Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová reportedly refused to provide further military aid to Ukraine following the election of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico. Japan has issued a tsunami warning after an earthquake struck its offshore islands in the Pacific Ocean. Authorities believe a possible tsunami could reach a height of one meter.
Japan: Advance purchase of 400 Tomahawk missiles from the USA
New commissions of the US military apparatus during the first visit of the new Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara in the face of what he called a “deteriorating security situation in the Asia-Pacific region”. A process of modernizing military capabilities that fits well with Washington’s desire to expand treaties with its most important ally in the region, where China’s assertiveness is viewed with concern.
During a three-day visit to Washington, Kihara met with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and announced the delivery of 400 Tomahawk missiles a year early, starting in fiscal year 2025. Japan originally planned to purchase the latest Tomahawk Block 5 missiles with a range of 1,600 kilometers and the ability to reach Chinese shores in fiscal 2026 and 2027 and be used on Self-Defense Force ships.
To finance the operation, the executive branch led by conservative Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has allocated 211.3 billion yen (1.3 billion euros) in the budget for the 2023 fiscal year.
The Slovak president stops new aid for Kiev
Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová After the election of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico, she spoke out against sending further military aid to Ukraine. The local media reported about it. According to the Dennik N newspaper, the Slovak Defense Ministry had prepared a new aid package for Ukraine that Čaputová could have signed during the term of Fico’s predecessor, but the president rejected this on the grounds that the parliamentary elections had to be respected. Political scientist Grigorij Meseznikov predicts that Fico will keep promises made during the election campaign to stop arms deliveries to Kiev and that tensions will arise between Bratislava and Brussels over both Ukraine’s EU accession and European sanctions against Russia.
Japan: magnitude 6 earthquake at sea, possible tsunami
The Japan issued a tsunami warning after an earthquake struck offshore islands in the Pacific Ocean. Authorities believe a possible tsunami could reach a height of one meter. The warning, the second lowest in a four-tier warning system, tells residents of islands in the Izu chain, which stretches south from the Tokyo region to Japan’s main island of Honshu, to stay away from coastlines and estuaries. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a magnitude 6.6 offshore earthquake struck in the area late Thursday morning at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Fukushima: The second phase of the release of treated water begins
It starts today off the coast of Fukushima The second phase of the release of treated water from the nuclear power plant, which is currently being dismantled, despite widespread protests from China and neighboring countries. Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), which operates the plant, plans to divert around 460 tons of treated water per day through an underwater tunnel about a kilometer from the coast.
Launched by the government last August 24, the project – consisting of four phases – aims to release a total of around 31,200 tonnes of the liquid by the end of March. Over the next three decades, Tepco aims to dispose of 1.34 million tons of water contained in over a thousand tanks around the plant, representing about 98% of its storage capacity.
The operator said Wednesday that the concentration of tritium in the treated water, diluted with seawater, was 87 becquerels per liter, well below 1,500 becquerels, which is one-fortieth of the concentration allowed under Japanese safety standards. According to monitoring by the Japanese authorities, Tepco itself and the International Atomic Energy Agency, no unusual concentrations of tritium and other radioactive substances have been detected in the waters around or in fish samples since the first round of discharge, which took place from August 24 to September 11 were collected around the nuclear facility.
However, some countries such as China and Russia, as well as local fishermen’s associations, have criticized Tokyo’s decision and repeatedly called on the government to stop the plan. Beijing has imposed a total import ban on Japanese seafood, sparking a crisis in the sector and forcing the Tokyo government to increase subsidies for the local industry. Russia accused Japan on Wednesday of not being able to guarantee freedom from threats in the long term and of not providing complete information on the unloading operations despite repeated requests from Moscow and Beijing.
India: Floods in Sikkim, at least 10 dead and 82 missing
The number has risen to at least ten dead and 82 missing India The death toll from yesterday’s floods in a valley in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, linked to the overflow of a glacial lake in the Himalayas. The local government announced this. “Ten bodies have been recovered so far and 82 people are missing, including some soldiers,” said Vijay Bhushan Pathak, a senior Sikkim government official. An earlier report said five people were dead and dozens were missing, including 23 soldiers.
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