Japan's emperor makes 4-day visit to Philippines, a former WWII siteJanuary 26, 2016 - 14:13 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Japan's emperor said Tuesday, January 26 that his nation must remember the tremendous loss of life in the Philippines during World War II, as he and his wife embarked for a four-day visit to the Southeast Asian country, the Associated Press reports. "Many Filipinos, Americans and Japanese lost their lives in the Philippines during the war," Emperor Akihito said in a short statement he read before departing from Tokyo. "Especially in the battle in Manila, a tremendously large number of innocent Filipino civilians were victims. Upon making this visit, we need to bear this in mind at all times." Japan occupied the Philippines during World War II. The 1945 battle for Manila between the Japanese and U.S. and Philippine forces leveled the capital city. The 82-year-old Akihito will pay his respects at memorials for both the Philippine and the Japanese war dead. He is the son of former Emperor Hirohito, under whose name Japan waged World War II. Akihito was 11 years old at the end of the war. His role is symbolic and he holds no political power. He is relatively popular with the Japanese public. His wife, Empress Michiko, was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese royal family. Japan-Philippines relations have improved dramatically in the seven decades since the war. Japan has become a major aid donor to the Philippines, and the countries are developing defense ties in the face of China's military rise. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |