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Japan conducts first air force drill with Germany at home

TOKYO - The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force and the German Air Force conducted their first exercise around Japan on Wednesday, as Berlin increases its involvement in Indo-Pacific security.

A Eurofighter Typhoon jet piloted by Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz, chief of the German Air Force, landed at Japan's Hyakuri Air Base northeast of Tokyo around 4:30 p.m. after an eight-hour flight from Singapore. It was one of three German fighters to take part in the flight drill through Japanese airspace.

The air exercise, which followed the deployment of a German frigate to East Asia, sends a message to China, analysts said.

Three F-2 fighters, including one carrying ASDF Chief of Staff Gen. Shunji Izutsu, participated from the Japanese side. The drill is intended to bolster the partnership between Japan and NATO. ...continue reading

Source: Kyodo

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Typhoon No. 6 was located about 40 kilometers east-southeast of Shima, Mie Prefecture, as of 8:00 a.m. on June 3rd, moving east-northeast at approximately 40 kilometers per hour after making landfall in southern Wakayama Prefecture earlier in the morning, but forecasters warned that the storm continued to pose a serious flood threat to the Tokyo metropolitan area, where a linear rain band formed over eastern Kanagawa Prefecture.

[updated 9:37 a.m.] Typhoon No. 6 is disrupting Japan’s transport network on June 3rd, with JR East reporting suspensions and partial cancellations across parts of the Kanto region, NEXCO Central saying some expressway sections are already closed, and airlines canceling or warning of disruptions at major airports including Haneda, Narita, Chubu and Kansai as the storm moves along the Pacific side of western and eastern Japan.

A breaking weather alert was issued for the Izu region of Shizuoka Prefecture early Wednesday morning, after the formation of a linear rain band, a phenomenon capable of producing prolonged and extremely intense rainfall over the same area. Authorities warned that the risk of disasters has risen sharply as heavy rain continues to fall, increasing the likelihood of flooding, landslides, and other weather-related emergencies.

[updated 03:30 a.m.] Authorities issued a Level 5 Flood Occurrence Information alert for the Kuwano River and the Naka River tributary in Tokushima Prefecture, warning that flooding may already be underway and urging residents to take immediate action to protect their lives.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held a telephone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on June 1st, urging Iran to demonstrate maximum flexibility in its ongoing discussions with the United States and expressing hope that an agreement on the nuclear issue can be reached as soon as possible.

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