Tokyo, 3 September, /AJMEDIA/
G-7 agree on Russian oil price cap to deplete Moscow’s war chest
TOKYO/WASHINGTON – Finance chiefs from the Group of Seven advanced economies agreed Friday to cap Russian oil prices in their latest effort to squeeze Moscow’s revenues for its war in Ukraine while preventing global energy prices from surging by keeping crude flowing.
The measure will take effect on Dec. 5 for crude oil and Feb. 5 for petroleum products, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters after the virtual meeting that also involved Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, plus the European Union.
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U.S. envoy for N. Korea to visit Tokyo for talks with Japan, S. Korea
WASHINGTON – U.S. special representative for North Korea Sung Kim will make a three-day visit to Tokyo from Wednesday and take part in a trilateral meeting involving his Japanese and South Korean counterparts, the State Department said Friday.
Pyongyang is believed to have completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test and first since September 2017, and there is speculation it could go ahead with it soon.
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U.S. Air Force OKs Osprey flights after grounding them for safety
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force on Friday decided to resume flights of its Ospreys after grounding them due to safety concerns in August, a move that could affect the tilt-rotor aircraft stationed in Japan.
The U.S. Air Force indicated that the decision came without getting to the bottom of the safety issue for its CV-22s, which concerns a malfunctioning clutch inside a gearbox connecting the engine to the propeller rotor.
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Biden to host 1st U.S.-Pacific island summit as China’s clout grows
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will host a first-ever summit with leaders of Pacific island nations in late September, the White House said Friday, signaling U.S. interest in the region where China is seeking to expand its influence.
The two-day summit from Sept. 28 in Washington will reflect “deepening cooperation on key issues such as climate change, pandemic response, economic recovery, maritime security, environmental protection, and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
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South Korea foreign minister meets Japan wartime labor plaintiffs
SEOUL – South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with Korean plaintiffs in Japanese wartime labor cases on Friday as the government of President Yoon Seok Yeol works to solve the issue before it inflames tensions with Tokyo.
There is speculation that the South Korean Supreme Court may soon finalize a court order to liquidate assets seized from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., one of two Japanese firms the top court had found liable for forced labor during World War II.
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India commissions 1st domestically built aircraft carrier
NEW DELHI – India commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier, Vikrant, in the southern state of Kerala on Friday, boosting its defense capability amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.
The 262.5-meter long Vikrant, meaning “powerful” in Hindi, is India’s second aircraft carrier after the Vikramaditya which India purchased from Russia.
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G-20 ministers vow urgent action to boost clean energy investment
NUSA DUA, Indonesia – Energy chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies vowed urgent action on Friday to boost clean energy investment to realize a carbon neutral society but failed to issue a joint statement amid a rift over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The ministers could not reach a consensus on putting out a joint statement during their one-day meeting on the Indonesian island of Bali to discuss a transition toward cleaner energy sources and bolstering energy security.
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Google expands app billing options in Japan, Europe, among others
NEW YORK – Google LLC has started allowing smartphone app developers to use payment options other than its own as part of a reduced-fee pilot program in Japan, some other Asian countries and Europe, possibly leading to lower app prices for Android users.
Google began to accept applications Thursday from developers of apps, excluding games, who want to use credit cards or other settlement methods outside Google’s system, according to a notification by the California-based IT giant.
