Kyodo News Digest: Aug. 9, 2022

Sunflowers are in full bloom in a field near Kyiv on Aug. 6, 2022. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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

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Nagasaki to urge nuclear abolition as city marks 77th A-bomb anniv.

NAGASAKI – Nagasaki marked the 77th anniversary Tuesday of the U.S. atomic bombing of the southwestern Japan city during World War II, with Mayor Tomihisa Taue set to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons amid mounting concerns over their potential use following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The bombing of Nagasaki, three days after a similar bomb was dropped on Hiroshima some 300 kilometers to the northeast, took the lives of an estimated 74,000 people by the end of 1945, with many others suffering from the effects of burns and radiation-related illnesses long after the attack.

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Biden expresses concern over China’s activities near Taiwan

WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday expressed concern over China’s increased military activities around Taiwan in the wake of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island, but indicated he does not expect further moves by Beijing to heighten tensions.

What concerns him is that China is “moving as much as they are,” Biden told reporters in Delaware, adding, “But I don’t think they’re going to do anything more.”

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U.S. unveils $1 bil. more military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war

WASHINGTON – The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden on Monday unveiled an additional $1 billion in military aid for Ukraine, bringing the total amount of such assistance from Washington to more than $9 billion since Russia’s invasion began nearly six months ago.

“We’re committed to continued security assistance for Ukraine as they stand up to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion,” Colin Kahl, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for policy, told a press conference as he made the announcement.

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China urges Japan to stay true to nuclear disarmament commitment

BEIJING – China on Monday urged Japan to stay true to its commitment to building a world without nuclear weapons, as it expressed doubt about Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge to do so on the 77th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Beijing claimed that despite its pledge, the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks in war has been protected by the U.S. nuclear umbrella and is opposed to Washington relinquishing the no-first-use policy regarding its nuclear weapons.

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U.S. sanctions another company for N. Korea-linked crypto laundering

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Treasury Department said Monday it has sanctioned virtual currency “mixer” Tornado Cash for its involvement in laundering hundreds of millions of dollars stolen by North Korean hackers.

It is the second time for the department to sanction a virtual currency mixer, which obfuscates the origins and destinations of cryptocurrency transactions, for facilitating illicit activity. The first case, announced in May, also targeted a company allegedly used by North Korea, which has continued its nuclear weapon and missile development.

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Japan, U.N. share “serious concern” about rising tensions over Taiwan

TOKYO – Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed their shared “serious concern about growing regional tensions” following China’s large-scale military drills near Taiwan, the Japanese government said.

During their meeting in Tokyo, Hayashi and Guterres also agreed on the importance of easing tensions, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, with Beijing having commenced the exercises Thursday in response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled democratic island last week.

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Japan to offer Omicron COVID shot to at least twice-vaccinated people

TOKYO – A new COVID-19 vaccine considered effective against the Omicron variant will be available in Japan to all people who have completed at least two COVID inoculations from as early as mid-October, the government said Monday.

The bivalent vaccine, so named for its combination of ingredients deriving from existing COVID-19 shots and from the Omicron variant’s BA.1 subtype, has been reported to provide some increase in neutralizing antibodies against the BA.5 subtype currently prevalent across the country.

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Abe’s fatal shooting continues to ripple through Japan a month on

NARA, Japan – The fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continues to ripple through Japan a month on, with many returning to the site of the attack Monday to pay their respects and investigators working to unravel the motive of the assailant.

In the western city of Nara, flowers were placed at the traffic island near the train station where Abe was shot at close range during a campaign speech on July 8, with commuters also stopping to offer prayers.