日: 2022年2月13日

1.The top diplomats of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India have held talks on ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region. They also discussed the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
2.Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his intent to boost military and other forms of support for Kazakhstan in an apparent bid to increase Moscow’s influence in Central Asia.
3.Japanese snowboarder Hirano Ayumu has won gold in the men’s halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The 23-year-old took silver at the previous two Games.

1.French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with his US counterpart Joe Biden on Wednesday to brief him on his recent visits to Russia and Ukraine. Macron and Biden reportedly affirmed that France will continue dialogue using a four-way framework with Russia, Ukraine and Germany, in order to achieve a breakthrough in the Ukraine crisis.
2.Several vessels carrying liquefied natural gas from Japan are expected to arrive in Europe next month. This comes as Europe could face a natural gas shortage amid the tensions over Ukraine. Russia may cut gas supplies to Europe if tensions with the West rise further over Ukraine. Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Hagiuda Koichi told EU Ambassador to Japan Patricia Flor and US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel that Japan will provide Europe with part of its LNG at the request of the United States.
3.US superstar Nathan Chen has won the Olympic gold in men’s figure skating. Japanese skaters made up the rest of the podium but two-time defending champion Hanyu Yuzuru missed out on a medal with a fourth-place finish.