News Headlines - 06 April 2021

Japan extends its own North Korean sanctions another 2 years

Japan extended its own sanctions against North Korea for another two years as Pyongyang continues to develop its nuclear weapons without any progress in resolving the abductions of Japanese nationals.
Japan bans all trade between the countries and prohibits North Korean-registered ships from entering its ports, except for humanitarian purposes. It also bans flights between the countries.

North Korea's sports ministry says 'no' to Tokyo Olympics | The Japan Times

North Korea will not attend this year’s Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pyongyang’s sports ministry said, putting an end to Seoul’s hopes of using the games to restart talks with its nuclear-armed neighbor.
North Korea’s participation in the last Winter Games, in Pyeongchang in neighboring South Korea, was a key catalyst in the diplomatic rapprochement of 2018.

Fuji Media suspected of breaking foreign ownership rules : The Asahi Shimbun

The telecommunications ministry is investigating whether Fuji Media Holdings Inc. violated foreign capital regulations under the Broadcasting Law, sources said.
The firm is suspected of breaching the rules for about two years, until September 2014, according to sources.
The holding company owns multiple subsidiaries, including Fuji Television Network Inc., Sendai Television Inc. and BS Fuji Inc.

TEPCO Apologizes to Fukushima Governor for Problems at N-Plants - JIJI PRESS

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. <9501> President Tomoaki Kobayakawa apologized to Masao Uchibori, governor of Fukushima Prefecture, on Tuesday for a series of problems at two of the firm's nuclear power stations.
At their meeting at the Fukushima prefectural government office, Uchibori told Kobayakawa that the problems "created anxiety and distrust (of the company) among residents" of the northeastern Japan prefecture. "These are extremely serious issues," Uchibori said, urging TEPCO to "take all possible measures" to prevent similar problems from happening.

Suez Canal Traffic Briefly Stopped as Oil Tanker Loses Power - Bloomberg

Traffic through Egypt’s Suez Canal was briefly halted on Tuesday, just two weeks after a giant container ship ran aground and blocked the waterway that’s vital for global trade.
The oil tanker Rumford needed to be towed by tug boats after experiencing engine problems, but was soon operational and the northbound convoy it was in was moving normally again, according to the Suez Canal Authority and Inchcape Shipping Services.
The SCA said navigation in the waterway was “unaffected” and 84 ships had crossed on Tuesday as of roughly 2 p.m. local time.