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☆ World leaders call for restraint in the aftermath of Iran’s unprecedented air attack against Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesWorld leaders have called for calm in the aftermath of Iran's large-scale air attacks on Israel on Saturday, with many expressing deep concern over the prospect of a broader regional conflict. Ahead of a war cabinet meeting on Monday, Israel has pledged to "exact a price" from Iran in response to the Saturday attack. watch nowU.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday said that he condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Iran's unprecedented air attack against military facilities in Israel. 'No one wants to see more bloodshed'European leaders castigated Iran's attack against Israel and vowed to work to de-escalate the situation. France and the U.K. intercepted some of Iran's strikes on Israel on Saturday.

Persons: Israel, Joe Biden, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran's, Emmanuel Macron, Rishi Sunak, Annalena Baerbock, Baerbock, Sunak, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Gustavo Petro, Petro, Nicolas Maduro Organizations: Anadolu, Getty, CNBC, NBC News, Downing, German, NBC, Israel, Saudi Arabia's Foreign, United Nations Security Council, Sunday, UN, UNRWA, Kyodo, Japan's, United Nations, Colombia's, Bloomberg Locations: Israel, Tehran, Iran, Syria, Gaza, Syrian, Damascus, France, London, England, Germany, East, North Africa, Saudi, Egypt, Asia, China, Beijing, Palestine, Tokyo, Japan, South America, U.S, Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela

The two sides issued a joint communique, stating Japan's long-term support in helping Ukraine achieve economic stability. Japan hopes the conference will build momentum for international support for Ukraine as the war drags on and attention has diverted to the Gaza situation. The conference is largely about reconstruction and investment in Ukraine, but it’s also about Japan’s national security. Its support for Ukraine comes amid fear of China’s increasingly assertive military actions in the region. Japan, in cooperation with other Group of Seven members, hopes to link the Tokyo conference to a separate Ukraine reconstruction conference to be held in Germany in June.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Kishida, ” Kishida, “, Denys Shmyhal, ”, it’s, Yoko Kamikawa Organizations: TOKYO, “, Ukraine, of, Japan External Trade Organization, Russia, ”, Seven Locations: Japan, Ukrainian, Ukraine, “ Ukraine, Gaza, East Asia, States, Tokyo, Germany

☆ Unofficial US delegation says support for Taiwan remains ‘rock solid’ after voters defied China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nectar Gan | Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong/Taipei CNN —Former senior US officials reaffirmed “rock solid” American support for Taiwan in a visit Monday after the self-ruled island defied threats from China by electing a new president loathed by Beijing. “And we hope that the United States will continue to support Taiwan to deepen our cooperation in this area,” he said. An unofficial US delegation meets with Taiwan's President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice-President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei on January 15, 2024. Since then, the US has maintained close unofficial ties with Taiwan and is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself. Asked by reporters to comment on Taiwan’s election results Saturday, US President Joe Biden said: “We do not support independence.”

Persons: Lai Ching, Biden, Tsai Ing, Stephen Hadley, ” Hadley, ”, James Steinberg, Lai, Hsiao Bi, “, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: Taipei CNN — Former, Taiwan, Saturday, Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan's, China’s, Ministry Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, China, Beijing, Taiwan, United States, Washington, Taiwan Strait, Japan, United Kingdom, Canada, Tokyo, Japanese, Kuomintang

☆ Philippines Reaffirms 'One China Policy' After President Marcos Congratulates Taiwan's Lai
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign ministry on Tuesday reaffirmed the country's "One China policy" after its president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., congratulated Taiwan's new leader Lai Ching-te. Marcos on Monday congratulated Lai for winning Taiwan's election, referring to him as its next president. The message was Marcos' way of recognising the Philippines and Taiwan's "mutual interests", including the 200,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the democratically governed island, the foreign ministry said in a statement. "The message of President Marcos congratulating the new president was his way of thanking them for hosting our OFWs and holding a successful democratic process. Nevertheless, the Philippines reaffirms its One China Policy," the statement said.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Taiwan's, Lai Ching, Marcos, Lai, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Mikhail Flores, Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, Office Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Beijing, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, Taipei, Manila

Japan, a key U.S. ally, had sought the suspension of all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after one fell into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan. Japan's Coast Guard has said one person was found and confirmed dead, and the search for the remaining seven aboard continues. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was still flying Ospreys for now, and that it was not aware of any official request for their grounding. "We are concerned that despite our repeated requests, and in the absence of sufficient explanation (from the U.S. military), the Osprey continues to fly," he told a news conference. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, has said it would suspend flights of the transport aircraft.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Yoko Kamikawa, Rahm Emanuel, Robert Dujarric, Dujarric, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Japan's Coast Guard, Pentagon, Ospreys, U.S ., Japan Self - Defense Forces, U.S, Pacifist Japan, U.S . Marine Corps, Tokyo's Temple University, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Tokyo

Search operations widened Friday with additional U.S. military personnel joining the effort, while Japanese coast guard and military ships focused on an undersea search using sonar. Japanese officials say they asked the U.S. military to halt Osprey flights in Japan except for those involved in the search operations. A total of 44 Ospreys have been deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases in Japan. Denny Tamaki called on Japan’s defense and foreign ministries to request the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan, including in search operations. “I have serious doubts about Osprey safety even for their search and rescue operations.”

Persons: —, Sabrina Singh, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Ricky Rupp, ” Kihara, Rupp, Yoko Kamikawa, Japan Rahm Emanuel, United States “, Denny Tamaki, Tamaki, “, ” Organizations: TOKYO, Pentagon, U.S, Ospreys, U.S ., Defense, U.S . Forces Japan, Osprey, United, U.S . Air Force Special, Command, Yokota Air Base, Fifth Air Force, 353rd, Operations, U.S . Marine Corps Air, Iwakuni, Kadena Air Base, Gov Locations: Japan, U.S, Okinawa, United States, Yamaguchi prefecture

☆ South Korea, China, Japan top diplomats seek to boost trilateral cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, right, shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi prior to a meeting in Busan, South Korea, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023. Ahn Young-joon/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan meet in South Korea on Sunday, seeking to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a trilateral summit. In September, senior officials from the three countries agreed to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time". South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met separately on Sunday morning with his Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi. Marring the cooperative tone, Kamikawa called an order by a South Korean court for Japan to compensate a group of women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels "extremely regrettable" and requested the South Korean government take appropriate measures, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

Persons: Park Jin, Wang Yi, Ahn Young, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Yoko Kamikawa, China's Wang Yi, Kamikawa, Wang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Hyonhee Shin, Sam Nussey, William Mallard Organizations: South Korean Foreign, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Sunday, South, Kyodo, Thomson Locations: Busan, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, China, Japan, United States, Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, North, Pyongyang, Moscow

☆ South Korea, China, Japan Top Diplomats Seek to Boost Trilateral Cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan meet in South Korea on Sunday, seeking to restart cooperation among the Asian neighbours and pave the way for a trilateral summit. In September, senior officials from the three countries agreed to arrange a trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time". South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met separately on Sunday morning with his Japanese counterparts Yoko Kamikawa and China's Wang Yi. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have taken steps to mend ties frayed by history and trade feuds, and held a historic trilateral summit in August with Biden. Wang warned in July that U.S. efforts to strengthen relations with Seoul and Tokyo could raise regional tension and confrontation.

Persons: Shin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Park Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, China's Wang Yi, Kamikawa, Wang, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Hyonhee Shin, Sam Nussey, William Mallard Organizations: Sunday, South Korean Foreign, South, Kyodo Locations: Shin SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, United States, Beijing, Washington, Tokyo, Seoul, Busan, North, Pyongyang, Moscow

☆ South Korea court orders Japan to compensate 'comfort women', reverses earlier ruling
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - A South Korean appellate court on Thursday ordered Japan to compensate a group of 16 women who were forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels, overturning a lower court ruling that dismissed the case and prompting a stern protest from Tokyo. In response to the court's decision, Japanese vice minister for foreign affairs Masataka Okano summoned South Korean ambassador Yun Dukmin to lodge a "strong protest". The Seoul High Court, however, reversed the lower court's decision, recognising the jurisdiction of South Korean courts over the Japanese government as a defendant. In a statement, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the judgment went against international law and agreements between the two countries, calling it "extremely regrettable and absolutely unacceptable." South Korea's foreign ministry said it was looking into details of the latest ruling, without elaborating.

Persons: Jason Reed, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Masataka Okano, Yun Dukmin, Yoko Kamikawa, Lee Yong, I'm, 1,294.3500, Hyonhee Shin, Chang, Ran Kim, Makiko Yamazaki, Ed Davies, Simon Cameron, Moore, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Seoul Central, Court, Seoul High Court, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, Tokyo, South Korean, Seoul, South, Republic of Korea

☆ North Korea vows more offensive response to US 'threats' -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Song Kyung-Seok/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 16 (Reuters) - North Korea on Thursday criticised a recent visit to South Korea by top U.S. defence officials and vowed more "offensive" responses to what it called military threats from the United States and its allies, state media reported. During Austin's visit, South Korea and the United States revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats. South Korea's defence ministry said the revision was necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. Austin's visit followed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to South Korea last week. North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, though their leaders pledged closer military cooperation at their September summit.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Kyung, Defense Lloyd Austin's, Austin's, Antony Blinken's, Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, Soo, hyang Choi, Chris Reese, Cynthia Osterman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defense Minister, United Nations Command, UNC, Defense Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, DPRK, Democratic People's, United, Pentagon, U.S . State Department, U.S . Defense Security Cooperation Agency, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Defense Lloyd Austin's Seoul, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korea, Republic of, Russia, San Francisco

☆ US commerce secretary says closed three 'pillars' of Indo-Pacific talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo addresses the media during the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework meeting in Detroit, Michigan U.S. May 27, 2023. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said a ministers meeting on Tuesday had completed three of four "pillars" in the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework talks on the sidelines of a Pacific Rim leaders summit. Raimondo, made the remark at a bilateral meeting with Japan, one of the 14 IPEF countries in the U.S.-led talks. We had an excellent ministerial earlier today, closing out the three pillars of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework." U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday the trade pillar negotiations will "require further work".

Persons: Gina Raimondo, Rebecca Cook, Raimondo, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Yoko Kamikawa, May, Biden, Janet Yellen, Xi Jinping, David Lawder, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Commerce, Detroit , Michigan U.S, REUTERS, FRANCISCO, . Commerce, Biden, Pacific, Commerce Department, Economic Cooperation, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, Japan, U.S, Asia, China . U.S, Lincoln

☆ China urges G7 to stop 'inciting confrontation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A two-day G7 foreign minister meeting held in Tokyo ended on Wednesday and mainly called for humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas war to allow in aid and help the release of hostages. "China will resolutely counter any smear campaigns from external forces," the embassy said, adding it strongly protested against other countries' intentions to curb China with regards to Taiwan. President Tsai Ing-wen, of the democratically governed Taiwan island, said she would continue to work with G7 members toward a free and open Indo Pacific. Critical comments on Taiwan and Hong Kong have long riled Beijing, which considers such criticism as outside interference in its domestic affairs. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China considers as part of its territory, is the most sensitive issue.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Melanie Joly, Tsai Ing, Hong Kong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Ben Blanchard, Bernadette Baum Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Canadian, France's, Hong, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, BEIJING, China, Japan, Tokyo, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Hong

☆ Blinken to visit South Korea as North Korea, Russia deepen ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Seoul visit comes as the United States and South Korea, along with Japan, have condemned what they say is the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia. North Korea is preparing to launch a spy satellite after having failed twice this year to put one in orbit. South Korea's spy agency said last week North Korea was in the final stages of preparations for the launch after apparently receiving technical assistance from Russia. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is also due to visit South Korea this week on a trip that will include Indonesia and India. In Washington, U.S. and South Korean officials held talks on North Korea's illicit cyber activities that they say fund its unlawful weapons programs, South Korea's foreign ministry said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Toshifumi, military's Vandenberg, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin, Soo, Choi, Ed Davies, Michael Perry Organizations: Japanese, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South Korean, SpaceX, U.S, Defense, Blinken, United, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Russia, Blinken's, Asia, India, Israel, United States, South Korea, North Korea, Washington, North, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Korea, Moscow, Russia's, South, Indonesia, North Korean, Pacific, Washington , U.S, United Nations

The statement gave no details of options being discussed if the Hamas militant group is ousted from Gaza as the result of an ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian enclave. Israel has so far been vague about its long-term plans for Gaza. Diplomats in Washington, the United Nations, the Middle East and beyond have also started weighing the options. The statement will present the G7's "united stance" on the Middle East situation, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday. The G7 group of wealthy, industrialised nations is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, with the European Union also participating in the talks.

Persons: Josep Borrell, James, Annalena Baerbock, Antony Blinken, Yoko Kamikawa, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Eli Cohen, Hirokazu Matsuno, Netanyahu, John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Lincoln, Gerry Doyle Organizations: European Union for Foreign Affairs, German, Foreign, Group, Wall Street Journal, Union, Gaza, Diplomats, United Nations, Reuters, European Union, Thomson Locations: British, U.S, TOKYO, Gaza, Tokyo, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, China, Washington, Palestinian, United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy

[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

☆ Japan to provide $65 million additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa arrives to a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS./File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Japan will provide $65 million in additional humanitarian aid to Palestinians out of concern over the conflict in Gaza, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said during a tour of Israel and Jordan on Friday. Speaking to reporters in Jordan after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki, Kamikawa also said Japan was planning to provide material aid to war-torn Gaza. Kamikawa refrained from commenting on whether Israel's strikes on Gaza was within the limits of international law, but said that actors must comply with the spirit of protecting human rights and not cause needless civilian deaths. Reporting by Sakura Murakami; editing by David Evans and Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Jordan, Eli Cohen, Riyad al, Kamikawa, Japan's, Cohen, Maliki, Lebanon's, Sakura Murakami, David Evans, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New York, Japan, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Tokyo, Lebanon's Iran

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa waits for Secretary of State Antony Blinken to arrive for a meeting, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in New York. Julia Nikhinson/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Japan's foreign minister said on Thursday she would meet Palestinian counterparts during a visit to Israel and Jordan, and would communicate Japan's readiness to provide aid to the Palestinians. The minister, Yoko Kamikawa, is also set to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during her two-day trip from Friday, as the crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel conducted a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and as foreigners, including Japanese nationals, leave. Speaking to reporters before her departure, she acknowledged the Israeli strike on the Jabalia refugee camp and that many civilians had been killed in the attack. She said Japan would remain in touch with one Japanese national living in Gaza who wished to remain there and did not evacuate.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Antony Blinken, Julia Nikhinson, Eli Cohen, Israel, Kamikawa, Sakura Murakami, Kantaro, Chang, Ran Kim, Robert Birsel Organizations: Rights, Israeli, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: New York, Israel, Jordan, Gaza, Egypt, Japan

TOKYO (AP) — Trade and economy officials from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies strengthened their pledge Sunday to work together to ensure smooth supply chains for essentials like energy and food despite global uncertainties. Political Cartoons View All 1223 ImagesThe G-7 includes the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain. Trade is one sector where growing political tensions with China have been playing out, although China was not directly mentioned in the meetings. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Japanese minister in charge of trade and the economy, said G-7 nations expressed support and understanding for Japan’s position, stressing the safety of Japanese food based on scientific evidence, including that from Fukushima. Nishimura also said the guest nations that took part in the G-7 meeting, including Australia and India, were potentially powerful allies in strengthening the supply chain in valuable materials.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, ”, “, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Nishimura, Kamikawa, Katherine Tai, ___ Yuri Kageyama Organizations: TOKYO, —, European Union, World Trade Organization, ”, EU, U.S . Trade Locations: Osaka, Ukraine, Israel, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Britain, Australia, Chile, India, Indonesia, Kenya, China, Hiroshima, Fukushima

Israel says Hamas killed some 1,400 people including children and took more than 200 hostages in its Oct. 7 rampage. "I welcome the growing global consensus for a humanitarian pause in the conflict. INTERMEDIARY NEEDEDEven among Israel's allies, there is no consensus on what is meant by a humanitarian pause. She said "ceasefire" tends to refer to a general suspension of fighting while humanitarian pauses or corridors are more limited. "If that's what it requires, then we absolutely will try to get such pause or pauses in place."

Persons: Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Israel, Yoko Kamikawa, Antonio Guterres, Guterres, Gilad Erdan, Chiara Gillard, John Kirby, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, Dan Williams, Andrew Gray, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Steve Holland, Sakura Murakami, Frank Jack Daniel, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, EU, Foreign Ministry, White, General, Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, . National Security, UN, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, Japan, New York, Brussels, Spain, Egypt, Rafah, rearm, Jerusalem, Geneva, Washington, Tokyo

☆ Cairo Peace Summit on Gaza conflict: who will attend?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Members of the military stand guard as people take part in a protest in support of Palestinians, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Old Cairo, Egypt, October 20, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany Acquire Licensing RightsOct 20 (Reuters) - Egypt is planning to host an international conference on Saturday to discuss the escalating war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza. The list of attendees expected so far at the Cairo Peace Summit include:Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-SisiPalestinian President Mahmoud AbbasJordanian King AbdullahBahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al KhalifaKuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-SabahItalian Prime Minister Giorgia MeloniSpanish Prime Minister Pedro SanchezGreek Prime Minister Kyriakos MitsotakisCypriot President Nikos ChristodoulidesSouth African President Cyril RamaphosaGerman Foreign Minister Annalena BaerbockFrench Foreign Minister Catherine ColonnaJapanese Foreign Minister Yoko KamikawaBritish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James CleverlyNorwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth EideUnited Nations Secretary-General Antonio GuterresEuropean Council President Charles MichelEuropean Union foreign policy chief Josep BorrellReporting by Reuters bureaus; Editing by Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Abdel Fattah al, Mahmoud Abbas, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al, Ahmad al, Giorgia, Pedro Sanchez, Kyriakos, Nikos Christodoulides, Cyril Ramaphosa, Annalena Baerbock, Catherine Colonna Japanese, Yoko Kamikawa, Foreign Affairs James, Espen Barth Eide, Antonio, Charles Michel, Josep Borrell, Edmund Blair, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Palestinian, Cairo Peace, Pedro Sanchez Greek, State, Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide United Nations, Charles Michel European Union, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Old Cairo, Egypt, Gaza, Cairo, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini, Mahmoud Abbas Jordanian King Abdullah Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Kuwaiti Crown, Sabah Italian, Spanish, Norwegian

☆ Japan's Foreign Minister Arranging Call With Iranian Counterpart
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa is in the final process of arranging a telephone discussion with her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian on Tuesday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said. Japan maintains a friendly relationship with Iran. In September, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi in New York and told that Japan will continue its diplomatic efforts toward easing tensions and stabilizing the situation in the middle east. U.S. President Joe Biden will make a high-stakes visit to Israel on Wednesday as the country prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas militants that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and raised fears of a broader conflict with Iran. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Hirokazu Matsuno, Fumio Kishida, Ebrahim Raisi, Joe Biden, Kaori Kaneko, Christian Schmollinger Organizations: Japan's, Hamas Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Iran, New York, U.S, Israel, Gaza

From this viewpoint, Japan is closely watching the situation with serious concern," she added when asked about Japan's oil dependence on the Middle East, which supplies more than 90% of its needs. G7 finance ministers, who were meeting in Morocco as events escalated, issued a brief statement on the attacks on Oct. 12. Japan was "standing one step behind the United States and some European countries", added Isamu Nakashima, associate research fellow at the Middle East Institute of Japan. "The through line of Japan's Middle East policy has been maintaining the flow of energy imports from the region," said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group. While the United States is Japan's closest ally, when it comes to the Middle East, Tokyo will be very wary of being seen as its proxy, said Shuji Hosaka, board member of the Institute of Energy Economics Japan.

Persons: Yoko Kamikawa, Fumio Kishida, Isamu Nakashima, David Boling, Shuji Hosaka, John Geddie, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Tim Kelly, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Ekaterina Golubkova, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kentaro Sugiyama, Alex Richardson Organizations: Petroleum, Kyodo, Tokyo, Reuters, Middle East Institute of Japan, Middle, Energy, Eurasia Group, U.S, Institute of Energy Economics Japan, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, Israel, Tokyo, Gaza, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Morocco, United States, U.S, Saudi Arabia, East

☆ US, South Korea, Japan raise concerns over Russia-North Korea military cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Bing Guan Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean, Japanese counterparts expressed "serious concern" over the discussion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including possible arms trade, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Blinken, South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa agreed to respond firmly to any acts that threaten regional security in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution in a brief meeting on Friday, the ministry said in a statement. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un made a weeklong visit to Russia last week and discussed military cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the summit was aimed at allowing Russia to acquire ammunition from the North to supplement its dwindling stocks for its war in Ukraine. Reporting by Joyce Lee Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Bing Guan, Park Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joyce Lee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: 78th United Nations General Assembly, Lotte, REUTERS, Rights, South Korea's Foreign, Security, South, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights SEOUL, South, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Seoul

☆ Japan's new cabinet reflects PM's focus on gender, defence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during the leaders talk of the ASEAN-Indo Pacific Forum (AIPF) in Jakarta, Indonesia September 6, 2023. Top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno said the role of defence minister went to Minoru Kihara, a pro-Taiwan politician who has visited the island in the past and belongs to a Japan-Taiwan interparliamentary group. Kihara will also oversee the bolstering of Japan's military as part of a plan to double defence spending over five years by 2027. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and will be sensitive to any shift in Japan's stance on the democratically governed island. "Even if the foreign and defence minister posts change, there won't be any change or impact on Japan's diplomatic policy."

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Adek Berry, Yoko Kamikawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Takashi Kawakami, Shigenobu Tamura, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro, Clarence Fernandez, Stephen Coates Organizations: ASEAN, Pacific, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party, Takushoku University, LDP, NHK, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Tokyo, China, East Asia, United States

☆ Japan PM to Include Five Women in Cabinet - Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet will include five female ministers, the same number as in two previous administrations, Japanese media reported on Wednesday, as the premier seeks to boost his sagging ratings with fresh faces. About 43% of respondents disapproved of Kishida's leadership while 36% approved, according to a poll by public broadcaster NHK conducted last week. Yoko Kamikawa, a former justice minister who oversaw the execution of the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult that carried out a deadly sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995, will become foreign minister, the media outlets said. The number of women in cabinet is the same as previous cabinets led by former premiers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe. Kishida has also appointed pro-Taiwan politician Minoru Kihara to head the defence ministry, while retaining Shunichi Suzuki as finance minister and Yasutoshi Nishimura as economic minister, the media outlets said.

Persons: Fumio Kishida's, Kishida, Yoko Kamikawa, Sanae, Junichiro Koizumi, Shinzo Abe, Minoru Kihara, Suzuki, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Sakura Murakami, Miral Fahmy Organizations: NHK Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Taiwan

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