Ilia Malinin of the United States performs during the Japan Open figure skating team competition at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo on October 8, 2022. (Kyodo)
Here is the latest list of news digests selected by Kyodo News.
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North Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles
TOKYO – North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Sunday morning, the Japanese and South Korean governments said, days after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years.
The two missiles reportedly fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone into the Sea of Japan after traveling 350 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 100 km, Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino told reporters.
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No imminent signs of Russian use of nukes after Biden’s Armageddon warning
WASHINGTON — The United States has seen no indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons imminently, government officials said Friday, after President Joe Biden warned of the potential risk of “Armageddon” while that Moscow continues its nuclear saber amid its war in Ukraine.
When asked if any new intelligence prompted the president to issue the stark warning, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, “No.”
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Japan says Britain could join Trans-Pacific Free Trade Pact this year
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Members of a Trans-Pacific Free Trade Pact could agree in principle to allow Britain to become a new member this year, using the European country’s case as a model for future aspirants, a Japanese Economy Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa said on Saturday.
Yamagiwa told a joint press conference, following a ministerial meeting in Singapore on the regional trade deal, that he believed that based on the views of some members, there could be a “maybe by this year” basis.
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Table tennis: Japan loses to China in women’s team final
CHENGDU, China — Japan settled for silver with a 3-0 loss to China in the women’s final of the World Table Tennis Team Championships on Saturday.
In the men’s semi-final, Japan also lost to China but forced the table tennis superpower to play five matches in the Chinese city of Chengdu.
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Woman pays for ‘Russian astronaut’ to return to Earth in alleged scam
OTSU, Japan — Police are investigating whether a woman in central Japan was scammed into sending about 4.4 million yen ($30,000) to someone claiming to be a Russian astronaut working at the Station international space and in need of money to return to Earth to marry her.
The 65-year-old woman from Shiga prefecture met the person on a social networking site in June before communicating via the Line messaging app. The person repeatedly told him she loved him and proposed marriage, police said.
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US tightens export controls on high-end chips to China
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday it was tightening export controls to restrict China’s ability to access certain high-end chips that could be used by Beijing to produce advanced military systems.
The move is part of efforts to protect the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, the department said in a news release, noting intensified competition between the world’s two largest economies over technology.
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Tennis: Fritz prepares for the 100% American final in Tokyo against Tiafoe
TOKYO — Taylor Fritz defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 on Saturday to set up an all-American final with Frances Tiafoe at the Rakuten Japan Open.
Third-seeded Fritz trailed 3-1 in the final set but roared to win the next five games, wrapping up the victory with his sixth ace of the game against his Canadian opponent at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo.
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Japan, Singapore to speed up defense equipment pact talks
SINGAPORE — The foreign ministers of Japan and Singapore agreed on Saturday to seek an early conclusion of a bilateral deal on defense equipment and technology transfer, as Tokyo aims to counter China’s maritime assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan also agreed to coordinate responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and repeated ballistic missile launches by North Korea, the Japanese foreign ministry said. foreign.
