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Kyodo Top12 News (13:20)(Japan Economic Newswire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) ---------- Gov't plans to deploy SDF's Osprey aircraft in Saga in FY 2015 TOKYO - Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Sunday the Self-Defense Forces plans to deploy Osprey transport aircraft at Saga airport in southwestern Japan when it introduces the U.S. tilt-rotor plane in fiscal 2015. Onodera told reporters he recently informed Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa of the plan, in the first mention of an expected deployment site for SDF-operated Osprey aircraft. The Defense Ministry will send a senior official to Saga Prefecture on Tuesday to start talks with local officials. The ministry plans to purchase 17 Osprey aircraft under its medium-term defense program through fiscal 2018. ---------- Missing girl in Okayama found safe, man arrested for imprisonment OKAYAMA, Japan - An 11-year-old schoolgirl who went missing on July 14 in the western Japan city of Kurashiki was found safe by police late Saturday. The local police arrested Takeshi Fujiwara, 49, for imprisoning her at his house in the neighboring city of Okayama, some 8 kilometers from the girl's home. The Okayama prefectural police said they found the girl watching television when they searched the suspect's house around 10:20 p.m. Saturday. Her mother remembered the license plate number of a car repeatedly seen following the girl in her neighborhood earlier this year. The vehicle belonged to Fujiwara. The girl went missing on July 14 after calling her mother on her way home from school. ---------- Panasonic to sell mobile phone base station business to Nokia OSAKA - Panasonic Corp. will sell its mobile phone base station business to Finland's Nokia as it redirects resources to other growing operations, sources close to the matter said Sunday. The Osaka-based electronics manufacturer is expected to sell the business for several billion yen, closing the deal by the end of March 2015, they said. Panasonic provides wireless control systems and related equipment to mobile communication carriers such as NTT Docomo Inc. through a subsidiary, Panasonic System Networks Co. Competition has been intensifying with domestic and overseas providers of base station equipment, including NEC Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. The expected deal with Nokia would lead to a further scale down of the mobile communication business for Panasonic, which has withdrawn from production of consumer-use smartphones. ---------- Japan to miss FY 2020 gov't budget surplus goal despite tax hikes TOKYO - Japan is unlikely to meet its international commitment to achieve a government budget surplus by fiscal 2020, even if it proceeds with another consumption tax increase, sources familiar with the matter said Saturday. There is likely to be an 11 trillion yen deficit in the primary balance in fiscal 2020 even if the consumption tax rate, raised this past April from 5 percent to 8 percent, is increased to 10 percent in October 2015 as planned, the sources said. That figure is expected to be set for fiscal 2020 in a mid- to long-term estimate to be released this month, the sources said. The forecast deficit is down from a January estimate of 11.9 trillion yen, but still means Japan is unlikely to achieve its goal to turn the balance into a surplus by fiscal 2020. However under the new projections, Japan is likely to achieve another goal -- halving the ratio of the primary balance deficit to gross domestic product by fiscal 2015 from the fiscal 2010 level, according to the sources. ---------- Japan, Brazil eye cooperation on offshore oil development: draft TOKYO - Japanese and Brazilian leaders are expected to discuss Brazil using Japanese technology to build a mega offshore logistics hub for developing oil fields far out to sea, according to a draft of the statement to be released after talks on Aug. 1. When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meets with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil, Abe will propose that Brazil use Japanese large-floating-structure technology to build the hub, the draft indicates. According to Japanese government sources, the offshore hub under consideration would be about 300 meters long and 100 meters wide, and cost more than 50 billion yen to build. For Brazil, efficiently transporting people, equipment and supplies from land to offshore oilfields located far away is a challenge. Constructing a mega offshore logistics hub is expected to contribute to development of deep-water oil deposits, the safety of production, and reduction of transportation costs. Brazil's crude oil output ranked 13 in the world in 2011, a large part of which came from offshore oilfields. ---------- Malaysia Airlines defends MH17's flight over Ukraine war zone SEPANG, Malaysia - Malaysia Airlines whose plane was shot down over Ukraine insisted Saturday that it did not make a mistake in flying over a war zone. "For Malaysia Airlines, our threat analysis said it is safe," Malaysia Airlines Director of Operation Izham Ismail said at a press conference. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said at the same press conference that based on information the government had received, the plane was shot down. Malaysia Airlines, which is still reeling from the disappearance March 8 of MH370, came under criticism for using the route that some airlines had avoided. Malaysia Airlines said Friday it will avoid using the route for future flights. Liow said a Malaysian search and rescue team has arrived in Kiev but has still not been allowed access to the rebel-controlled area where the plane came down. ---------- Part of Okinawa base relocation plan "hidden from public": U.S. paper TOKYO - The Japanese government has "hidden from public" that a controversial U.S. military base relocation within Okinawa Island is planned in an area larger than publicly disclosed, a U.S. briefing document obtained by Kyodo News showed Saturday. Japan is moving to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station from a crowded residential area in Ginowan to less populated Henoko in Nago. But it was recently revealed facilities would be built not only in the coastal area as publicized, but inland as well. A document compiled by the U.S. military in February 2010 as a briefing paper for key U.S. Congress members lists the "political challenges" involved, and cites the planned construction of facilities in the inland area of Henoko as among the "sensitivities" for the Japanese government. It also says development of the inland area -- referred to as the "area west of Route 329" -- is "hidden from public." ---------- Number of foreign visitor stays in Japan up 27% in 2013 TOKYO - The total number of nights spent by foreign visitors at hotels or other accommodation across Japan rose 27.4 percent to 33.51 million in 2013, the Japan Tourism Agency said Saturday. The figure of 33.51 million person-stays, attained by multiplying the number of visitors by the number of nights they stayed, was up from 26.31 million in 2012 and 18.42 million in 2012, showing the trend of recovery after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Increasing numbers of visitors from Taiwan and China contributed to the rise, as did the easing of visa rules for some Southeast Asian countries, the agency said. Foreigners made up 7.2 percent of the total person-stays of 467.21 million including Japanese in 2013. The growth strategy policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government includes a plan to increase this proportion to 16.7 percent by 2030. ---------- Baseball: Red Sox's Uehara notches 20th save for 2nd straight year BOSTON - Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara posted 20 saves for the second year in a row after pitching a scoreless ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals in a 2-1 victory at home on Saturday night. Uehara, who holds a 1.58 ERA, became the third Japanese pitcher to register 20 saves in consecutive years. He got a fly out and a groundout sandwiched between a strikeout of Mike Moustakas swinging. Royals right fielder Norichika Aoki was hitless in two at-bats. "This year I've been struggling with control -- it still isn't there yet," said Uehara. "It's good to finish getting one out at a time, and win one by one so that the team can move up." ---------- Golf: Matsuyama drops to 38th, McIlroy opens lead at British Open HOYLAKE, England - Japan's Hideki Matsuyama failed to gain any ground in the third round of the British Open on Saturday as he dropped into a share of 38th place with sole leader Rory McIlroy extending his advantage to six shots. Matsuyama, who teed off in 24th, had three birdies canceled by four bogeys, putting him at even par 216. "I didn't have a food feeling for my shots at all. I couldn't make adjustments," said Matsuyama, who used his wedge to get within six feet of the pin on the par-4, 11th, only to three-putt for bogey. "I regret that, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I was glad I could get consecutive birdies after that." The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is seeking his third major and has led since the opening round, was on fire again and stepped it up with two eagles after the turn en route to shooting a 68 to move him to 16-under 200. ---------- Soccer: Reds stay top as J-League resumes after World Cup break TOKYO - Urawa Reds scraped a 1-0 win over visiting Albirex Niigata as top-flight action in the J-League resumed in full on Saturday after a two-month break for the World Cup finals in Brazil. Topping the table heading into the summer recess, Reds were the benefactors of a 16th-minute own goal from Ken Matsubara at a rain-lashed Saitama Stadium 2002, and that was all that was needed for the former Asian club champions to stay one point clear nearing the halfway point of the season. Reds equaled a league record by holding their opponents scoreless for their sixth straight game. Sagan Tosu stayed second, Kim Min Woo striking the only goal of the game after goalkeeper Akihiro Hayashi had pulled off a series of excellent saves in a 1-0 win at Vissel Kobe. Third-place Kawasaki Frontale also restarted the campaign with a win, Yu Kobayashi opening the scoring before World Cup striker Yoshito Okubo wrapped up a 2-0 victory over Shimizu S-Pulse at Nihondaira. ---------- Weather forecast for key cities in Japan TOKYO - Weather forecast for Monday: Tokyo=cloudy, occasionally fair; Osaka=fair, occasionally cloudy; Nagoya=cloudy, then fair; Sapporo=cloudy, occasionally fair; Sendai=cloudy; Niigata=fair, occasionally cloudy; Hiroshima=fair, occasionally cloudy; Takamatsu=fair, occasionally cloudy; Fukuoka=fair, occasionally cloudy; Naha=fair. (c) 2014 Kyodo News |