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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 21 april 2023
Japan PM denounces attack, vows security review before G7

By MARI YAMAGUCHI cult one,” said Kishida, who
Associated Press has made the goal his ca-
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese reer aim. “But that makes
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida our cause more important
denounced a pipe bomb than ever, and we must
attack at a campaign keep raising the flag of the
event he attended last ideal to achieve a nucle-
weekend and pledged to ar-free world and reverse
review security procedures the ongoing trend. To do
to ensure safety for digni- so is a responsibility Japan
taries visiting the country for bears to human society as
the Group of Seven summit the world’s only country to
he will host in May. have suffered nuclear at-
“No matter what the rea- tacks.”
son is, the use of violence He said Russia’s war on
to shut down free speech Ukraine has raised fears
should never be tolerated,” the same could happen in
Kishida told selected me- Asia, and he said calls for
dia from G-7 countries on a rules-based international
Thursday at the Prime Min- order, along with the rejec-
ister’s Office, as he stressed tion of one-sided change
that the attack occurred to the status quo, could be
during a nationwide local widely accepted.
election campaign. Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during an interview with foreign media members at “It is extremely important
“The election, which is the the Prime Minister’s official residence Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Tokyo. for the G-7 to reaffirm the
foundation of democracy, Associated Press basic position, and it could
should not succumb to vio- him, he was pushed away the ongoing elections and plans to appeal for nu- help the international com-
lence. by special police and G-7 meetings. clear disarmament, while munity to unite in case a
We must carry out the elec- evacuated unhurt before “As we prepare to wel- pledging support for the situation like this happens
tion until the end,” he said, the bomb exploded. come many guests from rules-based international in places other than Russia
explaining why he has con- The alleged attacker, Ryuji around the world for the order and vowing to play and Europe,” he said.
tinued to deliver speeches Kimura, 24, was wrestled to G-7 summit and other a greater role as the only Violent crimes are rare in
since the attack on Satur- the ground and arrested events, I feel it is very impor- Asian member of the G-7 to Japan.
day. on the spot. tant to once again review bridge Western economies With its strict gun control
A man hurled a pipe bomb The attack, which targeted our security measures so with the so-called Global laws, the country has only
at Kishida at the fishing port the prime minister less than that our guests can visit Ja- South nations. He will also a handful of gun-related
of Saikazaki in the western a year after former leader pan with a sense of safety,” demand that Russia stop crimes annually, most of
prefecture of Wakayana Shinzo Abe’s assassination, Kishida said. the war on Ukraine imme- them gang related. But
just before he was to make raised questions about During the May 19-21 sum- diately. in recent years Japanese
a campaign speech for a whether any lessons had mit in his electoral con- “I feel our path toward police have worried about
local candidate from his been learned from Abe’s stituency of Hiroshima the achieving a world without “lone offender” attacks
governing party. The mo- case, especially as Japan target of the world’s first nuclear weapons has be- with homemade guns and
ment the explosive fell near navigates key events like atomic attack Kishida come an increasingly diffi- explosives.q

Stampede in Yemen at Ramadan charity event kills at least 78

By AHMED AL-HAJ and dan later this week. Armed to two witnesses, Abdel- they said. Video posted a charity funded by local
SAMY MAGDY Houthis fired into the air in Rahman Ahmed and Yahia on social media showed businessmen, witnesses
Associated Press an attempt at crowd con- Mohsen. That sparked a dozens of bodies, some said. Wealthy people and
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A trol, apparently striking an panic, and people, includ- motionless, and others businessmen often hand
crowd apparently pan- electrical wire and causing ing many women and chil- screaming as people tried out cash and food, espe-
icked by gunfire and an it to explode, according dren, began stampeding, to help. Separate footage cially to the poor, during
electrical explosion stam- of the aftermath released Ramadan. Interior Ministry
peded at an event to dis- by Houthi officials showed spokesperson Brig. Abdel-
tribute financial aid during bloodstains, shoes and vic- Khaleq al-Aghri, blamed
the Muslim holy month of tims’ clothing scattered on the crush on the “random
Ramadan in Yemen’s capi- the ground. Investigators distribution” of funds with-
tal late Wednesday, killing were seen examining the out coordination with local
at least 78 people and in- area. authorities.
juring at least 73 others, ac- The crush took place in the Motaher al-Marouni, a se-
cording to witnesses and Old City in the center of nior health official, said 78
Houthi rebel officials. Sanaa, where hundreds of people were killed, ac-
The tragedy was Yemen’s poor people had gathered cording the rebels’ Al-Ma-
deadliest in years that was for a charity event orga- sirah satellite TV channel. At
not related to the coun- nized by merchants, ac- least 73 others were injured
try’s long-running war, and cording to the Houthi-run and taken to the al-Thowra
came ahead of the Muslim This image released by ANSAR ALLAH HOUTHI MEDIA OFFICE, Interior Ministry. Hospital in Sanaa, accord-
shows the aftermath of a deadly stampede in Sanna, Yemen
holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which Wednesday, April 19, 2023. People had gathered to re- ing to hospital deputy di-
marks the end of Rama- Associated Press ceive about $10 each from rector Hamdan Bagheri.q