Latest news with #ShigeruIshiba
The Star
35 minutes ago
- Business
- The Star
How the US became the apex predator on trade
For a region often hailed as the future of the global economy, it's been an unedifying experience. One by one, Asian leaders swallowed trade accords with the United States that are slightly better than envisaged months ago, but more punitive than when they bet on access to the American market as a development strategy decades ago. The glory days of supply chains must seem like a prehistoric time to the countries that lined up to concede to White House demands for levies. Certainly a throw-back to an earlier, less prosperous, age: The overall level of US tariffs is now the highest since 1930s, according to Bloomberg Economics. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was once adamant he would never accept duties, especially on autos, but concluded he could live with a 15% penalty. The European Union's top official, Ursula von der Leyen, said last Sunday the 15% rate the bloc settled on with President Donald Trump was the best she could manage. Key economies yet to strike a deal, such as South Korea and India, risk more adverse terms than those that already went along to get along. Trump is demanding a demonstration of obeisance and, in important ways, is receiving it. At the top of the commercial food chain is the United States, still the premier economy by a healthy margin. Tariffs may not revive the working-class communities that he claims to champion, but Trump can put on an emotionally satisfying show. Fingers crossed And the nations that have yielded get Trump off their back – and cross their fingers that they will fare better under the next president. In this sense, it's useful to think in terms of apex predators, those at the pinnacle of the natural food chain that are able to devour smaller players, according to Dmitry Grozoubinski, a former Australian trade negotiator. 'They are to a large extent paying protection money,' he told me. Tariffs of around 20% seem to be the benchmark for South-East Asia, based on deals announced with the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. In the case of the latter two, they negotiated the US down from higher levels than foreshadowed in April. They will still hurt. Vietnam, which has become an export dynamo, may see its shipments to America drop by one third. Efforts to squeeze China are a feature of the pacts; Washington wants to curb the ability of Chinese firms to re-route products through third countries. The Philippines appeared to suffer a humiliation; the levy on goods from the archipelago was just a hair lower than what was announced by Trump a few weeks ago. Many details are still to be resolved and countries haven't given up on getting better terms. The common element, aside from just getting what passes as a deal done, is allowing Trump some of the theatre he craves. Praise the agreements and the White House's occupant. Counting on ties And, perhaps, when the attention is elsewhere, you can get a slightly better deal. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr made it clear he hasn't given up. Ahead of his recent meeting with Trump at the White House, his team put great store in the close historical ties between the two nations; the Philippines was once a US colony and it regularly brushes up against Chinese ships in the South China Sea. On the face of it, Manila got little from the arrangement. Marcos' best shot is to work with negotiators while Trump has moved on. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth hinted at this by saying there may be a military component to the accord. 'The wolf is now at other doors,' said Grozoubinski, author of the book Why Politicians Lie About Trade. 'The indignity hurts less than the fight would. In return, counterparts get a semblance of certainty about the cost of entry to the United States, a vital component in the competition for foreign direct investment,' Grozoubinski added. The escape can be a form of victory. In the case of Vietnam, for example, the country is still fairly competitive with a 20% tariff. It stings, but probably isn't enough to warrant a producer packing up and going somewhere else. It may all be worth it to keep access to US customers. The administration foreshadowed this calculous before 'Liberation Day'. Stephen Miran, chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers, told Bloomberg Television in March that nations have little choice other than to sell to the United States. They will pay up to retain that privilege. Seoul, you are next. South Korean officials have dangled a shipbuilding partnership as part of a potential compact. Talks with China, underway in Sweden, will be something else. Hopefully, the world economy won't be too damaged. The question Chinese President Xi Jinping will ask is whether the fight is worth it and how much resistance his own economy can stand. — Bloomberg Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. The views expressed here are the writer's own.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Fukushima nuclear plant evacuated amid tsunami warnings
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia 's far east prompted tsunami warnings and evacuation orders for coastal areas in Japan, the US, and Canada. Workers were evacuated from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as a precaution, though no abnormalities or damage were reported at the facility. The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded its tsunami warning, anticipating waves up to three metres, with the threat potentially lasting more than a day. Waves up to 50cm were reported along Japan's Pacific coast, leading Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to urge evacuations to higher ground. The US Tsunami Warning System also issued alerts for hazardous waves across various regions, with a US president confirming a tsunami warning for Hawaii.
Asahi Shimbun
11 hours ago
- General
- Asahi Shimbun
Anxiety runs high across coast after tsunami alert issued
Tensions ran high among residents and visitors after tsunami warnings were issued along Japan's Pacific coast on July 30 following a powerful earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. At least one related death was reported. At around 10:10 a.m., in Kumano, Mie Prefecture, a 58-year-old woman driving a compact car veered off a national road and dropped approximately 20 meters down a cliff. The driver suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead. According to the prefectural police, messages on the woman's mobile phone showed she had been communicating with her family via social media, saying she was 'going to move the car to a higher evacuation point.' Across the Pacific coast, residents and vacationers enjoying their summer holidays were forced to evacuate or change their plans in the scorching heat, while tourism facilities and businesses scrambled to respond. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 2,011,038 people in 19 prefectures had been told to evacuate by local governments as of 5 p.m. The situation also had a major impact on air, land and sea transportation networks across the regions. For survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, the warnings brought old fears and anxiety to the surface. The Yuriage district of Natori in Miyagi Prefecture was also devastated in the 2011 disaster and was rebuilt by elevating the land by three meters. At around 9:40 a.m., a tsunami advisory was upgraded to a warning, prompting evacuation orders across much of Yuriage. Before the clock struck 10 a.m., about 30 people had taken shelter on the second floor of the Yuriage Community Center, located roughly one kilometer from the coast. Among them were children on their summer break and factory workers from nearby coastal facilities. A 79-year-old man joined the evacuees there after fleeing from a nearby single-story reconstruction housing unit. He narrowly escaped the raging tsunami 14 years ago. 'When the emergency siren went off, it brought back memories of that day,' he said. 'I still carry the trauma with me.' 130-CM HIGH WAVES ARRIVE At around 8:25 a.m., a powerful earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 8.7 struck near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The epicenter was approximately 1,500 kilometers northeast of Nemuro, Hokkaido, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The JMA immediately issued tsunami warnings for areas along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Wakayama Prefecture. In addition, tsunami advisories were issued for coastal regions along the Sea of Okhotsk, as well as the Pacific coasts of Shikoku and Kyushu. In Kuji, Iwate Prefecture, a 130-centimeter-high tsunami was observed at around 2 p.m. Subsequently, tsunami were reported across wide areas along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido and Honshu. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged people in areas under tsunami warnings to 'evacuate immediately to higher ground or a designated evacuation building or other safe location.' The prime minister also instructed relevant ministries and agencies to thoroughly implement measures to prevent and promptly assess the extent of damage, and work closely with local governments to prevent injuries. The area where the earthquake occurred is known for active seismic activity due to subducting tectonic plates, and a magnitude 7.4 earthquake was also recorded there on July 20. A JMA spokesperson noted at a news conference that 'the epicenter is far from Japan and it is unlikely that this will lead to increased seismic activity here,' but sounded an alarm by saying, 'Tsunami caused by distant earthquakes can last for an extended period, so people should continue evacuating to higher ground.' AIR, LAND, SEA NETWORKS DISRUPTED Land and air transportation networks were also affected by the tsunami alerts. According to the transport ministry, the runway at Sendai Airport was closed at 9:41 a.m., disrupting flight operations. Japan Airlines reported that two flights—one from Itami and one from Fukuoka—that were scheduled to land in Sendai had to return to their departure points due to the runway closure as of 4 p.m. In addition, 20 flights to and from Sendai were canceled, affecting 1,638 passengers in total. All Nippon Airways canceled 19 flights in total as of 3 p.m. The airline said it will cancel at least two flights on July 31. The disruption has affected 2,420 passengers in total. As of 11 a.m., JR Hokkaido had suspended 14 limited express trains and 23 local trains departing from cities such as Kushiro, Obihiro and Hakodate. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, operations on the JR Tokaido Line, Yokosuka Line, Sotobo Line, and others were suspended, and trains already in operation were shifted to elevated stations or other safe locations. Additionally, multiple rail operators suspended services on lines running along the Pacific coast, from the Kii Peninsula through the Tokai and Tohoku regions, up to Hokkaido. According to the ministry as of 2 p.m., some sections of the Do-o Expressway in Hokakido were closed to traffic. Several toll gates on expressways in Miyagi and Mie prefectures were also shut down. Maritime transportation has been also disrupted due to evacuation orders issued for ports. According to MOL Sunflower Ltd., there may be delays in the arrival of four ferries operating between Oarai Port in Ibaraki Prefecture and Tomakomai Port in Hokkaido. Taiheiyo Ferry also announced that ships were temporarily unable to enter the Sendai and Tomakomai ports, and that the departure of a ferry from Sendai bound for Nagoya was expected to be delayed. NUCLEAR PLANT WORKERS EVACUATED The affected regions include coastal areas of Tohoku, which suffered catastrophic damage from the 2011 twin disasters. Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, said it has ordered all workers at the plants to evacuate, and all personnel reportedly fled to higher ground within the plant premises. At the No. 1 plant, the discharge of treated water into the ocean—which has been under way since July 14—was manually halted, TEPCO said. The treated water contains tritium, a radioactive substance that cannot be removed by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS). LESSONS, TRAUMA OF 2011 REMAIN For many evacuees along the coast of Tohoku, the memories of 2011 are still fresh. In Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the worst-hit cities in the 2011 disaster, a 38-year-old man was preparing for work near the coast when he heard a siren from the disaster prevention radio. 'This might just be a drill,' he thought initially because he did not feel any tremors. However, as the emergency siren kept blaring and levees were closed, he realized, 'Uh-oh, this could be serious.' He fled to higher ground, but continued looking anxiously out at the sea. 'I'm just glad it happened during the daytime,' he said. In the coastal village of Tanohata in northern Iwate Prefecture, evacuation orders were issued just before 10 a.m. for about 600 residents—roughly one-fifth of the village's population of 2,800. At a seaside hotel, tsunami alerts rang out from guests' smartphones throughout the building, and some families with children screamed in fear. The hotel staff called on guests, 'Please get out of here and evacuate to higher ground as soon as possible.' Roads leading to higher ground were briefly congested with residents' vehicles and construction trucks, as local fire brigade members assisted with evacuation efforts. At a nearby fishing port, fishermen were seen hauling small boats ashore or sending vessels out to sea to protect them from damage. 'These boats are everything to us—they're our livelihood,' a fisherman said. A local official said, 'We're in a big trouble. I just hope it doesn't turn into another major disaster like the one (in 2011).' CHILDREN STRANDED ON ROCKS At a rocky area near the tip of the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, a large group of children became stranded shortly after 9 a.m. The group was a youth exploration team from the local town of Rausu, consisting of 36 elementary and junior high school students, accompanied by 29 adult supervisors, including volunteer leaders and a hunter on alert for brown bears. Children were climbing over difficult rocky terrain toward Cape Shiretoko when they were informed via a mobile phone by a town official that a tsunami might be approaching. All 65 members of the group remained on the rocks, sheltering at an elevation of more than 20 meters. BEACH BUSINESS AFFECTED 'The beach is being closed.' It was the last thing a seaside beach house owner wanted to hear during the peak of the busy summer season. But that was the message a 51-year-old women received from the city government of Sammu, Chiba Prefecture, shortly after 9 a.m. It was just about opening time and around five customers had already arrived for a barbecue. But she quickly asked them to evacuate and contacted other guests with reservations, telling them, 'Please don't come—watch the news instead.' About 30 customers were expected that day, but she said, 'People's lives come first.' Aoshima Beach in Miyazaki, the capital of Miyazaki Prefecture, immediately decided to prohibit swimming after a tsunami advisory was issued. The beach also shut it down in August last year when the JMA issued for the first time the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information (Megathrust Earthquake Alert). 'The weather had already been unstable,' a beach official said with disappointment. 'If the impact (of the tsunami alert) drags on again and customer traffic declines, it could become a serious problem.' Added caption: A car believed to have crashed after falling off a cliff while the driver was evacuating due to a tsunami alert in Kumano, Mie Prefecture, is seen on July 30. (Provided by Nagoya Broadcasting Network) Tsunami warnings are issued over a broad stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline on July 30 after a big earthquake hit near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The runway at Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture is closed. (Masahiro Hirano)
Mint
12 hours ago
- Climate
- Mint
US, Japan Bracing for Tsunamis After Powerful Russian Quake
The US, Japan, the Philippines and other countries were bracing for tsunamis after a powerful earthquake in Russia's Far East. The west coast of North America and Hawaii were under warnings to evacuate inland or to move to higher ground, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tsunami Warning System. Guam was also under a tsunami advisory. Waves as high as 4 meters and several injuries were reported by media in Russia after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck at a depth of 21 kilometers off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning. Aftershocks continued in the region, the US Geological Survey said. A 30 centimeter wave was detected in Japan's northernmost region of Hokkaido, according to public broadcaster NHK. Parts of Japan could get waves as high as 3 meters, which could reach southern parts of the country within hours, according to the nation's weather agency. 'The main thing is how the tsunami develops as it moves across the Pacific system,' said Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, adding that Wednesday's event was similar to a quake in the 1950s that caused 'real damage and loss of life.' In Hawaii, waves between 1 and 3 meters are expected to arrive just after 7 p.m. local time, according to NOAA. The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management urged the public to evacuate coastal areas, or to go to the fourth floor or above in buildings of at least 10 levels. 'A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii,' the US National Weather Service's Tsunami Warning System said in a bulletin, calling for urgent action to protect lives and property. In Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged people in affected areas to evacuate. 'It's possible that the second, third and fourth waves of tsunami could be much bigger' than the first, he said, asking people to remain vigilant until the warning is lifted. Japan is no stranger to tsunamis. In 2011, it was hit by a magnitude-9 quake off the northeastern coast, triggering waves of nearly 40 meters that destroyed coastal cities and claimed more than 20,000 lives. The waves overwhelmed Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s nuclear power plant in Fukushima, which resulted in a power failure and subsequent meltdown at the plant. NHK switched from normal programming to show information about the warning and urged people to flee from the shore. The broadcaster showed cars heading away from coastal areas in Matsushima in Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan. Sendai Airport, located in Miyagi, suspended flights and urged travelers to evacuate to the second floor of the terminal building. The nearby Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant, which restarted operations in December, is not currently impacted, according to a spokesperson from owner Tohoku Electric Power Co., adding that the facility has stopped all work by the port to prepare for tsunami's arrival. NOAA also flagged threats of tsunami waves of varying heights for some Pacific islands and nations, as well as more than a dozen countries including Chile and Peru. The Philippines has warned of potential waves of under 1 meter on Pacific-facing coasts. With assistance from John Gittelsohn, Isabel Reynolds, Mark Chediak, Anna Edgerton, Isabela Fleischmann, Shadab Nazmi and Yasufumi Saito. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
13 hours ago
- Politics
Ishiba, S. Korean Foreign Minister Vow to Promote Ties
News from Japan Politics Jul 30, 2025 16:20 (JST) Tokyo, July 30 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on Wednesday reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to promote stable relations between them. The two also discussed strengthening trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States and South Korea during their meeting at the prime minister's office in Tokyo. Japan wants to maintain and further develop good relations with South Korea, Ishiba told Cho, referring to the ties that improved under former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. Ishiba added that Tokyo also wants to deepen three-way cooperation with Washington and Seoul. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference that Japan and South Korea are "important neighbors that should work together as partners on a host of challenges facing the international community." Tokyo wants to continue communication with Seoul, including at high levels, he said. In June, Ishiba held his first in-person meeting with Yoon's successor, Lee Jae-myung, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada. They agreed to build future-oriented relations and continue the "shuttle diplomacy" of reciprocal visits by the leaders of the two countries. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
