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SAPPORO, Japan, April 16 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday set big new targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels. G7 ministers finish two days of meetings on climate, energy and environmental policy in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo on Sunday. Renewable fuel sources and energy security have taken on a new urgency following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In their communique, the members pledged to collectively increase offshore wind capacity by 150 gigawatts by 2030 and solar capacity to more than 1 terawatt. "Hopefully this will provide a challenge to Japan, for which offshore wind is the missing part of the jigsaw that could see its power sector decarbonise much quicker than it thought possible."

SAPPORO, Japan, April 16 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations have agreed to speed up the development of renewable energy and accelerate the phasing out of unabated fossil fuels by 2050, the group said in a communique released on Sunday. The ministers also recognised the need to reduce consumption of gas but said that investment in the sector can be appropriate to help address potential market shortfalls, according to the G7 communique issued after two days of ministerial talks in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by David DolanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ G7 vows to step up moves to renewable energy, zero carbon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Japan won endorsements from fellow G-7 countries for its own national strategy emphasizing so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to help ensure its energy security. The stipulation that countries rely on "predominantly" clean energy by 2035 leaves room for the continuation of fossil-fuel-fired power. The G-7 nations account for 40% of the world's economic activity and a quarter of global carbon emissions. The document crafted in Sapporo included significant amounts of nuance to allow for differences between the G-7 energy strategies, climate advocates said. "I think energy security is being exaggerated in some cases," Kerry said, pointing to Germany's progress in embracing renewable energy.

"The G7 countries have agreed that the first response to the energy crisis must be to reduce energy and gas consumption… For the first time ever, the G7 said that we must accelerate the phasing out of all unabated fossil fuels... The event has also put focus on the need to help emerging countries reduce emissions, including through financing. Nishimura said ministers would like to discuss ways to use finance to help reduce carbon in so-called "hard-to-abate" industries, which include chemicals, shipping and steel. "Developed countries first need to follow through on the $100 billion pledge they made to developing countries over a decade ago." G7 countries must exert "much stronger leadership" in leveraging financial and technology resources to help developing countries reduce emissions, Meyer said.

☆ North Korea missile launch sparks alarm, confusion in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsNorth Korea missile launch sparks alarm, confusion in JapanPostedNorth Korea fired what might be a new model of ballistic missile on Thursday (April 13), South Korea said, triggering a scare in northern Japan, where residents were told to take cover, though there turned out to be no danger. Ryan Chang reports.

☆ North Korea says it tested new solid-fuel ICBM, state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 14 (Reuters) - North Korea said on Friday it has tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-18 aimed at boosting the country's nuclear counterattack capability, state media reported. North Korea fired what appeared to be a new model ballistic missile on Thursday, South Korea said, triggering a scare in northern Japan where Hokkaido residents were told to take cover, though there turned out to be no danger. Developing a solid-fuel ICBM has long been seen as a key goal for North Korea, as it could help the North deploy its missiles faster in the event of a war. The latest launch came days after North Korean leader Kim called for strengthening war deterrence in a "more practical and offensive" manner to counter what North Korea called moves of aggression by the United States. North Korea has criticised recent U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises as escalating tensions and has stepped weapons tests in recent months.

☆ As summer heat looms, Japan urged to curb impact, emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Stanislav Kogiku | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesTemperatures are rising in Japan and summer is coming fast. "The risks from climate change are right before us," said Yasuaki Hijioka, deputy director of the Center for Climate Change Adaptation at the National Institute for Environmental Studies in Tsukuba, northeast of Tokyo. But climate change means communities are often caught off guard because the systems were engineered for the weather conditions of the past. The warming weather can also hold more moisture, adding flooding and landslides to the summer forecast, something that Japan has also seen with growing frequency. "We need to view climate change as a natural disaster."

☆ Mistakes by the US's top spies allowed China to turn a deadly mid-air collision into an intelligence coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

On April 1, 2001, a US EP-3 spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea. One of eleven left in the fleet, the tired 1960s-era spy plane bristled with porcupine-like antennas. Within minutes, however, the fighters had reached the lumbering spy plane, and while Zhao Yu hung back about a half-mile, Wang Wei rapidly closed in. In severe trouble, he immediately radioed the base, telling them he was unable to maneuver and being sucked in by the spy plane. "You are not allowed aboard the aircraft," Osborn said.

☆ Rapidus picks northern Japan's Chitose as semiconductor plant location
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Japan's state-backed Rapidus said on Tuesday it would build its semiconductor plant in Chitose, a manufacturing hub on the nation's northern island of Hokkaido. The factory and a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (2330.TW) plant under construction on the southern island of Kyushu are the key pillars of Japan's strategy to boost its capability to make more advanced chips and shield itself from supply chain snarls. Rapidus Chairman Tetsuro Higashi told Reuters this month that the company would need about 7 trillion yen ($51.4 billion) of mostly taxpayer money to begin mass producing advanced logic chips around 2027. Chitose, a city of about 100,000 people, already hosts a wide range of factories run by major manufacturers including silicon wafer maker SUMCO Corp (3436.T) and auto components maker Denso Corp (6902.T). ($1 = 136.1500 yen)Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Mayu Sakoda; Editing by Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rapidus to build chip factory in Chitose, northern Japan -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Japan's state-backed chip venture Rapidus plans to build its first factory in Chitose city on Japan's northernmost major island of Hokkaido and is likely to make an announcement as early as next week, TV Tokyo reported on Tuesday. Chitose, a city of approximately 100,000 people in southwestern Hokkaido, already hosts manufacturing facilities of silicon wafer maker SUMCO Corp (3436.T), among others. A Rapidus spokesperson said nothing has been decided yet on the location. Rapidus told Reuters earlier this month that it would need about 7 trillion yen ($52 billion) of mostly taxpayer money to begin mass-producing advanced logic chips in around 2027.read more($1 = 134.8100 yen)Reporting by Kaneko Kaori, Mayu Sakoda and Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Alex Richardson and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rapidus considering building chip factory in Hokkaido, northern Japan-TV Tokyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Japan's state-backed chip venture Rapidus is considering building a chip factory in Hokkaido, northern Japan, TV Tokyo reported on Wednesday. Rapidus will likely make a formal decision on new factory site by as early as end-February, according to the report. A spokesperson of the chip venture confirmed that Hokkaido governor will visit its headquarters in Tokyo on Thursday to discuss plant building. Japan has said it will invest an initial 70 billion yen ($525 million) in Rapidus, a venture led by tech firms including Sony Group Corp (6758.T) and NEC CorpRapidus told Reuters earlier this month that it would need about 7 trillion yen ($54 billion) of mostly taxpayer money to begin mass producing advanced logic chips in around 2027. ($1 = 133.2700 yen)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia rules out talks with Japan on fishing near disputed islands
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 29 (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday it will not hold annual talks with Japan on renewing a pact that allows Japanese fishermen to operate near disputed islands, saying Japan has taken anti-Russian measures. The islands, off the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, are known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories and have been at the core of decades of tension between the neighbours. Japan, a major U.S. ally, imposed sanctions on dozens of Russian individuals and organisations soon after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year. On Friday, it tightened sanctions on Russia in response to Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities. Russia and Japan have not formally ended World War Two hostilities because of their standoff over the islands, seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the war.

☆ Timeline: Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda to step down after 14 years at the helm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here's a chronology of key events and milestones in Toyota's history under Toyoda, the 66-year-old grandson of the company's founder. "CRISIS AFTER CRISIS"In June 2009, Toyoda became the president of the company his grandfather Kiichiro founded in 1937, replacing Katsuaki Watanabe. Akio was the first member of Toyoda family to take the helm since 1995. The safety crisis, which forced Toyoda to testify before Congress in 2010, threatened Toyota’s reputation and continued success in its most profitable market. Toyoda said on Thursday his term at the helm started with "crisis after crisis."

☆ Toyota names Lexus chief Koji Sato CEO as Akio Toyoda takes chairman role
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda and Toyota's GAZOO Racing Company President Koji Sato attend an event for Toyota GAZOO Racing and LEXUS at Tokyo Auto Salon 2023 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonCompanies Toyota Motor Corp FollowLexus FollowTOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday that Akio Toyoda will step down as president and chief executive to become chairman from April 1, and hand over the helm of Japan's biggest automaker to the company's top branding officer. Koji Sato, a 53-year-old who is also president of Toyota's luxury brand Lexus, will become the new CEO, the company said. He has held positions as the president of Lexus International and Gazoo Racing Company, Toyota’s motorsport brand, since 2020. He also took on an executive role at Toyota and became its chief branding officer in January 2021.

☆ Heavy snow, deep cold halts transport across Japan, at least one dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A train is stranded at Nishioji station in Kyoto, Japan in this photo provided by Kyodo on January 25, 2023. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERSTOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Heavy snow blanketed wide swathes of Japan on Wednesday, snarling traffic, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations and disrupting train travel, leaving at least one person dead. An unusually cold weather front and extreme low pressure systems set snow falling and strong winds blowing across Japan from Tuesday. Snow was particularly heavy on the side of the nation facing the Sea of Japan, with the city of Maniwa in western Japan hit with a record 93 cm (36 inches) in the 24 hours to 8:00 a.m. (2300 GMT) on Wednesday. Strong winds connected to the storm may have caused the sinking of a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship between western Japan and South Korea's Jeju island early on Wednesday.

☆ Japan's recent heavy snow has caused 13 deaths, many injuries
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Recent heavy snow in Japan's north and elsewhere have killed 13 people injured more than 80 and left more than 10,000 households without power, the authorities said on Saturday. Snowstorms and high waves in northern Japan and along the Sea of Japan coast could cause snow as deep as 60 cm (two feet), the Meteorological Agency warned. By late Saturday afternoon, more than 30 had been seriously injured and more than 50 sustained minor injuries, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. Train and airplane services were disrupted in northern Japan, and some parts of central and western areas experienced traffic disruption, according to public broadcaster NHK. Reporting by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Japan awaits same-sex marriage ruling crucial to future LGBTQ rights
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Elaine Lies | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Plaintiffs hold hands each other after a district court ruled on the legality of same-sex marriages outside Sapporo district court in Sapporo, Hokkaido, northern Japan March 17, 2021, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Of two cases on the issue decided in Japan, one ruled banning same-sex marriage was "unconstitutional" and the other held the opposite. That adds weight to the expected decision by the Tokyo district court - already influential because of the capital's outsized influence on the rest of Japan - as it will establish a trend, lawyers and activists say. Eight people are involved in the case to be decided on Wednesday, saying the ban on same-sex marriage contravenes Japan's constitution and demanding damages of 1 million yen ($7,200) each. Though partnership certificates from municipalities now cover about 60% of the population in Japan, including Tokyo, they do not give same-sex couples the same rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile Friday, the South Korean and Japanese governments said, a day after it resumed weapons tests as it vowed “fiercer” military responses to the U.S.’s strengthening its alliances with South Korea and Japan. It would be the second ICBM North Korea has fired this month and the third this year, after it refrained from conducting such tests since 2017. Japan’s Defense Ministry also said it appeared to be an ICBM-class ballistic missile. In a statement Thursday, North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said the summit would lead to a “more unpredictable phase” in the situation on the Korean Peninsula. U.S. and South Korean officials say North Korea is also preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test, which would be its first since 2017.

☆ U.S., Japan and South Korea vow unified response to North Korean threat
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — President Joe Biden and the leaders of Japan and South Korea on Sunday vowed a unified, coordinated response to North Korea’s threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with Biden declaring that the three-way partnership is “even more important than it’s ever been” when North Korea is stepping up its provocations. Biden met separately with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol before all three sat down together on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Cambodia. The U.S. president began by offering condolences for a crowd surge during Halloween festivities in Seoul that killed more than 150 people, saying the U.S. had grieved with South Korea. Earlier this month, the South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of “Vigilant Storm” joint air force drills. North Korea responded with its own display of force, flying large numbers of warplanes inside its territory.

☆ North Korea fires ballistic missile toward sea, South says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern sea on Wednesday as it extended a recent barrage of weapons demonstrations including what it described as simulated attacks on South Korean and U.S. targets last week. Some experts earlier said the results of the U.S. elections were not likely to change the Biden administration’s policies on North Korea. North Korea fired dozens of missiles last week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that set off evacuation warnings in northern Japan, in an angry reaction to the U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Some experts say it’s possible that North Korea reached into the inventory of some of its older weapons to support the expanded scale of last week’s launches. “It may be in North Korea’s interest to hold some of its modern capabilities in reserve and test them at opportune occasions.

☆ Japan hosts multilateral display of naval unity amid East Asia tension
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Tim Kelly | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The naval parade in Sagami Bay near Tokyo involved 38 vessels, 18 from friendly countries such as the United States, South Korea, Britain, Australia, Singapore, India and Thailand. Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party has pledged to double Japan's defence budget to around 2% of gross domestic product within five years. Japan refused to join South Korea's fleet review in 2018 after Seoul asked it not to fly its rising sun ensign, which South Korea views as a symbol of Japanese wartime aggression. Tokyo declined to invite South Korea to a planned 2019 review. China, which has criticised Japan's defence spending plans, declined an invitation to join the review.

☆ North Korea fires more missiles as U.S. flies bombers over South
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of the "Vigilant Storm" joint air force drills that wraps up Saturday. It said North Korea will respond with the "toughest counteraction" to any attempts by "hostile forces" to infringe on its sovereignty or security interests. South Korea also on Friday scrambled about 80 military aircraft after tracking about 180 flights by North Korean warplanes inside North Korean territory. North Korea has launched dozens of ballistic missiles this year, including multiple ICBMs and an intermediate-range missile flown over Japan. South Korean officials say there are indications North Korea in coming weeks could detonate its first nuclear test device since 2017.

☆ North Korea ICBM may have failed in flight, officials say; Japan residents told to shelter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul on March 16, 2022. North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles on Thursday, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that triggered an alert for residents in parts of central and northern Japan to seek shelter. Despite an initial government warning that a missile had overflown Japan, Tokyo later said that was incorrect. Officials in South Korea and Japan said the missile may have been an ICBM, which are North Korea's longest-range weapons, and are designed to carry a nuclear warhead to the other side of the planet. South Korean officials believe the ICBM failed in flight, Yonhap news agency reported, without elaborating.

The launches came a day after North Korea fired at least 23 missiles, the most in a single day, including one that landed off South Korea's coast for the first time. About an hour after the first launch, South Korea's military and the Japanese coast guard reported a second launch from North Korea. South Korea issued rare air raid warnings and launched its own missiles in response after Wednesday's barrage. On Oct. 4, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years, prompted a warning for residents there to take cover. It was the farthest North Korea had ever fired a missile.

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