Tokyo, 30 May, /AJMEDIA/
South Korea ship conducted survey near disputed isles: Japan gov’t
TOKYO – Japan said Sunday it has confirmed a South Korean research vessel conducted a marine survey in waters off disputed islets within Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan.
The ship “Hae Yang 2000” was found to have extended a wire-like object into the sea off the pair of islets without prior consent from Tokyo, according to a statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Japan gov’t to fight damages suit filed by kin of dead Sri Lankan
NAGOYA – The Japanese government will fight a 156 million yen ($1.23 million) damages lawsuit filed by relatives of a Sri Lankan woman who died last year while in custody at an immigration center in central Japan, sources close to the matter said Sunday.
The family of Ratnayake Liyanage Wishma Sandamali, who alleges she was illegally detained and died due to a lack of necessary medical care, filed the lawsuit at the Nagoya District Court in March, two days before the first anniversary of her death.
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COVID-19 movement restrictions in Pyongyang lifted: source
BEIJING – COVID-19 movement restrictions were lifted in North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang Sunday, weeks after the first novel coronavirus case was reported in the country, an informed source in Beijing said.
Earlier in the day, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea had decided at its key meeting that it would coordinate “the anti-epidemic regulations and guidelines given the current stable anti-epidemic situation.”
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Small plane with 22 people on board goes missing in Nepal
KATHMANDU – A small plane with 22 passengers and crew members on board, headed to a popular tourist destination in Nepal, went missing Sunday morning, police and airline officials said.
A Twin Otter plane operated by privately run Tara Air took off shortly before 10 a.m. from the resort town of Pokhara in central Nepal, heading northwest to Jomsom, a town known to trekkers, according to an airline official who spoke to Kyodo News by phone.
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M5.4 quake hits off Ibaraki Pref. in Japan’s east
TOKYO – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 struck off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan’s east on Sunday, but there was no threat of a tsunami, the country’s weather agency said.
The quake, which occurred around 3:55 p.m. with the focus at a depth of about 50 kilometers, registered 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of Ibaraki, northeast of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
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Acute food insecurity hits around 193 mil. people, new high: report
TOKYO – Around 193 million people worldwide experienced acute food insecurity in 2021, a new high, with Russia’s war in Ukraine expected to aggravate the situation, a report by international humanitarian and development groups says.
Calling for urgent international assistance, the annual Global Report on Food Crises, released May 4, looked at 53 countries and territories. The main drivers were conflicts, weather extremes, and macroeconomic shocks, mainly caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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4 Japan universities to apply for 10 tril. yen gov’t fund: survey
TOKYO – Four Japanese national universities plan to apply for a 10 trillion yen ($79 billion) fund established by the government to bring institutions up to par with the world’s top universities, a recent Kyodo News survey showed.
Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nagoya University and Osaka University intend to apply for the funds, established as part of the government’s efforts to promote science and technology in Japan.
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Rugby: Smothering defense carries Wild Knights to League One title
TOKYO – Smothering defense and two unanswered tries carried Saitama Wild Knights to an 18-12 win over Tokyo Sungoliath in the inaugural League One championship final Sunday.
Marika Koroibete and Dylan Riley crossed for the Robbie Deans-coached Wild Knights, who prevented the No. 1 regular-season team scoring a five-pointer at Tokyo’s National Stadium.