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Nigerian Government Partners Japan On Border Security.

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The Japanese government has reaffirmed its commitment to assisting the Nigerian government in strengthening its border security and also enhancing constant border patrol.

To this end, the Japanese government is committing 500 thousand dollars towards Nigeria’s border monitoring.

Nigerian and Japanese government officials met at Nfum border at Etung Local Government Area of Cross River state.

 

One of the Japanese officials told Journalists that in the last two years, the government had trained law enforcement officials in different workshops and on various techniques such as how to patrol the borders, how to interview suspects of crime, how to do proper arrests under the rule of law and respect to human rights among others.

She further stated that with the increase in crime rate across borders, the need for improved security approach has become imperative, which is the reason for the partnership.

“We find that since crime is so much evolving, and we have so many different forms of crime nowadays and organised crime, law enforcement officials need constant upgrading of their skills to be able to detect this crime, investigate them and be able to prosecute them”.

 

Source: Channels TV

Japan rescued 26 North Koreans from a sinking cargo ship

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Twenty-six North Koreans are in Japanese custody after being pulled from a sinking cargo ship off the coast of Japan late Wednesday.

The Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) went to the rescue after receiving a distress signal from the ship, which had run into difficulties off Japan’s Kyushu Prefecture, 38 miles (61 kilometers) southwest of the Goto Islands, a spokesman said.
The ship’s crew members had evacuated and were on life boats when the Japanese Coast Guard reached them.
In the early hours of Thursday, the sinking ship began drifting closer to the Goto Islands, coming within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the coast before it was completely submerged.
All crew members are safe and uninjured, the JCG spokesman said.
Blurry images show the ship listing.
A 6,558 ton cargo ship, the Chong Gen was transporting more than five thousand tons of rice from Nampo port on North Korea’s west coast, to Wongsan in the east, according to the JCG, which is questioning crew members.
The JCG said this may be the first ever time that large numbers of North Korean ship crew members have been rescued by Japanese authorities.
Japan does not have formal diplomatic relations with North Korea.
By Thursday, the ship had sunk completely.
In late 2015, more than 12 so-called “ghost ships” washed up on Japan’s coast.
The vessels, all of which had dead and decaying bodies inside, are believed to have originated in North Korea.

‘Japan will never wage war again’ – PM Shinzo Abe

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Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, joined U.S. President Barack Obama for a symbolic joint visit to Pearl Harbour on Tuesday, commemorating World War II dead and pledged that “Japan would never wage war again”.

The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria who monitored the event on news network, reports that Mr. Abe, while delivering a solemn speech offered ‘everlasting condolences’ to the U.S. and the entire world over victims of Pearl Harbour attack and the World War II.

NAN also reports that Mr. Obama pointed out that “there’s more to be won in peace than in war”.

Messrs. Abe and Obama commemorated the dead at the USS Arizona Memorial, built over the remains of the sunken battleship, according to Reuters.

Mr. Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to visit the memorial, a centrepiece of the historic site.

“We must never repeat the horrors of war again. This is the solemn vow we, the people of Japan, have taken.

“To the souls of the servicemen who lie in eternal rest aboard the USS Arizona, to the American people, and to all the peoples around the world, I pledge that unwavering vow here as the prime minister of Japan,” he said.

Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbour with torpedo planes, bombers and fighter planes on the morning of December 7, 1941, pounding the U.S. fleet moored there in the hope of destroying U.S. power in the Pacific.

Mr. Abe did not, however, apologise for the attack.

Obama, who earlier this year became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb in 1945, called Mr. Abe’s visit a “historic gesture” that was “a reminder that even the deepest wounds of war can give way to friendship and a lasting peace”.

The two leaders stood solemnly in front of a wall inscribed with the names of those who died in the 1941 attack and they took part in a brief wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a moment of silence.

“In Remembrance, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan” was written on one wreath and “In Remembrance, Barack Obama, President of the United States” on the other.

The visit, just weeks before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office, was meant to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance in the face of a rising China and amid concerns that Trump would have a more complicated relationship with Tokyo.

World War II, which raged from 1939 to 1945, killed more than 60 million people.

The aftermath of the war led to the formation of the United Nations “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”, among others.

Fire Engulfs 140 Buildings In Japan

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A wind-fanned fire engulfed 140 buildings in central Japan on Thursday with hundreds of residents advised to evacuate their homes, local media reported.

 

The Niigata prefectural government called on the military to dispatch troops to help contain the fire in Itoigawa City on the Sea of Japan coast, 250 kilometres north-west of Tokyo.

 

The media report said that two people were injured after the fire broke out in a restaurant at around 10:30 am (0130 GMT) and spread quickly, enveloping about 140 buildings.

The city issued an evacuation advisory to 740 people as firefighters were battling the raging blaze.

 

“I’m astonished to see the fire spread so quickly.

 

“I first thought one or two houses would be burned in the fire,’’ a witness told newsmen.

Japan’s Sex Problem Is So Bad That People Are Quitting Dating & Marrying

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The Japanese sex problem has become so desperate that its young population are giving up on dating and are just marrying their friends.

A Government survey found 69 per cent of Japanese men and 59 per cent of Japanese women do not have a romantic partner.

One Japanese aggregator website has since been awash with stories of how people have simply got married to life-long friends.

The country has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with just 8.4 children being born per 1,000 inhabitants over the last five years.

Its population of 127m people is predicted to decrease to 87m by 2060.

The survey, carried out by the country’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, also reported that about 80 per cent of unmarried Japanese want to get married.

In recent weeks, people have posted stories to the aggregator website Matome Naver, telling how in one case, a colleague married their friend of 10 years.

The trend has been coined “Kousai zero Nichikon”: roughly translated as “marrying without dating”.

Japanese actress Maki Horikita married co-star Koji Yamamoto in 2015 after just a month of dating.

Read More: businessinsider

The giant sinkhole that was hastily repaired in Japan is sinking again.

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A giant sinkhole that was hastily repaired in Japan earlier this month is showing signs of movement.

Traffic was stopped at the busy intersection in Japanese city of Fukuoka on the weekend after the road was seen to sink some seven centimeters (2.7 inches).
Earlier this month, a 30 meter (98 feet) wide, 15 meter (50 feet) deep hole suddenly opened, swallowing five lanes of road and flooding with water.
It was repaired in a matter of days in what was seen as a testament to Japanese engineering and efficiency.
Some doubt was raised over those plaudits Saturday however, when traffic had to be stopped around the hole as a section of road began sinking again. The road has since been re-opened.
On Facebook, Fukuoka mayor Soichiro Takashima apologized for not warning residents the ground could sink again.
City officials told CNN some movement had been expected as the sand and cement used to fill the hole settle.

This photo shows a giant sinkhole (C) in a five-lane urban boulevard, eroding soil and exposing underground steel columns supporting commercial buildings in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on November 8, 2016. No injuries were reported as the accident occurred in the early morning hours. / AFP / JIJI PRESS / STR / Japan OUT (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
This photo shows a giant sinkhole (C) in a five-lane urban boulevard, eroding soil and exposing underground steel columns supporting commercial buildings in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, on November 8, 2016. No injuries were reported as the accident occurred in the early morning hours.
Filled sinkholes can occasionally reopen dramatically. Last year, a massive sinkhole in Florida which caused the death of a man after it opened under his bedroom, appeared again, sparking renewed fears among local residents.

AFP: Donald Trump may appoint daughter as ambassador to Japan

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There are concerns in diplomatic circle that the American president-elect, Donald Trump, may appoint his daughter, Ivanka, as ambassador to Japan

Photos of US President-elect Donald Trump’s landmark first talks with a foreign leader show his daughter Ivanka was present, underscoring the family’s influence as he readies to take power.

In the meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the mogul’s Trump Plaza residence, Ivanka — a model-turned-business executive — was seen seated as the group conversed in the opulent reception room.

Media were shut out of the gathering in Manhattan, but images released by the Japanese government also showed Ivanka and her husband, real estate developer and publisher Jared Kushner, standing and chatting with Abe.

Ivanka and Kushner, both 35, have emerged as key advisers to Trump, who shocked the world by beating Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election.

World leaders have scrambled to establish ties with Trump but Abe was the first to see him in person since the vote which has provoked anxiety over US foreign policy and its commitment to security in Asia.

Abe told reporters afterwards that the encounter convinced him the US president-elect was someone “in whom I can have great confidence”.

“We were able to have a very candid talk over a substantial amount of time. We held it in a very warm atmosphere,” he said. “Without confidence between the two nations, our alliance would never function in the future.”

Also seen standing in one of the photos, amidst the gilt and chandeliers of Trump’s skyscraper, was former general Michael Flynn, who has reportedly been offered the post of national security adviser.

But the presence of Ivanka, in a black-and-white dress and high heels, drew attention in protocol-conscious Japan, particularly after the tabloid press reported Trump planned to appoint her as US ambassador to Tokyo.

“It’s quite unusual to see a family member attending the first encounter between two leaders even if it’s informal,” said Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture,

“It indicates that she would be playing some important role in the Trump administration,” he added.

“But it’s no surprise to see her there as she has already been involved in politics. Anyway, that’s the Trump way.”

Ivanka Trump is a key player in her father’s business empire and has her own fashion label and jewellery line, and active Twitter and Instagram accounts that nourish her brand.

The Tokyo Sports newspaper carried an article headlined “Trump daughter-blonde beauty Ms Ivanka the next ambassador to Japan!?” on its website last Saturday.

It cited unidentified overseas media as having reported before the vote that Trump had secret plans to appoint her ambassador, replacing current envoy Caroline Kennedy who is the daughter of assassinated US president John F. Kennedy.

“I don’t think the possibility that Ivanka would be an ambassador to Japan is zero, but it’s too early to say,” said Yamamoto.

Japan’s Abe heads for New York for first talks with Trump

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Japan’s premier Shinzo Abe headed to New York Thursday for talks with Donald Trump, the first leader to meet with the president-elect whose campaign pledges provoked anxiety over US foreign policy.

The brash billionaire is set to receive Abe at his Trump Tower headquarters on Thursday evening, in an encounter that will be closely watched for hints on long-standing security pacts that he has called into question.

“I’m honoured to meet with President-elect Trump ahead of other world leaders,” Abe told reporters. “I’d like to discuss with President Trump our dreams for the future.”

Trump’s blithe comment during the campaign that the US might be “better off” with nuclear-armed Asian allies has thrown into question the US security umbrella over Japan and South Korea.

His later disavowal of the remarks has done little to restore confidence in Washington as the lone superpower ready to face down a rising China and a capricious North Korea.

Trump has also talked about yanking thousands of troops from the region unless Tokyo and Seoul pay more of their hosting costs, despite the opportunity that would present to China and its ambitions for regional supremacy.

“The Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan’s diplomacy and security,” Abe said before departing. “The alliance works only when there is trust.”

“I’d like to build trust with Mr Trump and work together hand in hand for the peace and prosperity of the world.”

– Scramble for access –

Dozens of leaders including China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have spoken with Trump by phone since his shock November 8 election victory.

The New York Times said offices of foreign leaders were blindly dialling in to Trump Tower as they scrambled to get the future president on the phone, prompting a denial and an insistence the transition is proceeding smoothly.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was only the second to get through, in a call set up by sports legend Greg Norman who is golfing buddies with Trump, it emerged Thursday.

The unconventional candidate has also stoked concerns in Europe — where the NATO alliance underwrites regional security — by warmly embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And he has also vowed to block the vast Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, which has been championed by Abe and US President Barack Obama.

“I hope to share the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Abe said before departing for the US ahead of the APEC summit of 21 Pacific Rim economies in Peru, where leaders will defend the tenets of free trade.

The 12-nation TPP has been a key component of Obama’s “pivot to Asia” and envisaged as a counterweight to China’s expanding economic influence.

Abe told parliament this week that a collapse of the pact could shift momentum toward a rival trade deal promoted by China.

Despite the faultlines, the Trump camp made positive noises ahead of the meeting with Abe.

It “shows Mr Trump’s commitment to the relationship” with Japan, Republican Devin Nunes, a member of the presidential transition team, told reporters after talks with an Abe aide in Washington to prepare for the meeting.

Nunes called Japan “one of our most important, longest allies”, Kyodo News reported.

Japan’s Abe To Meet Trump Next Week

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to meet US president-elect Donald Trump next week in New York, officials said Thursday, after phone talks between the two following the billionaire’s shock election win.

Abe and Trump spoke for about 20 minutes and tentatively set a date of November 17 for the meeting, just before Abe goes to Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a Japanese foreign ministry official told AFP.

During his election campaign, Trump raised eyebrows in Japan by calling on the country to pay more to support the cost of stationing US forces.

He even suggested that Japan might want to become a nuclear power to counter unpredictable neighbour North Korea, which has repeatedly conducted nuclear and ballistic missile tests to international condemnations and prompting UN sanctions.

That statement shocked many in Japan, the only country in the world to have been attacked with nuclear weapons.

Trump has also rejected the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal pushed by President Barack Obama and which Abe hopes his parliament will ratify soon.

Abe congratulated Trump soon after his victory on Wednesday, vowing that the countries would maintain their close relationship, calling them “unshakeable allies”.

During their phone talks, Abe “talked about the importance of the bilateral relationship and the Japan-US alliance”, which he stressed underpins the peace and stability of the Asia-Pacific region, the foreign ministry official said.

In response, Trump said he hoped to strengthen the US-Japan relationship further, the official said.

Trump also said he appreciated Abe’s economic policy and looked forward to working with him, she said.

She declined to elaborate on what else they discussed.

Credit:

http://guardian.ng/news/japans-abe-to-meet-trump-next-week/

‘Pregnant’ Male Politicians Lead Japan Housework Drive

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A trio of male Japanese politicians has gamely strapped on “pregnancy vests” that simulate swollen bellies in a lighthearted campaign for men to pick up the slack in a nation where women do most of the housework.

The three governors of southwestern prefectures are taking to the airwaves with the public awareness campaign that loosely translates as: “The governor is a pregnant woman.”

Japanese men are not very helpful husbands when it comes to housework: they do just one hour of unpaid work daily compared to five hours for their wives, according to a 2014 study by the 35-nation Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

The three-minute spot, which started running last week, shows the hapless lawmakers being outfitted with seven kilogramme (16 pound) vests that mimic the belly of a woman who is about seven months pregnant.

Then it is time to clumsily navigate stairs, carry groceries, or wait for someone to give up their seat on the bus.

One politician struggles to put on socks, while another wipes sweat from his brow after hanging a load of laundry, as an upbeat tune plays in the background.

“I can see how hard it is to be carrying a child and do house chores,” says 52-year-old Shunji Kono, the governor of Miyazaki prefecture.

“I think I have to be much kinder,” the father of three adds in the video.

Read More:

http://guardian.ng/news/pregnant-male-politicians-lead-japan-housework-drive/

Apple Japan Unit Ordered To Pay $118m Tax for Under Reporting Income

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An Apple Inc iTunes unit in Japan was ordered to pay some 12 billion yen ($118 million) in tax by local authorities after underreporting income, media reported Friday.

The unit has since paid the amount, the reports said.

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau determined that the unit, which sends part of its profits earned from fees paid by Japan subscribers to another Apple unit in Ireland to pay for software licensing, had not been paying a withholding tax on those earnings in Japan, according to broadcaster ‘NHK’.

Apple could not be immediately reached for comment outside of U.S. business hours. The tax bureau declined to comment.

Apple and other multinational companies have come under much tax scrutiny from governments around the world.

The European Union has ordered Apple to pay Ireland 13 billion euros ($14.6 billion) in back taxes after ruling it had received illegal state aid.

Apple and Dublin plan to appeal the ruling, arguing the tax treatment was in line with EU law.

Top Diplomats From U.S., Japan, South Korea To Meet Over North Korea

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in New York on Sunday to discuss responses to North Korea’s latest nuclear test, South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The three countries are pushing for tough new U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea after the isolated country on Friday conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test.

The blast was in defiance of U.N. sanctions that were tightened in March.

China, the North’s chief ally, backed the March resolution but is more resistant to harsh new sanctions this time after the United States and South Korea decided to deploy a sophisticated anti-missile system in the South, which China adamantly opposes.

South Korea said Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his counterparts Kerry and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet during the annual U.N. General Assembly to discuss putting further pressure on North Korea.

The United States wants China to do more, with U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter last week singling out the role he said China should play in curbing its neighbour.

Read More: reuters

 

Japan Warns On Measles After Infected Fan Joins Bieber Concert

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Japanese authorities have warned of a possible measles outbreak after a fan who went to a Justin Bieber concert near Tokyo was diagnosed with the contagious disease, officials said Friday.

A 19-year-old man had a fever of more than 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) and a rash over his body after returning from Indonesia earlier this month, the Disease Control and Prevention Center (DCC) and local media have said.

Despite the condition, the man, whose name was withheld, went to Bieber’s concert on August 14 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, east of Tokyo, where some 25,000 fans gathered for the event, they said.

The man, from the western Japanese city of Nishinomiya, then stopped in Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa prefecture before returning home on August 19, when he was finally diagnosed with measles.

“Measles is highly infectious,” an official at Japan’s health and welfare ministry told AFP.

“It could lead to a fatal case,” he added, issuing warnings to hospitals across the nation to be aware of an outbreak.

Concert organisers on their website also asked those who attended to see doctors if they developed symptoms.

Read More:

http://guardian.ng/news/japan-warns-on-measles-after-infected-fan-joins-bieber-concert/

In Case You Missed The Amazing #Tokyo2020 Teaser, Watch Japan’s Prime Minister Turn To Super Mario

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Even at the closing ceremony of #Rio2016, the world is already excited about #Tokyo2020, thanks to the intriguing teaser performance. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was able to get from Japan to Brazil in a matter of seconds after transforming into Super Mario; all the while showing off a range of the country’s most famous athletes and their animated friends. After his arrival in Maracana Stadium, the Olympic flag was then formally passed on from Rio to Tokyo.

Watch teaser below:

Japan Warns Over Pokemon Go Pitfalls Ahead Of Launch

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Japan isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the safety of impatient fans awaiting the release of Pokemon Go in the country where the cutesy monsters were born.

Tokyo has issued a nine-point safety guide warning of dangers gamers could face, including heat stroke, online scams and dubious strangers.

Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) has also advised fans to download a weather app so Pokemon hunts don’t land them — improbably — in the path of a tsunami or climate-related dangers.

Heat stroke is a constant worry this time of year so players should wear a hat, the guide advises, adding that parents should snap pictures of Pokemon-hunting kids for rescuers in case their young ones get lost.

“Dangerous places” should be avoided at all costs, and gamers should never meet up with someone who contacts them online because they could be a real-life monster, it cautions.

A caption featuring a pair of cartoon Wild West cowboys warns about robberies and other troubles that players elsewhere have recounted.

“There have been reports that players have gotten run over, fallen into water, gotten bitten by a snake or robbed,” it added.

The list is the latest in a slew of warnings issued worldwide since the hugely popular smartphone app was launched two weeks ago.

It has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and complaints in cities around the globe.

Credit: Guardian

World Leaders Gather In Japan Ahead Of G7

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US President Barack Obama arrived in Japan on Wednesday for a Group of Seven summit, kicking off a historic visit that will also take him to the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima.

Obama was joining other leaders from the club of rich democracies for a gathering set to be dominated by the lacklustre state of the global economy.

Heads of state and government from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and host Japan were also making their way to Ise Shima, a mountainous and sparsely populated area 300 kilometres (200 miles) southwest of Tokyo, whose mainly elderly residents rely chiefly on tourism and cultured pearls.

Security was tight across the region, with thousands of extra police drafted in to patrol train stations and ferry terminals, and to direct traffic on the usually quiet roads during the two-day meeting.

Tokyo said it was taking no chances in the wake of terror attacks that struck Paris and Brussels in recent months.

Dustbins have been removed or sealed and coin-operated lockers blocked at train and subway stations in the capital and areas around the venue site.

Authorities said they will be keeping a close eye on so-called “soft targets” such as theatres and stadiums.

However, unlike in many other rich democracies, protests were unlikely to cause much of a security headache.

Credit: Guardian

Japan To Offer $1.45m Assistance To Displaced Women, Children In Northeast

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The Japanese Government on Monday said it would support a humanitarian response project with 1.45 million Dollars toward assisting internally displaced women and children in Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states.

 

Information about the assistance is contained in a statement issued by Mr John Nwankwo, the Senior Assistant/Advisor on General Affairs, Information and Culture of the Japanese Embassy in Abuja.

 

He stated that the project, tagged “Emergency Assistance to Internally Displaced Women/Girls and Survivors of Boko Haram Terrorism Attacks in Nigeria” was in partnership with the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

 

According to him, the project is a one-year initiative spanning 2016-2017, targetting selected areas in Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe states.

 

He said that the aim of the project was to strengthen emergency assistance initiatives to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially women and girls and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in the target areas.

 

It was also aimed at improving the economic capacity and social rehabilitation of women affected by crisis for peaceful cohabitation in target areas.

 

“The project is further targeted at strengthening humanitarian coordination mechanisms for a more comprehensive and gender-responsive approach in Nigeria, the Embassy official stated.

 

Nwankwo said the project would be implemented by UN Women in partnership with relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), civil society organisations and other development agencies.

 

He added that the humanitarian response project would complement an ongoing Women Peace and Security Programme in Northern Nigeria, being implemented by UN Women and other partners.

It would also enhance collaborative interventions between the governments of Japan and Nigeria.

He noted that “gender mainstreaming in humanitarian response is undoubtedly central to an inclusive, effective, efficient and sustainable support and recovery programme for IDPs in Nigeria.

“The management of UN Women and the Government of Japan and Nigeria remain committed to this course for attainment of sustainable peace and development in Nigeria.”

 

(NAN)

2016 Rio Olympics: Japan To Provide Nigerian Athletes With Kits

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The Japanese government has accepted Nigeria’s request for the kitting of Nigerian sportsmen and women that will participate in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

 

The President, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, said this at the closing ceremony of the Volleyball Coaches’ Refresher Course held at the National Stadium, Abuja on Monday.

 

The Course was organised by the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) in conjunction with the Japanese Olympic Committee.

 

According to Gumel, the Japanese government has in the past supported Nigeria with kits during previous appearances at Olympic games.

 

“They (Japanese government) have accepted to provide kits for our athletes that are travelling to Rio for the Olympic Games coming up in August.

“And this is not the first time; when we were going to China (2008), London (2012), I made the requests and they gave them to us at no cost.

“Now, we are going to Rio, I made the request, they are delivering the items by the grace of God sometime in May at our Embassy in Tokyo.

“From there, it will be here so that it can be distributed to our own athletes.’’
Gumel, who is also the President of the volleyball federation, urged the participants at the refresher course to impart the knowledge they have acquired in their players.

 

Mr Shuishi Mizuno, the Japanese assistant national volleyball team coach, was the course instructor. 54 coaches from clubs, states, and higher institutions, participated in the course, which began on Feb. 15.

The coaches received certificates after the course.

 

 

(NAN)

Japan Grants Nigeria $11m For Electricity Upgrade

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Government of Japan has extended the aid of JPY 1.317 billion (about $11 million) to the Federal Government of Nigeria for emergency improvement of electricity supply facilities in Abuja. At yesterday’s grant signing ceremony at the headquarters of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Abuja, Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Sadanobu Kusaoke, said the project was targeted at assisting Nigeria’s economic development by helping to attract more investments by improving the power sector. Kusaoke explained that the grant was to be used in the upgrade of two substations in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State. “We aim to prevent voltage drop, reduce power loss and stabilize power supply to approximately 7,000 households in Abuja.

The project will make Abuja more attractive for investors as well as residents,” the ambassador said. He stated further, “Power sector has long been one of the priority areas in Japan’s development cooperation in Nigeria. As early as the 1970’s, Japan helped finance the strengthening of the capacity of Kainji Hydro Power station. “Japan also partnered Nigeria to electrify rural areas mainly in the North. In future, more ambitious power sector projects will follow.” The Japanese Ambassador further disclosed that at the Fifth Tokyo International conference on African Development, TICAD V, in 2013, the Japanese government declared its commitment to promoting inclusive growth in Africa through support to the power sector, adding that the current $11 million power project embodies the spirit of that 2013 declaration.

Responding, Minister of Budget and National Planning Senator, Udo Udoma, while appreciating the Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, for the grant, reiterated the federal government’s readiness to ensure effective management and sustainability of the project through the power ministry. Revealing more details about the project, Udoma stated: “The project aims to install capacitor banks in Apo and Keffi substations in FCT and Nassarawa State respectively, adding that “it will contribute to stable power supply, decrease transmission loss and improve system reliability.”

Credit: NationalMirror

Ghost Boats With Over 21 Bodies Appear On Japan Shores

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Ghost boats washing up on the shores of Japan are causing puzzlement, with indications that they come from North Korea. Since October, 21 bodies have been found on 13 otherwise empty boats, a spokesman for the coast guard said on Thursday.

“On almost all the boats there are indications that they come from the Korean Peninsula,” the spokesman said. A report from Japan said that the boats appeared to be from North Korea, although the spokesman said this was not confirmed. Some news reports said there were clues that they were possibly operated by the military, and the causes of death was not known.

They may have been soldiers who starved or froze after being sent on fishing missions as part of the recent drive by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to find more food for the resource-strapped country, some reports said. The boats were all found in the Sea of Japan- the phenomenon is nothing new, the spokesman said

Nigeria, Japan To Boost Military Cooperation

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Nigeria and Japan have started plans to boost military cooperation with the aim of improving security in both nations.

The military cooperation plan was discussed at a security forum held on Monday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, by the Nigerian Defence College and Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force.

At the meeting, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade, stressed the need for enhanced military co-operation between Nigeria and Japan on security matters.

Mr Alade told the President of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, Vice Admiral Umio Otsuka that it was important to invigorate the seemingly dormant military relationship in order to collectively enhance the nations’ chances of addressing the amorphous nature of contemporary global security challenges.

“The visit of our esteem guest will trigger more robust and substantially beneficial interaction between our defence forces generally and particularly training institutions in Nigeria,” he said.

The President of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, however, requested that his lecture be delivered behind closed doors without the journalists.

Moments after, the guest lecturer told reporters in an interview that military co-operation and intelligence sharing were important in the war against terrorism.

“More than 40 Japanese were killed at the 9/11 incident. And since then, the Japanese government is conducting even military operations to support counter-piracy actions in the Indian Ocean, providing support at sea.

“Now that terrorism has become more globalised, the issue is how we can collectively share the information and intelligence that is key for countering the terrorists.

“Particularly, it is not only by the military, but military and civilian relationship seems to be necessary,” Vice Admiral Umio Otsuka stressed.

Credit: ChannelsTV

Japan’s First Commercial Jet Makes Maiden Flight

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Japan’s first commercial jet in 50 years made its maiden flight today, in a breakthrough for the country’s long-held ambition to establish an aircraft industry that can compete with some of the major players in global aviation.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) took off on a one-hour return flight from Nagoya Airport to test Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp’s ability to bring the 100-seat class plane into service after three years of delays.

The unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which built the World War Two-era Zero fighter, is hoping the $47-million regional jet will help it oust Canada’s Bombardier Inc as the world’s second-biggest maker of smaller passenger jets behind Brazil’s Embraer SA.

The MRJ is Japan’s first commercial passenger aircraft since the 64-seat YS-11 entered service 50 years ago.

The first MRJ is slated for delivery in June 2017 to Japan’s biggest carrier, ANA Holdings. Mitsubishi aims eventually to sell more than 2,000 aircraft in the competitive market segment.

So far it has secured 223 firm orders, most recently in January when Japan Airlines asked for 32 planes. The biggest single purchase, for 100 aircraft, was from U.S. regional airline operator Trans State Holdings.

 

Mitsubishi says the MRJ burns a fifth less fuel than aircraft of similar size, thanks to new-generation engines from Pratt & Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.
Japan’s last attempt to establish itself as a commercial aircraft maker ended in failure. Production of the YS-11, built by a consortium that included Mitsubishi Heavy, finished after only 182 planes were built.

That program however helped Mitsubishi Heavy and other companies forge ties with Boeing Co, turning them into major suppliers and partners of the U.S. aircraft maker and helping revive an aerospace industry that was dismantled after World War Two.

Those Japanese companies build 35 percent of Boeing’s advanced 787 carbon-composite jetliner, including the wings, the most complex part.

Japan’s biggest carmaker, Toyota Motor Corp, and largest trading company, Mitsubishi Corp, each own a 10 percent stake in the MRJ venture.

Source: Reuters

Hotels For Dead People In Japan

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Tucked away in the backstreets of Osaka, the Hotel Relation building is nondescript and bland. It’s the kind of place you’d scroll past if you were looking for a room on a hotel booking site.

But decor and ambiance are probably not a priority for the guests who use the six rooms at the Hotel Relation. That’s because it’s a “corpse hotel”, and the guests at this final resting place are all dead. No need for room service here.

The term “corpse hotel” sounds like a bad setting for a D-grade slasher flick. But in a rapidly ageing society, the demand for these hotels is booming in Japan’s big cities.

Ninety-nine percent of people are cremated in Japan – the highest rate of cremation in the world. And with more and more people dying each year, some families have to wait up to four days for their deceased loved ones to be cremated.

That’s where places like the Hotel Relation come in. They function as a temporary mortuary, and their popularity is evident: every day, their rooms are full.

Inside the hotel, up to four relatives can sleep in an adjacent room with twin beds and a TV.

Yoshihiro Yurisu has run Hotel Relation for the past 10 years. “You can see the deceased whenever you like in our hotel. Even when they are kept in a refrigerating room… you can call them up by pushing a switch,” Yurisu says with enthusiasm.

Another burden for bereaved families is cost. Japanese funerals are among some of the most expensive in the world. The service alone can cost $23,000 with an array of pricey services like fleets of cars, big funeral halls and expensive food as optional extras. Added all together, the cost of a funeral is ten times higher than a memorial service in the UK.

So Yuisu has started holding small funerals in Hotel Relation. “I think we will see the simpler and cheaper funerals like the ones that we hold at this hotel in the future,” Yuisu says.

This may be no surprise, given that Japan is in the economic doldrums. Some of Yuisu’s guests have stayed at his hotel for three weeks. Corpse hotels like the Hotel Relation cost $150 a night for lodging.  Not a bad price – but the breakfast buffet is not included.

Credit: Al Jazeera

President Buhari To Accomodate Investors From Japan, Others To Revitalize Economy

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President Buhari said his government will welcome greater investment in-flows from Japan and other developed countries to revitalize the Nigeria’s economy and create more jobs.

Buhari said this yesterday while receiving the new Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, Sadanobu Kusaoke who was at the State House to present his letters of credence.

He said his government would take all necessary steps to significantly improve the operating environment for domestic and international companies in Nigeria.

The president said his government would particularly welcome more trade and economic cooperation with Japan in the areas of technology, manufacturing and agriculture.

“I was very impressed with the role your prime minister played at our talks with G-7 leaders in Germany. He had a deep understanding of the challenge in the North-East of Nigeria and how it is affecting our economy. We look forward to a stronger partnership with your country in many areas, especially in technology, which is now the major driver of job creation across the world today”, he told the Japanese envoy.

Credit: dailytrust 

Japan’s “Bullet” Train Sets World Record, 603 Kph

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It’s a bird — It’s a plane — It’s an insanely fast Japanese bullet train. A Japan Railway maglev train hit 603 kilometers per hour (374 miles per hour) on an experimental track in Yamanashi Tuesday, setting a decisive new world record.

A spokesperson said the train spent 10.8 seconds traveling above 600 kilometers per hour, during which it covered 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles). That’s nearly 20 football fields in the time it took you to read the last two sentences.

Takeo Ookanda, who runs an exhibition center next to the test track, said witnesses erupted with excitement and applause when the new record was set. “I was moved just like many other visitors here today,” he told CNN. “This maglev project… (increases) the hope that Japan can have a good growth again in the future.”

Read More: cnn

School Principal Discovered To Have Had Sex With 12,000 Girls And Women Between 14 And 70 Years Old

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A principal has been fired after he had s*x with 12,000 girls and women. According to worldwideweirdnews, the former school principal of Japan, was arrested after he allegedly took photographs of at least 12,000 women and girls he had slept with. 64-year-old Yohei Takashima is accused of having nearly 150,000 “photographic souvenirs” of females with whom he had s*x with.

Police began investigating Takashima after he took pictures of his s*x acts with a teenage girl in Manila, during a trip to the Philippines. Police searched his house and were surprised to find 150,000 compromising photos, involving a staggering 12,000 girls and women.

The photos were placed in about 400 different albums. Takashima allegedly admitted to violating laws on child prostitution and p****graphy. He allegedly told police that he wanted to keep a record of the women he met for s*x. About 10 percent of the women were under 18, and some were as young as 14, while the oldest was 70.

Japanese Parliament to Force Couples To Go On Vacations & Make Babies

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Japan has a low population growth, thus its government is about to make taking a vacation compulsory for couples to enable them make babies.

They say they are suffering from acute baby shortage. Only about 1million babies were born in Japan in 2014, the lowest figure on record for the country. Japan’s health ministry also said that about 1,269,000 people died in 2014, indicating a natural population decline of 268,000. So basically, they were more people who died than were born.

The country says its shrinking population is affecting their economy & want to do something about it. The government figured couples are too busy hustling they don’t have sex. So Parliament is now debating compulsory vacation for couples so they can have more sex and make more babies.

Read More: mediahoarders.com.ng

Jordan Still Holding Prisoner Demanded By Islamic State As Deadline Passes

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The fate of a Jordanian pilot and a Japanese journalist remained unclear as a deadline passed for Jordan to release an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL).

Japanese officials had no new progress to report on Friday after a late night that ended with the Jordanian government saying it would only release an al-Qaeda prisoner from death row if it got proof the airman was alive.

“There is nothing I can tell you,” government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Friday. He reiterated Japan’s “strong trust” in the Jordanians to help save the Japanese hostage, freelance journalist Kenji Goto.

Suga said the government had been in close contact with Goto’s wife, Rinko Jogo, who released a statement pleading for her husband’s life.

“I fear that this is the last chance for my husband, and we now have only a few hours left,” Jogo said in a statement released through a London-based organisation for freelance journalists.

“My husband and I have two very young daughters. Our baby girl was only three weeks old when Kenji left. I hope our oldest daughter, who is just two, will get to see her father again. I want them both to grow up knowing their father.”

An audio message purportedly from Goto said Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh would be killed unless Jordan freed Sajida al-Rishawi, who is on death row for her role in a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed 60 people in Amman.

Earlier, a spokesperson for Jordan’s government demanded proof of life for their pilot before moving ahead with any possible swap to bring about his release.

“We want to see a proof of life of the Jordanian pilot and then we can talk about the exchange,” Mohammed al-Momani said.”

Japanese government urged to seek Turkey help in freeing ISIL-held hostages

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A Japanese expert has called on the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to seek Turkey’s mediation in efforts to free the two hostages from Japan held by the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group operating in Syria and Iraq.

Ko Nakata, an expert on Islamic law and a former professor at Kyoto’s Doshisha University, also said on Thursday that Tokyo should pay the 200-million-dollar ransom required by the ISIL for the two Japanese hostages.

The ISIL terrorist group released a video on January 20, threatening to kill the two Japanese hostages unless Tokyo pays the ransom within 72 hours.

Nakata proposed that the Japanese government distribute the ransom as humanitarian aid among refugees and residents in the areas that “the Red Crescent Society is operating under the Islamic State (ISIL)’s control.”

“Why don’t we seek Turkey’s mediation and give the money for the people affected by the conflicts in Iraq and Syria? I believe this could be a rational, acceptable option,” Ko Nakata said.

Read More: presstv.ir

5 Countries Where It’s Hardest To Become A Citizen

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In addition to marriage and ancestry,  countries with high barriers to attaining citizen status may have special residency or citizenship tracks for people who fit certain categories, such as being a highly skilled professional or investing substantially in a business enterprise. But these situations don’t apply to the vast majority of prospective citizens.

Below, in alphabetical order, are five nations that make it especially difficult for foreigners to establish permanent residency or obtain citizenship:

Austria

Many EU countries have tough immigration laws, but Austria seems to have one of the lengthiest processes to become a citizen. Anyone who is not a citizen of an EU country and staying longer than six months must have a resident permit before entering the country.

People who plan to stay longer than 24 months must also sign an Integration Agreement, a process designed to enhance their German-language skills and ability “to participate in the social, economic and cultural life in Austria.”

Permanent residents must live in the country continuously for a period of 15 to 30 years before being eligible to apply for citizenship. If approved, applicants must renounce any other citizenship.

Germany 

Obtaining permanent residency in Germany is difficult unless you are a citizen of another EU country. Other foreign nationals must have lived in Germany for at least five years and demonstrate competency in language, the political system and society. Applicants must also demonstrate they have an ability to earn a living and that they’ve contributed to the national pension plan, as well as having proof of accommodation.

To become a citizen, applicants must have lived in the country at least eight years (seven, if they’ve passed a competency test) and renounce citizenship in any other country.

Japan

It takes longer to be granted a Permanent Resident visa in Japan than to become a citizen. People who want to establish permanent residency must have lived in the country for a total of 10 continuous years or more.

Those who want to become a citizen of Japan must have lived in the country for five years, receive permission from the Justice Minister and complete a slew of paperwork (some have complained of unnecessary questions involving their personal lives). The process, according to the Japanese Ministry, can take six to 12 months, although those who have gone through it have reported that it can take years. If approved, applicants must be ready to renounce citizenship in other countries.

Switzerland

Any foreigner wanting to settle in the beauty of the Swiss Alps, or anywhere else in Switzerland, may do so for three months. To obtain a settlement, or permanent residence visa (unless you are an EU citizen), you must have lived in the country for 10 years.

If you qualify for permanent residence by the length of time you have lived in the country, you also qualify to apply for citizenship, but that is not guaranteed; applicants for citizenship must also prove they are assimilated into Swiss society. What’s more, all cantons and municipalities have their own rules about granting citizenship. Switzerland permits dual citizenship.

United States

While the United States was founded mostly by immigrants, the process for achieving permanent residency and citizenship has become even more complicated since the early 2000s and the war on terrorism. Unless a person is coming to the U.S. through family or an approved job, it is very difficult to establish permanent residency (sometimes known as receiving a green card). There are special categories for those seeking refugee or asylum status, and a lottery for others who wish to apply.

Those who have had permanent residency status for five years can begin the process of applying for citizenship by filling out the application and taking a test, which includes knowledge of history/government and English. Before becoming a citizen, people must swear an oath to the Constitution. The United States permits dual citizenship.

Credit: Yahoo