September 13, Friday, 2024

1. The US ambassador to the United Nations says the United States supports the addition of two African countries to the UN Security Council as permanent members without veto power. Linda Thomas-Greenfield revealed this during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on Thursday.
2. Japanese department store chain Sogo & Seibu says it has no plans to fire staff or close outlets under the management of a US investment fund. The major chain was sold to Fortress Investment Group in September last year. The company unveiled a management plan on Thursday. Under the plan, the firm will reduce the floor space by about half at its flagship store in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. The outlet is being renovated and will focus mainly on luxury goods, cosmetics and food when it reopens next year. 3. A panel of experts met Thursday to discuss revisions to Japan’s basic energy plan and efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Topics included energy-saving measures at workplaces and in households, and the use of new energy sources such as hydrogen. Japan has been working to revise its basic energy strategy since May. These revisions include meeting future electricity demand using power-saving technology and promoting renewable energy.