News Headlines - 01 July 2020

▽Hong Kong police arrest more than 300 protesting China's 'birthday gift' of security law - Reuters

Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas and arrested more than 300 people on Wednesday as protesters took to the streets in defiance of sweeping security legislation introduced by China to snuff out dissent.
Beijing unveiled the details of the much-anticipated law late on Tuesday after weeks of uncertainty, pushing China’s freest city and one of the world’s most glittering financial hubs on to a more authoritarian path.

▽Japanese Prosecutor-General Inada to Step Down - JIJI PRESS

Japanese Prosecutor-General Nobuo Inada is expected to step down by the end of July, informed sources said Tuesday.
Makoto Hayashi, 62, superintending prosecutor at the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office, is likely to replace Inada, 63, the sources said.
Hayashi took the current post only in May to succeed Hiromu Kurokawa, 63, who resigned for playing mahjong for money during the coronavirus pandemic.

▽Hokkaido Univ. President Nawa Sacked - JIJI PRESS

Japanese education minister Koichi Hagiuda dismissed Hokkaido University President Toyoharu Nawa on Tuesday.
In July 2019, the university's council to select the president filed the request with the education minister to fire Nawa over his power harassment, or abuse of authority at workplace.
Nawa, 66, became the first sacked national university corporation president since national universities in the country turned into independent administrative entities in 2004.

▽Osaka U. president slams name picked for public university opening in city in 2022 - The Mainichi

The operator of both Osaka Prefecture University and Osaka City University in western Japan on June 26 announced a new public university combining the two institutions would be named the "University of Osaka" -- a move drawing fire from the president of the similarly named Osaka University... After the name was announced, Osaka University President Shojiro Nishio released a statement on the university website pointing out that the English version of the new university's name was "remarkably similar" to that of Osaka University, adding, "It will cause confusion among our students, and work as a great obstacle for the future of both universities, which are reaching out to the world."

▽Japan's jobless rate rises to 2.9% in May: government - Reuters

Japan’s jobless rate rose and the availability of jobs fell in May, government data showed on Tuesday.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 2.9% in May, up from 2.6% in April, figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed... The jobs-to-applicants ratio fell to 1.20 in May from 1.32 in April, marking the lowest reading since July 2015, labour ministry data showed.