DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Standard Chartered says Japan 'very, very close' to yen intervention
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Japan is "very, very close" to intervening in the yen, Steven Englander, head of Global G10 FX research and North America macro strategy at Standard Chartered Bank, told CNBC as the currency languishes at multi-decade lows. "I think we're actually very, very close to them [Japanese authorities] jumping in ... they've already discussed the political consequences and nobody's sitting there asking for a weaker yen," Englander told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Thursday. The Japanese yen traded around 151.47 against the U.S. dollar on Thursday after falling to its weakest level in 34 years at 151.97 in the previous session. Standard Chartered's Englander said potential intervention in the yen would be aimed at buying time for Japanese authorities until the U.S. Federal Reserve starts cutting interest rates or until the Bank of Japan hikes its rates a little more. He further noted that when Japanese authorities last intervened in the yen in 2022, it "worked out pretty well," even though investors were initially skeptical of the effectiveness of such currency intervention.

Persons: Steven Englander, they've, nobody's, Englander, CNBC's, Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Global, Standard Chartered Bank, CNBC, U.S, Reuters, U.S . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan Locations: Japan, North America, .

☆ Japan is producing so few babies that a leading diaper maker is pivoting to adults
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The shift in business strategy is due to Japan's declining birth rate and aging population. AdvertisementA Japanese diaper maker announced that it will stop producing diapers for babies and will, instead, focus on catering to the country's aging population with adult nappies. Related storiesConcerns over the implications of a declining birth rate have led to Japanese officials sounding the alarm. AdvertisementLow birth rates and an aging population risk dramatically shrinking Japan's population, which is estimated to fall by about 30% to 87 million by 2070, The Guardian reported. Oji Holdings' pivot due to shifting demographics mirrors a similar move made by Unicharm, Japan's biggest diaper maker, over a decade ago.

Persons: —, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Fumio Kishida, It's, Unicharm Organizations: Service, Holdings, BBC News, Health, Welfare Ministry, United Nations Population Division, Guardian, Bloomberg Locations: Japan

☆ U.S. eyes change to military command in Japan as China threat looms: Reuters
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will agree next month to tighter military cooperation, including talks on the biggest potential change to Washington's East Asia command structure in decades, two sources said. Kishida wants to establish the joint command headquarters before the end of March 2025. Tokyo has said it has "serious concern" over China's growing military power and the threat it poses Taiwan, just over 100 km (62 miles) from Japanese territory. A four-star commander — the highest peacetime rank in any of the U.S. service branches — would match the rank of the Japanese counterpart in the new headquarters. A U.S. officer of that rank might lay the groundwork for a future unified Japanese-U.S. command, experts say.

Persons: Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Kishida, Yoshimasa Hayashi, — Organizations: Japanese, East, Japanese Self Defense Forces, Financial Times, U.S, Biden Locations: East Asia, Washington, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, Taiwan, U.S

☆ Japan's same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional, high court says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A high court in Japan on Thursday said the country's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, ruling on a matter that has divided lower levels of the judiciary and put the conservative government at odds with shifting public opinion. Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized nations that doesn't offer legal protection for same-sex unions. Although polls show 70% public support for same-sex unions, they are opposed by the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "Enacting same-sex marriage does not seem to cause disadvantages or harmful effects," the court said. The government will eye other upcoming court decisions, its top spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told a briefing.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Eri Nakaya, Fumiyasu Tsunamori, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Valentine's, Rights, Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Locations: Shinagawa, Japan, Tokyo, Sapporo

TOKYO (AP) — A pod of killer whales that was trapped in drift ice off Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, prompting concern from environmental groups, has apparently safely escaped, officials said Wednesday. After analyzing drone footage filmed by a conservationist group, officials counted 13 killer whales there. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesOfficials said they believe the killer whales were able to free themselves from the drift ice as gaps between them grew. Although the trapped whales were in Japanese waters, they were not far from an island that is disputed by Japan and Russia. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday that killer whales are not designated as an endangered species in Japan and that officials were monitoring the situation while Japan and Russia communicated over the issue.

Persons: Masataka Shirayanagi, “, ” Shirayanagi, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: TOKYO, NHK, Defense Ministry, Northern, Soviet Union Locations: Hokkaido, Rausu, Japan, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Tokyo, Ukraine

☆ Russian regional vote delivers strong result for Putin amid claims of rigging
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

But in the regions voting, electoral competition was limited, as strong candidates, including some from Russia's main opposition Communist Party, were blocked from running by authorities. Across the country, United Russia won every provincial governor's race it contested. Among the regional chiefs re-elected was powerful Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a close Putin ally. Similar systems have been rolled out in many other Russian regions. According to Russian officials, United Russia received large majorities in the regions, taking at least 70% of the vote in each.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Europe's, Putin, Stanislav Andreychuk, Andreychuk, Sergei Sobyanin, Sobyanin, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Moscow's, Felix Light, Lidia Kelly, Leslie Adler Organizations: of Europe, Putin's United, Communist Party, United Russia, Kyiv, United, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Putin's United Russia, Russian, Moscow, Kremlin, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, United Russia, Bakhmut, Tbilisi, Melbourne

☆ Russian Regional Vote Delivers Strong Result for Putin Amid Claims of Rigging
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Europe's, Putin, Stanislav Andreychuk, Andreychuk, Sergei Sobyanin, Sobyanin, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Moscow's, Felix Light, Lidia Kelly, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reuters, of Europe, Putin's United, Communist Party, United Russia, Kyiv, United Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine's, Putin's United Russia, Russian, Moscow, Kremlin, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, United Russia, Bakhmut, Tbilisi, Melbourne

☆ Japan foreign minister Hayashi to meet Ukraine counterpart - ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks during a press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt September 5, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Saturday, the Japanese foreign ministry said. In his talks with Kuleba, Hayashi will reiterate Japan's firm support of Ukraine and address its involvement in the international community to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine as soon as possible, the ministry said in a statement. Hayashi is accompanied by executives of Japanese firms, including Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive Rakuten Group (4755.T), the ministry said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy in March.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sameh Shoukry, Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Dmytro Kuleba, Kuleba, Hayashi, Hiroshi Mikitani, Fumio Kishida, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, Junko Fujita, Nobuhiro Kubo, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan's, Egyptian Foreign, REUTERS, Rights, Ukrainian, Rakuten Group, Thomson Locations: Cairo, Egypt, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Rakuten CEO touts Viber's ability to counter Russian 'fake news'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hiroshi Mikitani, CEO of Rakuten, attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 10, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Hiroshi Mikitani, the founder and chief executive of Rakuten Group (4755.T), on Saturday touted the ability of his company's Viber messaging platform to counter Russian propaganda. "Unlike other social media, we've made it crystal clear we're going to block all these fake news and propaganda of Russia," Mikitani told Reuters in a Zoom interview during a visit to Kyiv. Viber, which launched in 2010 and was acquired by Rakuten in 2014, has a 98% market penetration rate in Ukraine. Asked if the app had faced attempts to breach it by Russia, he said there had not been any breaches.

Persons: Hiroshi Mikitani, Brendan McDermid, we've, Mikitani, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Viber, Rakuten, Max Hunder, Mike Harrison Organizations: Allen, Co, Sun, REUTERS, Rights, Rakuten, Saturday, Reuters, Access, Thomson Locations: Sun Valley , Idaho, U.S, Russia, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Japan Foreign Minister Hayashi to Meet Ukraine Counterpart - Ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv on Saturday, the Japanese foreign ministry said. In his talks with Kuleba, Hayashi will reiterate Japan's firm support of Ukraine and address its involvement in the international community to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine as soon as possible, the ministry said in a statement. Hayashi is accompanied by executives of Japanese firms, including Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive Rakuten Group, the ministry said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a surprise visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy in March. (Reporting by Junko Fujita and Nobuhiro Kubo; Editing by Michael Perry)

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Dmytro Kuleba, Kuleba, Hayashi, Hiroshi Mikitani, Fumio Kishida, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, Junko Fujita, Nobuhiro Kubo, Michael Perry Organizations: Ukrainian, Rakuten Group, Japan's Locations: TOKYO, Kyiv, Ukraine

☆ Japan loans Jordan $100 million for electricity reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Jordan's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan sign agreements in Amman, Jordan September 3, 2023. REUTERS/Muath Freij Acquire Licensing RightsAMMAN, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Japan extended a $100 million loan to help Jordan's electricity sector reforms as part of Tokyo's support for the kingdom's IMF-guided reforms, officials said on Sunday. "Japan will continue our support for Jordan in its economic and financial reforms and further modernization," Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in joint remarks with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman al Safadi at the start of a visit to Jordan. Japan is one of Jordan's main donors, contributing over $4 billion in loans, aid and technical support in recent decades. Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi Editing by Ros RussellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Muath, Ayman al Safadi, Jordan's King Abdullah, Hayashi, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, Ros Russell Organizations: Planning, Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, IMF, Jordan, Thomson Locations: Amman , Jordan, Japan, Jordan, Tokyo, Egypt, Saudi Arabia

☆ Japan says may take China to WTO over Fukushima-driven seafood import ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan would take "necessary action (on China's aquatic product ban) under various routes including the WTO framework". Filing a WTO complaint might become an option if protesting to China through diplomatic routes is ineffective, Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi said separately. Japan's National Police Agency has received 225 reports of harassment calls to date, Jiji News reported, and the government said it was seeking help from telecommunications companies to block the calls. NTT and other phone companies including KDDI (9433.T) and SoftBank Corp (9434.T) are discussing measures following the government's request. "It is extremely regrettable and concerning about the large number of harassment calls that have likely come from China," Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said during a news conference.

Persons: Tom Bateman, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Sanae Takaichi, Yasutoshi Nishimura, Nishimura, Kantaro Komiya, Mariko Katsumura, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Simon Cameron, Moore, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Trade Organization, Economic, Japan's National Police Agency, Jiji News, NTT Communications, Nippon Telegraph, Telephone, NTT, SoftBank Corp, Thomson Locations: Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, China, WTO

☆ Blinken to meet Japan, S.Korea foreign ministers virtually on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media with El Salvador's Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill at the State Department in Washington, U.S., August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold a virtual meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Monday, the U.S. State Department said. Leaders of the three nations are due to meet on Aug. 18 at the U.S. presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, according to Japanese media. Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Alexandra Hill, Kevin Wurm, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Jin, Rocky Swift, Muralikumar Organizations: El Salvador's, State Department, REUTERS, Japanese, South Korean Foreign, U.S . State Department, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Camp David, Maryland

☆ U.S., Japan to develop hypersonic missile interceptor - Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tim KellyTOKYO, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Japan and the U.S. will agree this week to jointly develop an interceptor missile to counter hypersonic warheads being developed by China, Russia and North Korea, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper said on Sunday. Officials at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment outside business hours. Unlike typical ballistic warheads, which fly on predictable trajectories as they fall from space to their targets, hypersonic projectiles can change course, making them more difficult to target. An agreement would be the second such collaboration in missile defence technology. Washington and Tokyo developed a longer-range missile designed to hit warheads in space, which Japan is deploying on warships in the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula to guard against North Korean missiles strikes.

Persons: Marine's Camp Foster, Tim Kelly TOKYO, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Biden, Yoon Suk, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Yasukazu Hamada, Tim Kelly, William Mallard Organizations: U.S, Marine's, REUTERS, Japan's Yomiuri, Japanese, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yomiuri, North Korean, Thomson Locations: Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, U.S, China, Russia, North Korea, Camp David, Maryland, Washington, Tokyo

☆ Crisis-hit Sri Lanka invites Japan to resume investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

COLOMBO, July 29 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Saturday invited Japan to resume investment in projects including power, roads and ports, after the Japanese foreign minister wrapped up the first high-level visit to the crisis-hit country in nearly four years. Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said his country was seeking Japanese investment in sectors such as power, infrastructure, dedicated investment zones as well as in the green and digital economies. Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is in Colombo as part of a multi-country diplomatic tour including India, South Africa, Uganda and Ethiopia. Sri Lanka, which lies along key shipping routes in the Indian Ocean, has become a hot spot for influence between India and Japan on the one side and China on the other. Japan is Sri Lanka's second biggest bilateral lender, after China, with about $2.7 billion in outstanding loans, according to latest finance ministry data.

Persons: Ali Sabry, Sabry, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Uditha Jayasinghe, Lincoln Organizations: Saturday, Sri Lanka Foreign, Japan's, Thomson Locations: COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Japan, Colombo, India, South Africa, Uganda, Ethiopia, Maldives, China, Sri

☆ Japan says it hopes to communicate closely with China including with Wang Yi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - Japan hopes to communicate closely with China, including with its newly named foreign minister and veteran diplomat Wang Yi, the top government spokesperson said on Wednesday. "It is important to build a constructive and stable relationship with China through mutual efforts," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. China on Tuesday named Wang to replace Qin Gang, who had not been seen in public since June 25. Wang, who was Qin's predecessor, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed to resume high-level trilateral talks with South Korea on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia earlier this month. Reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Yi, Hirokazu Matsuno, Wang, Gang, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Satoshi Sugiyama, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: China, South, Association of South East Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia

☆ Top Chinese diplomat proposes talks with Japan, South Korea, Kyodo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 23 (Reuters) - Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi proposed high-level talks between China, Japan and South Korea in a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister in Indonesia this month, Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday. U.S. allies Japan and South Korea are wary of China's increasing military assertiveness and of growing tensions between China and the U.S. over a range of issues including trade and self-ruled Taiwan. Wang and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Indonesia on July 14. The issue of the water could be a sticking point preventing an early meeting of leaders of the three countries, Kyodo said. Japan conveyed Wang's proposal for the talks to South Korea, Kyodo said.

Persons: Wang Yi, Wang, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Kyodo, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ryan Woo, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: Kyodo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, U.S, Taiwan, Tokyo, Japanese

☆ US, Japan, South Korea, condemn North Korean missile launch in joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 14 (Reuters) - North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week violates multiple U.N. resolutions and threatens peace and stability in the region, the United States, South Korea, and Japan said on Friday in a joint statement condemning the launch. The missile, fired off North Korea's east coast on Wednesday, flew for 74 minutes to an altitude of 6,000 km (3,728 miles) and a range of 1,000 km, according to Japan, in what would be the longest-ever flight time for a North Korean missile. The countries urged North Korea "to cease its unlawful and escalatory actions and promptly return to dialogue," the statement added. Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitments" to the defense of Japan and South Korea in that meeting, according to a separate statement from the U.S. State Department. The launch came after heated complaints from North Korea in recent days, accusing American spy planes of flying over its exclusive economic zone waters, condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, and vowing to take steps in reaction.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Park Jin, Blinken, Ismail Shakil, Caitlin Webber, Sandra Maler Organizations: UN, U.S, Foreign, ASEAN Regional Forum, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: United States, South Korea, Japan, Korean, North Korea, Jakarta, Indonesia, American, Ottawa

☆ Japan calls on China to approach Fukushima water release in 'scientific manner'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - Japan called on China to approach the release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in a scientific manner at a meeting held between Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi on Friday. China has criticised Japan's plan to release over one million tonnes of water from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant starting this summer. Hayashi said that Japan was ready to communicate with China about the water discharge from a scientific perspective, according to the statement. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific. Hayashi also defended the plan at an ASEAN meeting on Thursday and claimed China was making "claims not rooted in scientific evidence", according to Japan's foreign ministry.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Wang Yi, Hayashi, Wang, Sakura Murakami, Himani Sarkar, Michael Perry Organizations: Japan Foreign, ichi, Plant, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, China, Indonesia, Russia

☆ China's top diplomat urges Japan and South Korea to align with Beijing and 'revitalize Asia'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s top diplomat has urged Japan and South Korea to foster a sense of “strategic autonomy” from the West and cooperate with Beijing to “revitalize Asia,” amid rising tensions between China and the two neighboring American allies. The comments by Wang Yi on Monday come as Japan and South Korea forge closer relations with the United States – and mend ties with each other – driven by common concerns about Beijing’s growing influence and assertiveness in the region. In recent years, the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to unite allies and like-minded partners to counter China’s rising influence in the Pacific, including with South Korea and Japan, two of its most important allies in Asia. “If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of trilateral cooperation, but also aggravate tension and confrontation in the region,” Wang added. South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi addressed the event via video link, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Wang Yi, Wang, ” Wang, “, Xi Jinping, Biden, They’ve, Park Jin, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, United, CNN, International, Trilateral Cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry, South, Japan, Korean Foreign, Japanese Locations: Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Beijing, Asia, China, United States, Qingdao, European, East Asia, Tokyo, Seoul, North Korea, Taiwan Strait

☆ IAEA head Grossi meets with local residents ahead of visit to wrecked Fukushima plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TOKYO, July 5 (Reuters) - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi met residents on Wednesday to assuage concerns over the safety of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. The reality of people, the economy, and social perceptions may be different from the science, he said, acknowledging the fears surrounding the water release. Grossi will visit the wrecked plant on Wednesday, where he will inaugurate an IAEA office on site that will monitor the release of the water, which is expected to take 30 to 40 years. Some neighbouring countries have also raised concerns over the threat to the environment, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Nozaki, Grossi, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Fumio Kishida, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Nikkei, Korean, Yomiuri, Pacific, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Beijing, East Asia

☆ Japan to get crucial UN verdict for Fukushima water release
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Construction site of the unit 5,6 seaside facilities of the Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in Okuma of Fukushima prefecture. Japan is set to receive a report from a U.N. nuclear watchdog on Tuesday approving its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean despite fierce resistance from Beijing and some local opposition. Japan has not specified a date to start the water release, which will take 30 to 40 years to complete, pending the IAEA's review and official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power . Through its embassy in Japan, Beijing on Tuesday said the IAEA's report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and called for the plan's suspension. Japan maintains the process is safe as it has treated the water — enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools — used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant after it was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Persons: Rafael Grossi, Fumio Kishida, Yoshimasa Hayashi Organizations: Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Fukushima, Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Beijing

☆ Casey DeSantis' mission on the 2024 campaign trail is to bring suburban women back to the GOP after Trump lost them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, is a chief confidant key to his political rise. He finished boasting about his "Florida Blueprint," and then his wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, glided onstage. In the geography was Casey DeSantis' autobiography: raised in Troy, Ohio, and college-educated at the University of Charleston. As Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis' initiatives included childhood emotional resiliency, child welfare, and — as a breast-cancer survivor herself — cancer research. "They did not want woke ideology shoved down the throats of their five years olds while they were in school," Casey DeSantis said.

☆ The DeSantis campaign will test whether Casey DeSantis can bring suburban women back to the GOP after Trump lost them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Tokyo CNN —Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable. “We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday. The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials. China, which has previously warned against NATO expanding its reach into Asia or a similar bloc emerging in the region, has already responded angrily to previous reports on the possible Japan office. Hayashi played down concerns that opening a Tokyo NATO office could further inflame tensions, saying: “I don’t feel that’s the case.”The country has had a pacifist constitution since World War II – which he argued is reflected in this move.

Search resuls for: "Yoshimasa Hayashi"

25 mentions found