Kyodo News Digest: June 17, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 7 minutes ago - 10:38 | All, World, Japan
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan, U.S. still far from tariff deal after Ishiba-Trump summit
BANFF, Canada - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump made little headway in bridging gaps over tariffs at their summit on Monday, casting doubt on the prospect of a quick yet "mutually beneficial" package deal that can protect Japan's all-important auto sector.
After sitting down with Trump for 30 minutes in Canada's Rockies, Ishiba said any potential deal should serve the interests of both Japan and the United States, and that bilateral ministerial talks will continue to seek such an agreement.
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G7 leaders discuss global trade amid Trump tariff tensions
CALGARY, Canada - The leaders of the Group of Seven democracies discussed global trade Monday as they kicked off two days of talks in Canada, while trying to hide divisions stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff war and unilateralism.
Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy and his confrontational trade actions, also targeted at G7 countries, have tested the 50-year-old group's ability to coordinate global economic policy and address threats to international peace and security.
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Japan calls for "utmost restraint" from Iran in conflict with Israel
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Monday told his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi that all parties must exercise "utmost restraint" amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran.
During their phone talks, Iwaya said any action that could further escalate the situation should be refrained from, adding he is "deeply concerned about the current exchange of attacks spreading throughout the Middle East region," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
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200 kg of cherries worth 1 mil. yen stolen in northeastern Japan
YAMAGATA, Japan - Around 200 kilograms of premium cherries worth around 1 million yen ($7,000) have been stolen from an orchard in northeastern Japan, police said Monday.
Of the 67 cherry trees at the orchard in Kaminoyama, Yamagata Prefecture, only the popular Sato Nishiki variety trees, which number around 50, had been stripped of their fruit, according to prefectural police.
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S. Korean leader Lee expresses desire for stable ties with Japan
SEOUL - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed his desire for stable development of relations between South Korea and Japan as the Japanese Embassy in Seoul held an event to mark 60 years since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations.
Lee, who departed for Canada on the day as a guest at a Group of Seven nations summit, sent a congratulatory message for the event and said, "I wish for the stable and future-oriented development of South Korea-Japan relations."
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Renault CEO to step down in July, ties with Nissan in focus
PARIS - Renault CEO Luca de Meo will step down effective July 15 to pursue work outside the auto sector, the French carmaker said Sunday, shifting attention to the company's ties with struggling Nissan Motor Co. and the moves his successor may make.
After becoming Renault's chief executive in July 2020, de Meo worked to improve relations that had become strained following the arrest of Nissan's former chairman, Carlos Ghosn, who had led the partnership between the automakers.
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Former Michelin-star restaurant owner arrested after food poisonings
OSAKA - Members of a family who run a formerly Michelin-starred restaurant in western Japan were arrested Monday for ignoring an order to temporarily shut it down after a spate of food poisoning cases, investigative sources said.
Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his son Hirotoshi, 41, and wife Noriko 68, have all been involved in operating traditional Japanese-style restaurant Kiichi in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, and are alleged to have violated the Food Sanitation Act.
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