August 8, Tuesday, 2023

1. Weather officials in Japan are warning people to be on alert ahead of the arrival of Severe Tropical Storm Khanun. The storm is expected to approach the country’s southwestern region of Kyushu on Wednesday. Bands of active rain clouds are expected to develop in the Amami region and in southern and northern Kyushu through Wednesday night.
2. Former Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro has said in a speech in Taiwan that “a readiness to fight” serves as a deterrence in the region. Referring to China’s growing military pressure on Taiwan, Aso said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are very important for the stability of Japan and the international community. He said countries around the world are starting to recognize this. 3. Japan’s current account surplus rose in the first half of 2023 from the same period last year, mainly due to a fall in the price of energy imports. The Finance Ministry said on Tuesday that the surplus for the six months through June stood at 8.1 trillion yen, or about 56 billion dollars. That’s up about 5.6 billion dollars from the same period last year.