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Russia expels Japanese diplomat accused of espionage

VLADIVOSTOK, Sep 27, 2022 (Japan Times) - Russia said Monday it had detained a Japanese diplomat based in the eastern city of Vladivostok for carrying out espionage-related work and declared the official person non grata, news agencies reported.

“A Japanese diplomat was detained red-handed while receiving classified information, in exchange for money, about Russia’s cooperation with another country in the Asia-Pacific region,” the FSB security service said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The diplomat had also been soliciting information about “the impact of Western sanctions” on the eastern Primorsky region, the FSB said, according to news agencies.

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the diplomat was ordered to leave the country within 48 hours. ...continue reading

Source: ANNnewsCH

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Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi strongly rejected accusations that Japan is embracing "new militarism," describing such claims as false while delivering a speech at a major regional security conference in Singapore on May 31st.

A series of false bear sighting reports posted to an online alert system operated by Aomori Prefecture has disrupted schools, prompted a police investigation, and raised concerns about the growing impact of misinformation on public safety.

A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.

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