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Tokyo starts accepting same-sex partnership applications
TOKYO – The Tokyo metropolitan government on Tuesday began accepting applications from sexual minorities to have their partnerships publicly recognized, ahead of the program’s launch on Nov. 1.
Applications under the so-called Tokyo Partnership Oath System are in principle conducted online, including the issuance of certificates showing they have been received, to protect the privacy of applicants.
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Filipino trainee in Japan to seek damages for “maternity harassment”
KUMAMOTO, Japan – A Filipino technical intern in southwestern Japan will sue her employer and an intermediary body for around 5.7 million yen ($39,000) in damages after she allegedly suffered harassment in the workplace, including being forced to sign a form agreeing to return to her country, after becoming pregnant, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
The law on equal opportunity employment for men and women, which also applies to foreign technical trainees, prohibits unfair treatment on the basis of an individual giving birth or becoming pregnant.