June 16, Thursday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Mr. Yamaguchi Hiroaki

1.Several European leaders are now visiting Ukraine. As Russian forces step up their offensive in the country’s east, the leaders want to convey a clear message. The European Union stands together in helping Ukraine. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Kyiv by train Thursday morning.
2.Japan’s political parties are set to begin their campaigning for the Upper House election scheduled for July 10. The 150-day ordinary session of the Diet ended on Wednesday. Official campaigning for the Upper House race kicks off next Wednesday.
3.Policy-makers at the US Federal Reserve have spent months trying to overcome concerns about inflation. However, prices have risen beyond even their own expectations. Now, they are moving aggressively to bring them down. They decided to raise the benchmark interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point.