Syeda Mubeena Hashmi Posted in World
Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi won silver in the women’s road race at the Asian Games in Japan, dedicating the achievement to women facing restrictions in Afghanistan. The 23-year-old recalled disguising herself as a boy to train and facing attacks when she began cycling. Now based in Italy, Hashimi hopes her medal inspires future generations of Afghan women to pursue their dreams. Read More…
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Japanese Prime Minister Sonae Takaichi has revealed an unexpected fright at her official residence in Tokyo. In a post on X on August 22, the 65-year-old leader answered questions from the public, including whether she had encountered reported ghosts at the historic mansion. Takaichi said she had never seen a ghost, despite long-standing stories linking the residence to victims of attempted coups in the 1930s. Instead, she admitted that a cockroach had frightened her. Read More…
0 CommentsHafsa Mustafa Posted in World
Oman said lasting security in the Strait of Hormuz required permanent peace in the region and rejected further escalation or conflict, its foreign minister told his Japanese counterpart on Thursday. Iran has said a deal with Oman on new shipping lanes through the strait was in its final stages. Read More…
0 CommentsHafsa Mustafa Posted in World
Japan on Thursday summoned Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Stanislavovich Nozdrev to protest Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the disputed Iturup Island. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi asked Nozdrev to convey Tokyo's protest to Moscow "as soon as possible," Kyodo News reported. Putin visited Iturup earlier on Thursday during a trip to Russia's Far Eastern Sakhalin region, marking his first visit to the island chain off Hokkaido. Read More…
0 CommentsAlina Hashmi Posted in World
As we reported earlier, Japan’s Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, held talks over the phone. Motegi urged Iran to exercise “maximum flexibility” to help secure a de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East, according to a statement by Japan’s Foreign Ministry. Motegi expressed “deep concern” over the widening “damage” of the conflict, including on neighbouring countries. Read More…
0 CommentsHafsa Mustafa Posted in World
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, snarling travel and triggering evacuation orders and warnings for aftershocks. Speaking to reporters at her office in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the extent of casualties and property damage was being assessed. "We have already been informed that people have been injured," Takaichi said. Read More…
0 CommentsHafsa Mustafa Posted in World
Japan has announced an emergency grant of $15m to support worsening humanitarian conditions in Iran, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank, its foreign ministry said in a statement. The aid will be delivered through international organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and focus on healthcare, food, shelter, and water and sanitation services. Read More…
0 CommentsAlina Hashmi Posted in World
Iran should demonstrate “maximum flexibility” to seize the opportunity to reach an agreement with the US, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in a phone call, according to the Japanese leader. Speaking to reporters after the call, Takaichi said she also strongly demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be reopened soon to secure free and safe navigation for ships from Asia and all other nations. Takaichi did not elaborate on Pezeshkian’s response, but she said the two leaders pledged further close communication. Read More…
0 CommentsAlina Hashmi Posted in World
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi held a phone conversation today, according to Araghchi’s official Telegram account. A brief statement said the call was held “to discuss bilateral issues and the latest regional and international developments”. Read More…
0 CommentsHafsa Mustafa Posted in World
Thousands of American and Philippine troops, joined for the first time by a significant contingent of Japanese forces, have begun annual military exercises on Monday set against the backdrop of the Middle East war. The war games will feature live-fire exercises in the north of the country facing the Taiwan Strait, as well as a province off the disputed South China Sea. The Japanese military, which is contributing 1,400 personnel, will use a Type 88 cruise missile to sink a target ship off northern Paoay. Read More…
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