1. Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has told new US Ambassador to Japan George Glass that he hopes they can work hard in hand to strengthen the alliance between the two countries. Ishiba said that, while respecting the views of President Donald Trump, he wants Japan and the US to deepen dialogue on ways to strengthen their alliance and whatever they can do for world peace and stability. Glass responded that the two countries have a long history of relations, and he looks forward to working together with Japan to make their friendship stronger. 2. Harvard University has filed a lawsuit in the US to try to stop the administration of President Donald Trump from implementing a partial freeze on the institution’s federal funds. The administration announced that it was freezing billions of dollars in federal assistance last week, after the university rejected the conditions that were attached to the funds. One condition required the institution to strongly enforce rules regarding student behavior. 3. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is expected to visit Vietnam and the Philippines next week to exchange views with the countries’ leaders of the two Southeast Asian nations. The leaders are expected to exchange opinions on the Trump administration ‘s tariff measures. They will also discuss the ways in which the levies could affect the world’s economy and the free trade system.