Japan and the US had sought to include expressions denouncing Russia’s invasion in their joint statement, but others, including Russia, opposed it.

Ministers from Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand walked out of the trade ministers’ meeting in Bangkok as a Russian representative was speaking, officials said.

Japan will ease Covid testing and quarantine rules for people arriving in Japan, and relax border restrictions from June 1, by doubling its daily cap on the number of international arrivals allowed to 20,000.

It is the first time divers conducted a search inside and outside the boat. An underwater drone had been used earlier but none of the missing was found inside.

Planned discharge of treated water is expected to begin around next spring. China and South Korea, as well as fishing communities in Japan, which fear reputational damage, have expressed concerns and opposition to the plan.

The National Security Office comment came as speculation grows that N Korea may conduct a provocative act during President Joe Biden’s visit to the south; reports on Tuesday, stated N Korea appears to be preparing for ICBM test within 48 to 96 hours.

Tour boat was carrying 24 passengers and two crew members when it made a distress call and disappeared on April 23 during a sightseeing trip. 14 people died during the excursion and 12 people remain missing.

Residents of Katsurao village will be able to return to their homes on June 12 when an evacuation order that has been in place since the 2011 nuclear disaster will be lifted.

The aid will be co-financed with the World Bank and not used for military purposes; specialised job assistance will be given to people who have fled to Japan since Russia’s invasion.

Speculation mounts after the government did not directly address a lawmaker’s query whether targets of the plan would include the Central Military Commission.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the Indo-Pacific as ‘a theatre of tensions’ in a veiled reference to an assertive China while also noting North Korea’s threat.

Both State Department spokesman Ned Price and White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell say the US position regarding Taiwan has not changed.

Labour shortages at ports in the US and other hay-exporting countries have caused delays in feed shipments, with a scarcity of shipping containers only adding to complications.

If enforced it would mark the heaviest administrative penalty ever imposed under Japan’s maritime transport law.

‘Ukraine may be tomorrow’s East Asia,’ warns PM Fumio Kishida after talks with British counterpart Boris Johnson in London.

14 people were killed when the Kazu I went missing on April 23 after leaving port in Hokkaido despite a bad weather warning.

PMs Fumio Kishida and Prayut Chan-o-cha are seeking to reach an agreement on the transfer of Japanese defence equipment; Thailand has been cautious about joining efforts to isolate Russia in response to its aggression.

Pelosi, next in line to US presidency after vice-president, is highest ranking American official to visit Ukraine since invasion began; meanwhile, the UN says millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian ports or on ships needs to ‘get out into world to alleviate global food crisis’.

Days before accident, the captain of Kazu I was given permission to use his mobile phone – which was unreachable the day of the sinking – rather than a satellite phone.

Recommendations will focus on whether Japan can acquire capabilities to attack enemy bases in counterstrikes given its exclusively-defence oriented policy under the war-renouncing Constitution.

The Pentagon said the defence chiefs will discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine and ways to strengthen the bilateral alliance amid China’s growing assertiveness.

Japanese coastguard says 12 of the 26 people aboard are unaccounted for, and will search inside the boat in belief that some of the missing were trapped.

Liberal Democratic Party wants to ‘drastically strengthen Japan’s defence capabilities’ in stark contrast to country’s traditional pacifist stance; annual defence budget would need to increase to about US$86 billion.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Russian President Vladimir Putin met one-on-one for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Tokyo and Moscow agreed on a fishing quota of 2,050 tonnes within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for this year.

Both countries say they strongly oppose attempts to change the status quo by force in any regions including the East and South China Seas, but did not specifically name Beijing.

A lawmaker said New Delhi had agreed to allow the flight to pick up relief items stockpiled by a UN agency, but the government suddenly withdrew its consent.

According to the LDP proposals, Tokyo will introduce a defence capability that will not only target missile bases but also disable the command and control systems.

Air Self-Defence Force conducted 1,004 scrambles of its aircraft against foreign planes in the year through March, the second-highest level on record.

The US Defence Department said the pact could ‘set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific Island region’.