Japan PM Shinzo Abe in hospital

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe entered a hospital for a medical check-up on Monday, Reuters News Agency reported, citing a government source.

The news came out after a top official voiced concern the premier was suffering from fatigue because of his workload during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 65-year-old plans to return home later on Monday after the examination at Tokyo's Keio University Hospital, the source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

The reason for the check-up was not immediately clear. News of Abe's health comes as the country reported its sharpest economic decline due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kyodo News said it was a regular check-up, citing people near to the prime minister, while Nippon TV quoted government sources as saying it was not a worrying situation.

Abe gets a regular check-up twice a year, with his most recent on June 13, said Kyodo, adding that Monday's visit was a follow-up to the June check-up, citing a hospital source.

Abe's office did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.

The news follows weekend comments by Akira Amari, chairman of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's tax panel, that Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, could be suffering from fatigue because of his continuous work over the response to the virus. - Reuters Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com

Read More........ → August 19, 2020

Japan lifts Tokyo's state of emergency, eyes fresh stimulus

Tokyo, May 25(BNA): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a state of emergency for Tokyo and four remaining areas on Monday after the number of infections fell across the country, but warned that it could be reimposed if the virus started spreading again.

The move meant that the whole country would now have the social distancing curbs loosened, after an initial lifting of restrictions for most areas on May 14, according to Reuters.

Abe said that the total amount of stimulus from two economic packages would exceed 200 trillion yen ($1.86 trillion) but it would still take considerable time to get back to normal life while controlling infection risks.

“Today we are taking a firm step towards the next stage following the removal of the state of emergency,” the visibly relaxed prime minister told reporters gathered in Tokyo.

Abe acknowledged Japan has faced some problems with its response and promised a review once the outbreak was over. But he also praised the “Japan model”, in which it brought the outbreak under control in six weeks without strict lockdowns imposed in other countries.

However, he warned that, “in the worst case scenario, there may be the unfortunate possibility of reimposing the state of emergency if the speed of infections rises again,” adding that he would like to avoid asking people to stay indoors.

The world’s third-largest economy has escaped an explosive outbreak with more than 16,600 infections and 839 deaths so far, according to NHK public broadcaster; however, the epidemic has tipped it into a recession and plunged Abe’s popularity to multi-year lows.

An Asahi newspaper poll conducted at the weekend showed Abe’s support rate at 29% - the lowest since he returned to power in late 2012 - and disapproval at 52%. The results mirrored a Mainichi newspaper survey published on Saturday.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has previously said the capital would move into “stage one” of loosening restrictions, once the state of emergency was removed. That would allow libraries and museums to reopen, and restaurants to stay open until later in the evening. Subsequent stages would see theatres, cinemas and fairgrounds reopen.

Tokyo reported 8 new infections on Monday, media said. To support an economy on track for its deepest slump in postwar history, the government is considering fresh stimulus worth 100 trillion yen ($930 billion), mostly comprising financial aid for companies, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday.

The package, to be funded by a second supplementary budget, would follow a record 117 trillion yen spending plan deployed last month.

“The government and the Bank of Japan will continue to work as one to resolve the situation by adopting all necessary steps...we will underpin corporate financing of Japan firms by mobilising an overwhelming amount of funds in an ‘all Japan’ fashion,” said Abe. AHN.  Source: https://www.bna.bh/

Read More........ → July 15, 2020

Fuel removal gear place at Fukushima Daiichi unit

The arched cover over the fuel handling machine at unit 3 (Image: Tepco)

A cover has been installed over the fuel handling machine that will help remove fuel from the storage pool of unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The removal of the fuel is scheduled to start in mid-2018.

The section of the reactor building that sheltered the service floor of unit 3 was wrecked by a hydrogen explosion three days after the tsunami of March 2011 - leaving the fuel pond exposed and covered by debris including many twisted steel beams.

Once the largest pieces of rubble had been removed, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) began construction of a separate structure to facilitate the removal by a remotely-operated crane of the 566 fuel assemblies from the storage pool. This 54-metre-tall structure includes a steel frame, filtered ventilation and an arched section at its top to accommodate the crane. Measuring 57m long and 19m wide, it is not fixed to the reactor building itself, but is supported on the ground on one side, and against the turbine building on the other.

Installation of the first of eight sections of the arched roof of the cover was carried out last August. The fuel handling machine and crane were installed in November.

Tepco announced today the final section of the arched roof had been put in place, about two weeks ahead of schedule. Removal of the fuel assemblies will be carried out from the middle of the year.

The fuel removed from unit 3 will be packaged for transport the short distance to the site's communal fuel storage pool, but it will need to be inspected and flushed clean of dust and debris.

Researched and written: by World Nuclear News, Source: http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/

Read More........ → April 13, 2018