Tokyo, 9 September, /AJMEDIA/
Queen Elizabeth, one of world’s longest-reigning monarchs, dies at 96
LONDON – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, one of the world’s longest-serving monarchs and revered around the globe, died Thursday, Buckingham Palace said. She was 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said. The queen was vacationing at the castle in Scotland.
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Indo-Pacific ministers begin economic talks toward formal negotiation
LOS ANGELES – Ministers from 14 member states of a U.S.-led Indo-Pacific initiative began a two-day meeting Thursday in Los Angeles, hoping to declare the start of formal negotiations for codifying a rules-based economic order in the region where China is increasing its clout.
In the first in-person ministerial gathering of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, or IPEF, participants are expected to release a ministerial statement containing an agreement on cooperation for recovery of supply chains of vital products, such as semiconductors and critical minerals, in the event of disaster and contingency.
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Half of Japan’s ruling LDP lawmakers had ties with Unification Church
TOKYO – Around half of the lawmakers belonging to Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party had connections with a contentious religious group believed to be a major reason behind the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the party said Thursday.
The outcome of the LDP’s internal survey sheds light on the deep-rooted relations between the party, headed by Abe for more than eight years, and the Unification Church, which has become the source of controversy since he was shot on July 8 during an election campaign speech.
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Japan to draw up economic package in Oct. to fight inflation: Kishida
TOKYO – Japan will compile a new economic package in October to cope with rising prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine and may draft a supplementary budget to fund it, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.
“We will consider what steps to take in a comprehensive economic package to be compiled in October in consultation with the ruling parties,” Kishida told reporters at his office. “Based on this, we will decide whether to form a supplementary budget at an appropriate time.”
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State funeral for Abe “appropriate” given achievements: Japan PM Kishida
TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated Thursday that a state funeral for former leader Shinzo Abe is “appropriate” given his achievements as the country’s longest-serving premier, with the approval ratings for the Cabinet sliding due largely to the issue.
As opposition to the slain former leader’s state funeral is mounting at home with a significant focus on his suspicious ties with a contentious religious group, Kishida appeared in a parliamentary session to debate the Sept. 27 event for Abe.
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Olympics: IOC postpones session in India, delaying 2030 Games decision
GENEVA – The International Olympic Committee said Thursday next year’s IOC Session in Mumbai, India, has been postponed by several months to Sept. or Oct., pushing back the announcement of the successful 2030 Winter Games bid, with Sapporo among the hosting candidates.
The IOC Executive Board decided to postpone the session from its May 30 start date due to internal ructions and governance issues within the Indian Olympic Committee, adding that failure to resolve the matters could lead the body to be suspended and the IOC gathering moved elsewhere.
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Yen stays under pressure near 144 line as gov’t warning sounds hollow
TOKYO – The yen slightly slowed its slide but mostly remained under pressure around the 144 line against the U.S. dollar Thursday in Tokyo as verbal warnings from Japanese finance authorities apparently failed to significantly change the course of trading.
Tokyo stocks, meanwhile, rebounded sharply, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street, with investors also buying battered shares after the benchmark Nikkei average ended at its lowest level in a month and a half on Wednesday.
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Japan dangles threat of all options to arrest rapid yen declines
TOKYO – Japan has left all the available options on the table to respond if recent “excessively volatile” yen movements continue, its top currency diplomat said Thursday, after the currency plunged to a 24-year low against the U.S. dollar.
Masato Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, said the yen’s recent fluctuations are “extremely concerning.” The remark came after a tripartite meeting among officials from the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Japan and the Financial Services Agency.
