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MOSCOW – A top Russian general accused by Ukraine of being responsible for the use of chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops was assassinated in Moscow by Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service on Tuesday morning in the most high-profile killing of its kind. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who was chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building along with his assistant when a bomb hidden in an electric scooter went off, Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes serious crimes, said. An SBU source confirmed to Reuters that the Ukrainian intelligence agency had been behind the hit. “The liquidation of the chief of the radiation and chemical protection troops of the Russian Federation is the work of the SBU,” the source said. Source link

PARIS/GDANSK, Poland – European automakers are raising the prices of petrol cars and readying discounts on electric vehicles as they brace for yet another challenge — tougher emissions rules that threaten to further shrink profits across the struggling industry. The European Union will drastically lower its cap on automotive carbon dioxide emissions from Jan. 1, meaning at least one-fifth of all sales by most car companies must be EVs to avoid heavy fines. But so far this year only 13% of all vehicles sold in the region have been electric, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) lobby group shows. Source link

Space startups in Japan and India said on Tuesday they had agreed to jointly study using laser-equipped satellites to remove debris from orbit, an experimental approach to the increasingly imminent problem of orbital congestion. Tokyo-based Orbital Lasers and Indian robotics company InspeCity said they would study business opportunities for in-space services such as de-orbiting a defunct satellite and extending a spacecraft’s life. Carved out from Japanese satellite giant Sky Perfect JSAT this year, Orbital Lasers is building a system that will use laser energy to stop the rotation of space junk by vaporizing small parts of its surface, making it easier for a servicing spacecraft to rendezvous. Source link

The government on Tuesday announced that it will use undercover investigators posing as applicants for yami baito (shady part-time jobs) to crack down on a surge in violent burglaries linked to such arrangements. In a ministerial meeting, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba addressed the alarming trend in which criminal groups use social media platforms to recruit perpetrators under the guise of innocuous job opportunities marketed as howaito anken (“white” proposals) to signify that it is not a shady listing. But in reality, these postings recruit individuals to commit crimes that range from scams to robberies, and the applicants are often forced to perform the work since the recruiters have their private information. Source link

LONDON/HULBUK, Tajikistan – When Abubakr Yusufi boarded a flight to Moscow in July, he thought he wouldn’t be home for years. The 23-year-old from a small village in Tajikistan hoped to join his uncle and cousins working in construction in the Russian capital and save enough money to return home and find a bride. But Yusufi only saw Moscow from the airplane window. Held for six hours at Vnukovo airport, he said border authorities stamped his passport with a deportation order and put him on a plane back to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, the next day. Reuters could not determine why he was denied entry. Source link

Record 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will team up with former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios to play doubles at the Brisbane International, the Australian said. The pair, who have developed a friendship after once being at loggerheads when Kyrgios labelled Djokovic “boneheaded” and a “tool,” will use the Dec. 29-Jan. 5 ATP 250 event as a warmup for next month’s Australian Open. Djokovic and Kyrgios have faced each other three times on the ATP Tour, with the Australian winning the first two encounters in 2017 before losing in four sets in the 2022 Wimbledon final. In a post on Instagram on Monday, Kyrgios shared a picture of their meeting at Wimbledon, writing: “Doubles at Brisbane. See y’all there.” Organizers of the Brisbane International did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Kyrgios, who is also scheduled to play in the Dec. 19-22 World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, has played just one singles tour match in the last two years due to knee, foot and wrist injuries. He is set to make his competitive singles return in Brisbane and will play at the Australian Open with a protected ranking of 21st, where he will also be reunited with Thanasi Kokkinakis in the men’s doubles. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, dubbed the “Special Ks” as juniors, claimed their only major title in 2022 at Melbourne Park. The 2025 Australian Open will run from Jan. 12 to 26. Source link

Taipei – A shinkansen operates outside of Japan. It’s a little-known success story that stands as proof of concept for the export of futuristic transportation technology developed over many decades in Japan. The line runs the length of Taiwan, over mountainous, unstable territory that makes the island a perfect test bed for fast trains otherwise exclusively used in the home market. “The fact that it has already been successful in Taiwan means that it’s a technology and experience that could potentially be applied universally overseas,” said Masafumi Shukuri, the chairman of International High-speed Rail Association (IHRA), an industry group that promotes Japan’s shinkansen technology overseas. Source link

This time of the year, holiday cheer is in the air with staple クリスマス (Kurisumasu, Christmas) songs from ワム! (Wamu!, Wham!) and マライア・キャリー (Maraia Kyarī, Mariah Carey) being played almost nonstop to Japanese shoppers. J-pop has its share of holiday tunes, too. Tracks like “クリスマス・イブ” (Kurisumasu Ibu, Christmas Eve) by 山下達郎 (Yamashita Tatsuro, Tatsuro Yamashita) and “恋人がサンタクロース” (Koibito ga Santa Kurōsu, My Baby Santa Claus) by 松任谷由美 (Matsutōya Yumi, Yumi Matsutoya), however, focus more on the romance of the holiday. Receiving an 贈り物 (okurimono, gift) is always delightful, no matter who it’s from. But giving can sometimes be a more satisfactory reward, and one great example of a 慈善活動 (jizen katsudō, philanthropic activity) that I recommend making a 寄付 (kifu, donation) to is for ブックサンタ (Bukku Santa, Book Santa). Source link

Parliament on Tuesday enacted the government’s ¥13.9 trillion ($90 billion) supplementary budget for fiscal 2024 to finance the first comprehensive economic policy package under Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s administration. The House of Councillors, the upper chamber, approved the budget at a plenary meeting by a majority vote with support mainly from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, as well as Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party) and the Democratic Party for the People on the opposition side. The House of Representatives, the lower chamber, passed it Thursday. Nippon Ishin voted for the budget after the LDP agreed to hold talks on its centerpiece policy of making education free. The DPP backed it after its secretary-general reached an agreement with his counterparts at the LDP and Komeito to aim to raise the minimum taxable annual income from the current ¥1.03 million to ¥1.78 million. Source link

Copenhagen – Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson was on Tuesday released from detention in Greenland, after Denmark decided to refuse a Japanese extradition request over a 2010 clash with whalers. Watson has been held since July when his ship docked in Nuuk — the capital of the Danish autonomous territory — on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accuses him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. Greenland police said in a statement that following the Ministry of Justice’s decision in the case of extradition for Paul Watson, the 74-year-old was released at 08:46 am local time. Source link