Tokyo, 19 September, /AJMEDIA/
Strong typhoon makes landfall in southwestern Japan
TOKYO – A large and powerful typhoon made landfall in Japan’s southwestern region of Kyushu, with the weather agency warning of unprecedented winds and waves, and calling for the highest level of caution.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said Typhoon Nanmadol continued to move slowly northward over Kyushu after making landfall in Kagoshima Prefecture and could travel along the Honshu main island in the coming days. A number of trains and flights have been canceled.
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Japan Cabinet support rate drops to 40.2%, lowest since launch last year
TOKYO – The Japanese Cabinet’s public approval rating dropped to 40.2 percent, a new low since its launch last year, the latest Kyodo News survey showed Sunday, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party struggles to defuse jitters over its controversial links to a religious group and a planned state funeral later in the month for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The rating for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a sharp drop from over 63 percent shortly after the ruling party’s sweeping victory in the upper house election in July and 54.1 percent in the last survey in August.
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M6.8 quake jolts southeastern Taiwan, 2 trapped in building collapse
TAIPEI – A magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck southeastern Taiwan on Sunday, leaving a trail of destruction on the island’s east coast, where two people remain trapped in a collapsed building.
The quake occurred at 2:44 p.m. in Taitung County’s Chishang Township at a depth of 7 kilometers, according to the Seismology Center of the Central Weather Bureau.
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Group of Japanese firms may join Toshiba buyout bidder
TOKYO – A Japanese investment fund seeking to buy out Toshiba Corp. is asking a group of Japanese companies to join hands to clear the second round of bidding for the troubled conglomerate, people close to the matter said Sunday.
By teaming up with domestic companies, the Tokyo-based fund, Japan Industrial Partners, could gain an advantage over other bidders, including U.S. investment fund Bain Capital, in clearing government screening of offers for Toshiba, which is deemed crucial to Japan’s national security because of its nuclear power and defense businesses.
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Japan over 75s top 15% of population for 1st time
TOKYO – For the first time, Japan’s over 75s account for over 15 percent of the population after their cohort rose by 720,000 to 19.37 million people, government data released Sunday showed, in further evidence of the country’s rapidly graying society.
Also hitting record highs this year were the over 65s, or seniors, accounting for 29.1 percent of the population, or 36.27 million people, according to Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications data released ahead of Monday’s Respect for the Aged Day holiday.
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Japan, ASEAN to deepen economic ties toward 50th friendship anniv.
TOKYO – Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed Sunday to deepen economic ties in areas such as supply chain resiliency ahead of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan friendship.
During an in-person meeting of economy ministers in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the two sides affirmed cooperation in building a system for corporations in each country to share information on their supply inventories.
