Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, April 24
TOKYO -- Representatives from Japanese civic groups on Wednesday submitted over 180,000 signatures from local citizens to the Japanese government, urging both the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to immediately halt the ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Hajime Matsukubo, secretary general of the Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, a Japanese non-profit organization, presented 184,712 citizen signatures to the representative from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry at the Second Members' Office Building of the House of Representatives in Tokyo. (Japan-Nuke Wastewater-Discharge)
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PHNOM PENH -- The number of Chinese tourists to Cambodia rose 43 percent year-on-year in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024, said the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism's report released on Wednesday.
Almost 190,000 Chinese holidaymakers traveled to the Southeast Asian country during the January-March period this year, up 43 percent from 132,665 over the same period last year, the report said. (Cambodia-China-Tourists)
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VIENTIANE -- The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is preparing for the implementation of ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food Agriculture and Forestry Sector (RAI).
With increasing urbanization and rising incomes, the demand for food, fisheries, and forestry products is on the rise. To ensure food security, safety, and nutrition for future generations, amid rapid industrialization and population growth, sustainable investment in these sectors is paramount, Lao News Agency reported on Wednesday. (Laos-ASEAN-Food-Security)
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TOKYO -- The ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was halted before Wednesday noon due to a power outage, local media reported.
The power outage occurred at around 10:43 a.m. local time as a power cable at the Daiichi plant was damaged during excavation work, national news agency Kyodo reported on Wednesday, citing Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the plant's operator. (Japan-Nuke Wastewater-Discharge)
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KATHMANDU -- The governments of Nepal and Qatar on Wednesday reached agreements on bilateral cooperation in various sectors.
The two countries sealed the deals, two agreements and six memorandums of understanding, after an hour-long meeting between the delegations led by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, according to Amrit Bahadur Rai, spokesperson for Nepal's Foreign Ministry. (Nepal-Qatar-Agreements)