June 17, Friday, 2022 (1:30 p.m.) Newsline read by Mr. Yamaguchi Hiroaki

1.Skepticism about the invasion of Ukraine appears to be on the rise in Russia, prompting elite businesspeople and oligarchs to leave the country. This is likely to exacerbate the war’s long-term damage to the nation’s economy. According to an intelligence update from the British defense ministry, the war has accelerated Russia’s long-term trajectory towards authoritarianism. Efforts are underway to criminalize speaking out against the invasion and the state.
2.Delegates from around the world have wrapped up a ministerial World Trade Organization conference in Switzerland. They’ve emerged from several days of tough negotiations with breakthrough deals on a range of subjects. High on the agenda was food security. It’s an issue that’s taken on added importance since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cut off grain shipments from Black Sea ports.
3.Policymakers at the Bank of Japan have agreed to keep their short-term benchmark interest rate in negative territory. BOJ Governor Kuroda Haruhiko has repeatedly indicated he will stay the course in a bid to boost Japan’s pandemic-battered economy.