May 20, Friday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Mr. Yamaguchi Hiroaki

1.Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has agreed with the head of the international nuclear watchdog to work together to ensure the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Kishida Fumio said, “Japan highly appreciates the IAEA’s efforts to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine.”
2.The United Nations Security Council held a ministerial meeting on Thursday to discuss the issues of food security and conflict. This comes amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of wheat, other grains and fertilizer. But Russia’s invasion has disrupted exports from the two countries. this has caused prices to soar and raised concerns about food shortages.
3.Russian forces appear poised to intensify their offensive to capture the whole of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as more Ukrainian fighters surrender at a steel plant in Mariupol. But Ukrainian forces may be preparing to mount counterattacks on all fronts.