Wednesday, April 21We Break the News

Tag: Japan

Sep92020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Coronavirus – Mauritius: Telephone Talk between Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth

Coronavirus – Mauritius: Telephone Talk between Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO, Japan -- On September 7, commencing at around 15:35 for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone talk with the Honorable Pravind Jugnauth, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius.At the outset, Minister MOTEGI paid respect to the government and the people of Mauritius for responding to the oil spill off its coast under difficult circumstances. Minister MOTEGI also explained that the Government of Japan took the accident very seriously, and upon the request of Mauritius, immediately dispatched the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Expert Teams as well as provided equipment, and expressed his intention to continue to send experts. Following the outset remarks, Minister MOTEGI mentioned that he recognized the issues of t...
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Sep52020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Coronavirus – Kenya: Japan’s Assistance to Kenya to Build a Resilient Society

Coronavirus – Kenya: Japan’s Assistance to Kenya to Build a Resilient Society

INTERNATIONAL
NAIROBI, Kenya, September 4, 2020/ -- Following the signing of Exchange of Notes for Universal Health Coverage last week, Japan announced a further contribution to Kenya. This is Japan’s response to the recent call by H.E. President Kenyatta for all the stake holders to contain the pandemic and to build a resilient society. Today, H.E. Mr. HORIE Ryoichi, Ambassador of Japan to Kenya signed two Exchange of Notes with Hon. Ukur Yatani. Details are mentioned below. “Japan's Grant Aid for the Economic and Social Development Programme (Provision of Medical Equipment)”  (1 Billion Kenya Shillings) Japan will provide medical equipment to more than 10 hospitals around the country. This assistance will support the provision of health care services in the fight against the pandemic. T...
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Aug282020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Japan’s Longest-Serving Leader, to Resign Because of Illness

Japan’s Longest-Serving Leader, to Resign Because of Illness

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan will resign because of ill health, the country’s national broadcaster, NHK, reported on Friday, just four days after he exceeded the record for the longest consecutive run as leader in Japanese history. Mr. Abe, 65, had been prime minister for nearly eight years, a significant feat in a country accustomed to high turnover in the top job. During his tenure, he oversaw Japan’s recovery from a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, restored a semblance of economic health and curried favor with an unpredictable American president, Donald J. Trump. Yet despite his long hold on power — his second stint as prime minister, having held the post in 2006-7 — Mr. Abe failed to reach some of his signature goals. He was unable to revise th...
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Aug152020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
INTERNATIONAL: Japan marks 75 years since end of WWII

INTERNATIONAL: Japan marks 75 years since end of WWII

INTERNATIONAL
Japan's prime minister has promised to "never repeat the tragedy of war" on the 75th anniversary of his country's surrender in World War Two. "We will continue to remain committed to this resolute pledge," Shinzo Abe said on Saturday. He marked the occasion by sending an offering to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo, but did not attend in person. However, four ministers did visit the Yasukuni Shrine, in a move that is likely to anger China and South Korea. It is the first time in four years such senior politicians have attended the shrine, which pays homage to a number of senior figures convicted of war crimes, as well as the country's war dead. "I paid respects... to the souls of those who nobly sacrificed themselves during the war," Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda exp...
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Aug72020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Hiroshima still chooses reconciliation and hope after 75 years after the bomb

Hiroshima still chooses reconciliation and hope after 75 years after the bomb

INTERNATIONAL
Hiroshima, Japan --- “Seventy-five years ago, a single nuclear weapon visited unspeakable death and destruction upon this city”, he said in his address. “The effects linger to this day”.  However, he noted that Hiroshima and its people have chosen not to be characterized by calamity, but instead by “resilience, reconciliation and hope”.  As “unmatched advocates for nuclear disarmament”, the survivors, known as hibakusha, have turned their tragedy into “a rallying voice for the safety and well-being of all humanity”, he said. The birth of the UN in that same year, is inextricably intertwined with the destruction wrought by the nuclear bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  “Since its earliest days and resolutions, the Organization has recognized the need to tota...
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Jul172020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Coronavirus – Africa: The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) to be held in Tunisia

Coronavirus – Africa: The Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) to be held in Tunisia

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO, Japan, July 17, 2020/ -- Through consultations among Co-organizers of Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), it is officially decided that TICAD8 to be held in 2022 will be hosted by the Republic of Tunisia. TICAD will take place in Africa for the second time after Kenya hosted one in 2016. Africa is the largest frontier in the 21stcentury. However, the continent is also facing various challenges such as conflicts and poverty. In particular, the COVID-19 has revealed Africa’s vulnerability including in the field of health and medical sectors. With its history of over a quarter of a century, TICAD is gaining further significance as a multilateral international conference to address development issues in Africa, including in the area of health. In lig...
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Jul72020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Japan Floods: 50 confirmed dead, dozen missing

Japan Floods: 50 confirmed dead, dozen missing

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO — Soldiers rescued residents on boats as floodwaters flowed down streets in southern Japanese towns hit by deadly rains that were expanding across the region Tuesday. At least 50 people have died and a dozen are missing. Pounding rain since late Friday in Japan’s southern region of Kyushu has triggered widespread flooding. More rain was predicted in Kyushu and the western half of Japan’s main island as the rain front moved east. In Fukuoka, on the northern part of the island, three soldiers waded through knee-high water pulling a boat carrying a mother, her 2-month-old baby and two other residents. “Good job!” one of the soldiers said as he held up the baby to his chest while the mother got off the boat, Asahi video footage showed. Several children wearing orange life vests...
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Jul52020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Tokyo governor on the verge of winning reelection for handling virus

Tokyo governor on the verge of winning reelection for handling virus

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO — Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike is poised to be reelected in Sunday’s polls, buoyed by public support for her coronavirus handling despite a recent rise in infections that has raised concerns of a resurgence of the disease. The first woman to head the Japanese capital, Koike. 67, is also viewed as a potential candidate to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe when his term ends in September 2021. For now, she says she’s focused on protecting the lives of the 14 million people in Tokyo, a megacity with a $1 trillion economy. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike “Fighting against the coronavirus for the residents of Tokyo is my first and foremost responsibility,” she said on the eve of the election. In her campaign message online, Koike pledged to balance disease prevention and the economy under To...
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Jul52020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Japan floods: 20 left dead, many in nursing homes

Japan floods: 20 left dead, many in nursing homes

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO — Deep floodwaters and the risk of more mudslides that left about 20 people confirmed or presumed dead hampered search and rescue operations on Sunday in southern Japan, including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen perished and scores are still stranded. Rescue helicopters and boats plucked more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region. Up to 10,000 defense troops, the coast guard and fire brigades are taking part in the operation. Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed by floodwaters with many houses, buildings and vehicles submerged almost up to their roofs. Mudslides smashed into houses, sending people atop rooftops waiving at rescuers. At a flooded elderly care home in Kuma Village, at least 14 residents were presumed dead after rescuers ...
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Jun292020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Coronavirus – Ethiopia: Japan gives UNICEF over USD 4 million for its COVID-19 response in Ethiopia

Coronavirus – Ethiopia: Japan gives UNICEF over USD 4 million for its COVID-19 response in Ethiopia

INTERNATIONAL
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 29, 2020/ -- The Government of Japan has provided a new grant aid to Ethiopia, which is worth over USD 4 million, through its partnership with UNICEF Ethiopia as part of its emergency assistance for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.The assistance will be implemented through UNICEF to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in Ethiopia by providing critical supplies for infection prevention, supplying life-saving water and sanitation services, promoting hygiene, enhancing health workers’ capacity, and raising public awareness of COVID-19. “This contribution from Japan has come at a time when we are seeking resources to scale up our support to the Government in its efforts to minimize the impact of COVID-19 in Ethiopia on children and vulnerable families,” sa...
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Jun152020 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Tokyo focuses on nightlife districts as coronavirus cases surge

Tokyo focuses on nightlife districts as coronavirus cases surge

INTERNATIONAL
TOKYO, JAPAN --- Authorities in Tokyo say 47 people tested positive for the coronavirus Sunday. It was the first day in six weeks the number of new infections in the capital topped 40. 32 of them were traced to nightlife entertainment establishments. Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko met on Sunday with the head of Shinjuku ward and the minister in charge of the government's coronavirus response, Nishimura Yasutoshi. They confirmed they'll work more closely together to prevent infections in nightlife areas. Special emphasis will be put on making sure guidelines to prevent infections are followed. And they'll urge bars and nightclubs to get their workers tested. Governor Koike said her government will set up a taskforce on Monday to discuss more measures.These could include new ben...
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Jun102020 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka faces backlash after speaking out for Black Lives Matter

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka faces backlash after speaking out for Black Lives Matter

Sports
TOKYO — Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka is under online attack in her birthplace after speaking out about racial injustice and encouraging people to join a Black Lives Matter march. Hundreds of people turned out here in the Japanese capital and in the western city of Osaka over the weekend to express support for the movement and to protest racial injustice in the United States — as well as racism in Japan. The protesters also took aim at Japanese police for allegedly targeting foreigners, after a Kurdish man claimed to have been stopped by police for no reason and shoved to the ground. FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, file photo, Japan's Naomi Osaka reacts after defeating China's Zheng Saisai in their second round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship ...
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Jun32020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Coronavirus – South Sudan: Japan pledges $821,000 fighting COVID-19 in South Sudan

Coronavirus – South Sudan: Japan pledges $821,000 fighting COVID-19 in South Sudan

INTERNATIONAL
JUBA, South Sudan, June 3, 2020/ -- The Government of Japan has pledged approximately USD 821,000 to UNICEF in support to the fight against COVID-19 in South Sudan. Over the last month, the number of confirmed cases has increased rapidly and the need to intensify prevention efforts is evident. Over half of the funding from Japan will be spent on increasing access to clean water and hygiene, allowing more people to practice safe handwashing as a mean to protect themselves against COVID-19. 60 per cent of the population does not have access to clean water and many can’t afford soap – one of the only currently available and most powerful weapons against the Coronavirus. His Excellency Mr. Seiji Okada, the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of South Sudan said: “The most important and ...
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May262020 by KMA UpdatesNo Comments
Japanese wrestler commits suicide after Posting Photos of Self Harm and Suicide Note

Japanese wrestler commits suicide after Posting Photos of Self Harm and Suicide Note

Sports
Japanese professional wrestler Hana Kimura passed away at the age of 22, after posting images of self harm and a suicide note on social media. Kimura had posted images of self mutilation on Twitter along with the message: "Nearly 100 frank opinions every day. I couldn’t deny that I was hurt. I'm dead. Thank you for giving me a mother. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you to everyone who supported me. I love it. I'm weak, 'm sorry. I don't want to be a human anymore. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you everyone, I love you. Bye." Hana Kimura in one of her fights Hana post suggest that she had been subject to abuse from fans and critics on social media. Japanese wrestling promotion Stardom confirmed the news with a statement on their website. "Stardom fans,...
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Feb42020 by ShafiqNo Comments
AMERICA: Trump demands Japan and South Korea pay for nuclear umbrella.

AMERICA: Trump demands Japan and South Korea pay for nuclear umbrella.

Uncategorized
President Donald Trump believes security alliances with other countries are U.S. liabilities rather than assets.  Acting on this outlandish view, Trump is seeking to force U.S. allies to pay not just the cost of keeping American military troops stationed abroad but also to pay part of the bill for core U.S. military operations, including maintaining its "nuclear umbrella." The Trump administration, in talks with South Korea over the stationing of U.S. troops in the country, is demanding that Seoul pay five times more than it does now, according to U.S. media reports. It also looks likely to demand that Japan cough up around four times more in host-nation support, in talks slated for later this year. Tokyo cannot provide much more: As of fis...
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