Kyodo News Digest: Feb. 24, 2022

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Russia vows “strong” response to U.S. sanctions amid Ukraine crisis

MOSCOW/WASHINGTON – Russia said Wednesday it will offer a “strong” response to U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow for recognizing the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and ordering a troop deployment there.

The Ukraine crisis is deepening, with the United States, in lockstep with the European Union, Japan, Australia and others, imposing sanctions on Russia as part of efforts to deter Moscow from a large-scale invasion of the former Soviet republic.

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WTO to hold 1st ministerial meeting in over 4 years in June

GENEVA – The World Trade Organization on Wednesday decided to hold a ministerial meeting for the first time in more than four years in mid-June after it was forced to put off the gathering twice due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The WTO said the meeting, serving as its highest decision-making body, will take place in Geneva during the week starting 13 June as COVID-19 travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Switzerland have been eased.

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Japan to impose sanctions on Russia amid Ukraine crisis: PM Kishida

TOKYO – Japan will implement a set of economic sanctions against Russia and two pro-Russian separatist regions in eastern Ukraine after Moscow formally recognized the areas and ordered the deployment of troops there, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday.

The government will suspend visa issuance for officials from the two regions and freeze their assets. It will ban exports to and imports from the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as well as the issuance and trading of new Russian sovereign bonds in Japan, Kishida said.

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China temporarily detains Japanese diplomat while on duty

TOKYO/BEIJING – A Japanese diplomat in Beijing was detained temporarily earlier this week while on duty, with China arguing Wednesday that its action was justified because the official was engaging in inappropriate activity.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Tuesday night that the government had lodged a protest with China through diplomatic channels, saying, “We cannot overlook (the incident) and will never accept it.”

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PM Kishida to forgo Hiroshima trip with U.S. envoy amid Ukraine crisis

TOKYO – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will not accompany U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on a trip to Hiroshima this weekend as he needs to focus on the Ukraine crisis, a government source said Wednesday.

During his meeting with Kishida on Feb. 4, Emanuel said he wanted to visit Hiroshima at an early date to offer prayers and flowers to those who suffered from the 1945 U.S. bombing of the western city.

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Alert level raised for Japan’s Mt. Ontake due to more volcanic quakes

NAGANO, Japan – Japan’s weather agency on Wednesday raised its alert level for Mt. Ontake in the central part of the country, warning against going near its crater as volcanic earthquakes have increased.

The level-2 alert for the 3,067-meter volcano straddling Nagano and Gifu prefectures is the first since Aug. 21, 2017, with the Japan Meteorological Agency warning about the possibility of flying rocks around the 1-kilometer area from the crater on the mountain’s summit.

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Hong Kong applies to join RCEP trade agreement

HONG KONG – Hong Kong has submitted an application to join the 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, a mega trade agreement involving countries such as Japan and South Korea, the government said on Wednesday.

The move would expand Hong Kong’s free trade with Japan and South Korea, both of which the government has yet to reach free trade deals with, local media reports said, citing the Trade and Industry Department.

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Personal info leaks from listed Japan firms hit record high in 2021

TOKYO – The number of personal information leaks from companies listed on Japanese stock exchanges, as well as their subsidiaries, rose by 30 percent in 2021 from the previous year to a record 137 cases, according to a corporate research agency.

Tokyo Shoko Research said in a report that over 50 percent or 68 of the data breaches were caused by malware or unauthorized access. It said the number of cyberattacks rose for the third straight year.