月: 2024年5月

1. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has demanded Israel immediately cease attacks on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
2. Three major Japanese automakers Toyota Motor, Mazda Motor and Subaru have held a presentation to unveil the next-generation eco-friendly engines they are developing.
3. Japanese chemical major Asahi Kasei has announced it will acquire Swedish drugmaker Calliditas Therapeutics as part of efforts to bolster its pharmaceutical business. The Swedish firm develops drugs such as those to treat kidney diseases and has an advantage in the US market.

1. An aerospace engineering expert says North Korea appears to have lost control of a rocket during ascent in Monday’s failed launch of what it claims was a military reconnaissance satellite.
2. The top commander of the Ukrainian military says France is planning to send instructors to his country for military personnel training.
3. Authorities in Ishikawa Prefecture’s Wajima City suspect a woman in her 70s may have died alone in a temporary house built for evacuees from areas hit by the massive New Year’s Day earthquake.

1. South Korea’s president says he and the leaders of Japan and China have adopted a joint declaration that includes their pledge to work closely together to achieve regional peace and prosperity. Yoon Suk-yeol told reporters that the foundation of cooperation among the three countries is mutual understanding and trust, and their leaders must meet frequently to communicate with each other.
2. Tel Aviv has come under a Hamas rocket attack as Israel continues its offensive in Rafah, southern Gaza. The Israeli media say Tel Aviv was targeted for the first time since January. Hamas bombarded Tel Aviv with a rocket barrage. This comes as the Israeli military continues its operation in Rafah. The International Court of Justice had ordered Israel to immediately halt the attack in the area as a provisional measure.
3. In sumo, 23-year-old Onosato has won his first top-division title in his seventh tourney since his debut as a professional wrestler. Onosato was recently promoted to the fourth-highest rank of Komusubi. Going into the final day of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, he was leading with 11 wins and three losses. Sekiwake Abi and three other wrestlers were trailing him with four losses.

1. Visitors to next year’s world expo in Osaka will be able to pay for their items in shops and restaurants through facial recognition. Event organizers say users will first need to download an app to register photos of their faces with payment methods, like credit cards. The customers will look at cameras at shop counters when they are ready to leave. Payments are approved after the device identifies their faces.
2. Consumer prices in Japan rose in April but at a slower pace for a second-straight month. A major factor was food prices rising moderately following steep gains.
3. Representatives of four Japanese companies have visited the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to discuss reconstruction projects in the country. The group included officials from companies that make landmine detectors and landmine removers. Others were from firms that deal with the reconstruction of infrastructure.

1. Two major Japanese food makers have teamed up to solve the problem of recycling oily plastic bottles, and aim to lay the groundwork for a system of reusing the items. Edible oils are among the main products of Kewpie and Nisshin OilliO Group, which use a combined total of about 5,000 tons of plastic bottles a year. The two firms plan to collect them with help from recycling companies. They will first wash off the oil, and convert them into potentially reusable materials by crushing or heating them. The food makers will then try ways of making new items from the materials.
2. The Lower House of Japan’s Diet has passed a bill aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse. The bill would allow background checks of sex crime records for job seekers in child-rearing sectors.
3. The leaders of South Korea, China, and Japan will hold a trilateral summit in Seoul on Monday. It will be the first one in four and a half years.

1. The yield on Japan’s 10-year government bond has hit 1 percent. That’s an 11-year high. The benchmark-bond yield on Wednesday briefly rose to a level not seen since May 2013. Yields rise when government bond prices fall.
2. A funeral ceremony for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and seven others who recently perished in a helicopter crash will begin Wednesday morning in Iran’s capital Tehran. Foreign dignitaries will be among the attendees.
3. One passenger has died and at least 30 others have been injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence. Airline officials say the Boeing 777 aircraft was hit by the turbulence about 11,000 meters above Myanmar roughly 10 hours after the takeoff.

1. Ukraine says it has decided to take part in the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Paris. In a statement on Monday, the country’s Youth and Sports Ministry and Olympic Committee announced the decision to participate in the Games, which open on July 26. The statement said participating in the Games is an opportunity for Ukraine to demonstrate its strong will and spirits. 2. Japan’s lay judge system marks its 15th anniversary. It is facing a growing problem with candidates failing to show up for the screening process. Lay judge candidates are randomly chosen every year from the general public. They must be at least 20 years old and have the right to vote. Except for those who are allowed to excuse themselves for various reasons, candidates are screened through an appointment procedure and a lottery. 3. A Bank of Japan survey shows that many businesses felt both benefits and drawbacks from the central bank’s unprecedented monetary easing in recent decades. The central bank is now analyzing the effects of its monetary policy that included massive purchases of assets like government bonds and exceptionally low interest rates. The BOJ has started to move away from the policy after a period of about 25 years.

1. Iranian state-run media say President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead in a helicopter crash. The aircraft reportedly went down on Sunday in Iran’s northern province of East Azerbaijan after encountering thick frog. Iranian state-run media say all people on board the helicopter were killed, including Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. Raisi and Abdollahian were traveling to inspect a dam project near the border with the country of Azerbaijan.
2. President of Taiwan Lai Ching-te has stressed in his inauguration speech that he will maintain the status quo in Taiwan’s relations with China and pursue peace and prosperity together. Lai took the oath of office in a ceremony at the presidential office in Taipei on Monday morning. He said he will abide by the Constitution, fulfill his duties faithfully, promote people’s welfare and protect Taiwan. Lai, speaking about Taiwan’s relations with China, said his government will “neither yield nor provoke, and maintain the status quo.” 3. Japan’s two opposition parties have jointly submitted draft revisions to impose tougher penalties on lawmakers who violate the political funds control law. The Constitutional Democratic Party and the Democratic Party for the People submitted the proposals to the Lower House of the Diet on Monday. A political funds scandal involving the main governing Liberal Democratic Party has become a major issue.

1. The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed allegations that Pyongyang is exploring the possibility of exporting weapons to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.　　 2. Slovakia’s Interior Minister has said the shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday was a politically motivated assassination attempt. Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said the medical team managed to stabilize Fico, but that he is still not out of danger. 3. Chinese exports to Russia of nitrocellulose – a dual-use material that can be used to produce ammunition – have surged since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. NHK analyzed data published by China’s customs authorities dating back to 2015. It found there were hardly any nitrocellulose exports to Russia between 2015 and 2021. But these exports jumped from May 2022, three months after Russia invaded Ukraine.

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping have confirmed the importance of bilateral cooperation at their summit in Beijing. Chinese media reported that Xi congratulated Putin on his fifth term when they met on Thursday afternoon. Xi said Russia will surely make new and greater progress in national development under Putin’s leadership. 2. Chinese exports to Russia of nitrocellulose – a dual-use material that can be used to produce ammunition –have surged since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound that is used in the production of paint, varnish and ink, as well as ammunition.
3. Tokyo police have sent papers to prosecutors on a man who allegedly used camera-equipped smart glasses to cheat on an entrance exam at Waseda University. The 18-year-old was a high school senior when the alleged cheating took place in February of this year.