April 24, Monday, 2023

1. Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says he sees the results of Sunday’s Diet by-elections as encouragement for his party to follow through on its key policies. Kishida spoke to reporters on Monday, a day after his main governing Liberal Democratic Party won four out of the five seats contested in the by-elections and increased its Diet presence. 2. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says the government is doing all it can to ensure the safety of its evacuation effort in Sudan. About 60 Japanese nationals are in the African country. Kishida said the government is carefully monitoring the situation in Sudan and closely cooperating with other concerned countries.
3. One year has passed since a sightseeing boat carrying 26 people sank off the coast of Japan’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido. Twenty people were confirmed dead, with six others still unaccounted for. A memorial ceremony took place in the town of Shari on the Shiretoko Peninsula on Sunday.