Latest news with #----------
Kyodo News
15-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 15, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 20:03 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Search continues for 2 missing crew of crashed Japan ASDF trainer jet TOKYO - Japan's Self-Defense Forces on Thursday continued searching for the two missing crew members of an Air Self-Defense Force training jet that crashed into a large reservoir in central Japan the previous day. The ASDF identified the two as Capt. Takuji Ioka, 31, and 1st Lt. Shota Amitani, 29. Amitani was sitting in the front seat, and Ioka was in the back, although it is unclear who was maneuvering the aircraft at the time as both seats have controllers, it said. ---------- Japan moves to ban Google, Apple from blocking app store competitors TOKYO - Japan's antitrust watchdog Thursday unveiled draft guidelines for the law governing smartphone software services of U.S. tech giants Google LLC and Apple Inc., aiming to promote competition from smaller firms. The law to go into full effect in December is the latest effort by the Japan Fair Trade Commission to stop the powerful companies from excluding smartphone app competitors from accessing their proprietary app stores. The commission hopes the change will address their dominance of the market. ---------- Japan inspects U.S. Tokyo base over suspected PFAS chemical leak TOKYO - The Japanese government on Wednesday conducted a second on-site inspection of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo over a possible leak of so-called PFAS chemicals, which may pose risks to human health. A similar action was carried out in December amid growing public concern after the United States reported a possible leakage of water containing PFAS from the firefighting training area following heavy rainfall in late August. ---------- Japan weighs doubling stockpiled rice release to rein in price surge TOKYO - The Japanese government is considering roughly doubling the supply of stockpiled rice to about 600,000 tons, as rice prices remain at near record highs amid a shortfall, sources close to the matter said Thursday. The government is studying releasing 300,000 tons of reserve rice over three months through July, in addition to 321,000 tons auctioned in three tranches between March and April. ---------- Families of N. Korea abductees ask new U.S. envoy for support TOKYO - The families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea decades ago met with new U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass in Tokyo on Thursday to seek help in resolving the issue, according to a younger brother of one of the most well-known abduction victims. "We asked for his assistance toward the resolution of a problem that is running out of time," Takuya Yokota, the 56-year-old brother of Megumi Yokota, told reporters after the closed-door meeting, adding he felt Glass took their suffering "seriously." ---------- Sumo: Hoshoryu snaps losing streak, Onosato stays unbeaten on Day 5 TOKYO - Lone yokozuna Hoshoryu took care of business against No. 2 maegashira Gonoyama to snap a two-bout losing streak Thursday at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Ozeki Onosato stayed on top the leaderboard alongside sekiwake Daieisho and two rank-and-file wrestlers after improving to a perfect 5-0 on Day 5 at Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo. ---------- Baseball: Ohtani hits home run, Yamamoto gets win as Dodgers down A's LOS ANGELES - Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 13th home run and Yoshinobu Yamamoto notched his fifth win of the season Wednesday for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 9-3 comeback victory over the Athletics. Ohtani broke the ice with a towering shot to right field off a 1-1 pitch from starter Gunnar Hoglund (1-1) in the bottom of the first at Dodger Stadium. Video: Lilac flowers in Hokkaido
Kyodo News
11-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 11, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 09:36 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- India, Pakistan agree to ceasefire after escalation of conflict ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI - India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, they said Saturday, following a sharp escalation of the conflict between two nuclear-armed countries after last month's deadly shooting of tourists in the disputed territory of Kashmir. U.S. President Donald Trump also said in a post that the two sides agreed to "a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE" after the United States brokered their ceasefire talks. ---------- U.S., China begin high-level talks to de-escalate trade tensions GENEVA - The United States and China began high-level talks on Saturday in Switzerland to de-escalate trade tensions, according to Chinese media, in the first known in-person contact between the world's two largest economies since President Donald Trump placed steep tariffs on imports earlier this year. The negotiations in Geneva were joined by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who oversees economic matters. ---------- U.S. mulls tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engines, related parts WASHINGTON - The United States could impose import tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engines and related parts, a Commerce Department notice showed Friday, a move that could significantly impact Japanese and other foreign manufacturers. The department has initiated an investigation into imports of commercial planes, jet engines and their parts on national security grounds, according to the notice on the Federal Register. ---------- Former emperor discharged from hospital after heart checkup TOKYO - Japan's former Emperor Akihito was discharged from a Tokyo hospital on Saturday after undergoing medical tests for a heart condition. The 91-year-old was diagnosed with myocardial ischemia -- reduced blood flow to the heart muscle -- though he showed no symptoms, the Imperial Household Agency said after the tests at the University of Tokyo Hospital. ---------- Teen arrested over death of grandparents in central Japan NAGOYA - A 16-year-old boy was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder after his grandparents were found dead at their home in central Japan, police said. The high school student in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, is suspected of fatally stabbing his 75-year-old grandfather around 2 a.m. Friday, the prefectural police said. His 72-year-old grandmother was also found dead in the house where the three lived with two other family members, according to the police. ---------- South Korean temple returns stolen Buddha statue to Japanese owner SEOSAN, South Korea - A South Korean temple that claimed ownership of a 14th-century Buddha statue stolen from a Japanese temple in 2012 handed it over to the Japanese owner on Saturday. While the statue, taken by South Korean thieves, has been recovered by local authorities, Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, southwest of Seoul, claims that it was looted from the temple by Japanese pirates centuries ago. ---------- Baseball: Mannami grand slam lifts Nippon Ham past Rakuten KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan - Chusei Mannami hit a grand slam among two homers as the Nippon Ham Fighters rallied to beat the Rakuten Eagles 8-7 on Saturday. Mannami's grand slam to left field put the home team back on top 8-6 in the fifth inning at Es Con Field Hokkaido. He also homered with one runner on in the second and finished the game with six RBIs. ---------- Football: Lowly Yokohama FC earn much-needed win against Fukuoka YOKOHAMA - Yokohama FC forward Keisuke Muroi found the net in the 59th minute to secure a much-needed 1-0 win at home to Avispa Fukuoka in J-League first-division football on Saturday. Manager Shuhei Yomoda's men came into the clash at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in 19th place on the back of three straight J1 losses, with only local rivals Yokohama F Marinos beneath them in the standings. Video: Princess Aiko visits Osaka Expo
Kyodo News
11-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 11, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 25 minutes ago - 09:36 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- India, Pakistan agree to ceasefire after escalation of conflict ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI - India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, they said Saturday, following a sharp escalation of the conflict between two nuclear-armed countries after last month's deadly shooting of tourists in the disputed territory of Kashmir. U.S. President Donald Trump also said in a post that the two sides agreed to "a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE" after the United States brokered their ceasefire talks. ---------- U.S., China begin high-level talks to de-escalate trade tensions GENEVA - The United States and China began high-level talks on Saturday in Switzerland to de-escalate trade tensions, according to Chinese media, in the first known in-person contact between the world's two largest economies since President Donald Trump placed steep tariffs on imports earlier this year. The negotiations in Geneva were joined by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who oversees economic matters. ---------- U.S. mulls tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engines, related parts WASHINGTON - The United States could impose import tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engines and related parts, a Commerce Department notice showed Friday, a move that could significantly impact Japanese and other foreign manufacturers. The department has initiated an investigation into imports of commercial planes, jet engines and their parts on national security grounds, according to the notice on the Federal Register. ---------- Former emperor discharged from hospital after heart checkup TOKYO - Japan's former Emperor Akihito was discharged from a Tokyo hospital on Saturday after undergoing medical tests for a heart condition. The 91-year-old was diagnosed with myocardial ischemia -- reduced blood flow to the heart muscle -- though he showed no symptoms, the Imperial Household Agency said after the tests at the University of Tokyo Hospital. ---------- Teen arrested over death of grandparents in central Japan NAGOYA - A 16-year-old boy was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder after his grandparents were found dead at their home in central Japan, police said. The high school student in Tahara, Aichi Prefecture, is suspected of fatally stabbing his 75-year-old grandfather around 2 a.m. Friday, the prefectural police said. His 72-year-old grandmother was also found dead in the house where the three lived with two other family members, according to the police. ---------- South Korean temple returns stolen Buddha statue to Japanese owner SEOSAN, South Korea - A South Korean temple that claimed ownership of a 14th-century Buddha statue stolen from a Japanese temple in 2012 handed it over to the Japanese owner on Saturday. While the statue, taken by South Korean thieves, has been recovered by local authorities, Buseoksa Temple in Seosan, southwest of Seoul, claims that it was looted from the temple by Japanese pirates centuries ago. ---------- Baseball: Mannami grand slam lifts Nippon Ham past Rakuten KITAHIROSHIMA, Japan - Chusei Mannami hit a grand slam among two homers as the Nippon Ham Fighters rallied to beat the Rakuten Eagles 8-7 on Saturday. Mannami's grand slam to left field put the home team back on top 8-6 in the fifth inning at Es Con Field Hokkaido. He also homered with one runner on in the second and finished the game with six RBIs. ---------- Football: Lowly Yokohama FC earn much-needed win against Fukuoka YOKOHAMA - Yokohama FC forward Keisuke Muroi found the net in the 59th minute to secure a much-needed 1-0 win at home to Avispa Fukuoka in J-League first-division football on Saturday. Manager Shuhei Yomoda's men came into the clash at Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Stadium in 19th place on the back of three straight J1 losses, with only local rivals Yokohama F Marinos beneath them in the standings. Video: Princess Aiko visits Osaka Expo
Kyodo News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 09:01 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan TOKYO - A panel of experts under the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering a proposal to revise the current defense buildup plan, which allocates 43 trillion yen ($297 billion) in spending over five years through March 2028, sources close to the matter said Sunday, as inflation drives up the cost of defense equipment. The panel, led by Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chief of the Japan Business Federation, the biggest business lobby in the country, will submit a report on its discussions regarding the need to beef up the country's defense capabilities, possibly in the summer, for the government to consider. ---------- China rebuts Japan's assertion of airspace intrusion near Senkakus BEIJING - China on Sunday rejected Japan's claim that a Chinese coast guard helicopter entered its airspace near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea the previous day, instead blaming the incident on the activities of a Japanese civilian aircraft at the time. Liu Jinsong, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, chief minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, over what he called the "intrusion of a civilian aircraft operated by Japan's right-winger" into the airspace over the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu. ---------- Japan's child population falls for 44th straight yr to new record TOKYO - Japan's estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a new record low, government data showed Sunday, as the country struggles to reverse the declining trend of births. The number of children under 15, including foreign residents, was 13.66 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before the national Children's Day holiday on Monday. ---------- Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces COLOMBO - Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani's visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region. ---------- Xi to visit Russia from Wed. to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for four days starting Wednesday to attend a ceremony in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, which Russia observes as Victory Day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Xi will engage in "strategic communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to the war anniversary event next Friday, on the development of bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said. ---------- Over half of major Japanese firms not using AI in hiring: survey TOKYO - More than half of major Japanese companies do not use artificial intelligence in recruiting fresh graduates, a recent Kyodo News survey showed, highlighting a cautious stance toward relying on AI for hiring despite its growing use in the workplace. Of the 117 companies surveyed across various industries, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., 64 said they do not use AI in recruitment, while 36 reported using it in some form, with 19 citing application form analysis as the most common use. ---------- Rugby: Eagles drop out of playoff contention with loss to Steelers TOKYO - The Yokohama Eagles' slim hopes of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth flickered out Sunday with a 47-29 loss to the Kobe Steelers. Starting the day in seventh place, head coach Keisuke Sawaki's Eagles needed a bonus-point win to keep alive their bid for a place in the playoffs involving the top six regular-season sides. ---------- Boxing: Inoue reveals plan to win 5th division ahead of Cardenas bout LAS VEGAS - Japan's undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue revealed plans to conquer a fifth weight division Saturday on the eve of his world title defense against American Ramon Cardenas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Inoue and 29-year-old Cardenas briefly faced off after both cleared the 122-pound (55.3-kilogram) limit at a flashy weigh-in ceremony conducted in front of around 200 fans. Video: Giant float at Seihaku-sai festival in Ishikawa Prefecture
Kyodo News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 09:01 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan TOKYO - A panel of experts under the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering a proposal to revise the current defense buildup plan, which allocates 43 trillion yen ($297 billion) in spending over five years through March 2028, sources close to the matter said Sunday, as inflation drives up the cost of defense equipment. The panel, led by Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chief of the Japan Business Federation, the biggest business lobby in the country, will submit a report on its discussions regarding the need to beef up the country's defense capabilities, possibly in the summer, for the government to consider. ---------- China rebuts Japan's assertion of airspace intrusion near Senkakus BEIJING - China on Sunday rejected Japan's claim that a Chinese coast guard helicopter entered its airspace near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea the previous day, instead blaming the incident on the activities of a Japanese civilian aircraft at the time. Liu Jinsong, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, chief minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, over what he called the "intrusion of a civilian aircraft operated by Japan's right-winger" into the airspace over the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu. ---------- Japan's child population falls for 44th straight yr to new record TOKYO - Japan's estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a new record low, government data showed Sunday, as the country struggles to reverse the declining trend of births. The number of children under 15, including foreign residents, was 13.66 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before the national Children's Day holiday on Monday. ---------- Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces COLOMBO - Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani's visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region. ---------- Xi to visit Russia from Wed. to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for four days starting Wednesday to attend a ceremony in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, which Russia observes as Victory Day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Xi will engage in "strategic communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to the war anniversary event next Friday, on the development of bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said. ---------- Over half of major Japanese firms not using AI in hiring: survey TOKYO - More than half of major Japanese companies do not use artificial intelligence in recruiting fresh graduates, a recent Kyodo News survey showed, highlighting a cautious stance toward relying on AI for hiring despite its growing use in the workplace. Of the 117 companies surveyed across various industries, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., 64 said they do not use AI in recruitment, while 36 reported using it in some form, with 19 citing application form analysis as the most common use. ---------- Rugby: Eagles drop out of playoff contention with loss to Steelers TOKYO - The Yokohama Eagles' slim hopes of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth flickered out Sunday with a 47-29 loss to the Kobe Steelers. Starting the day in seventh place, head coach Keisuke Sawaki's Eagles needed a bonus-point win to keep alive their bid for a place in the playoffs involving the top six regular-season sides. ---------- Boxing: Inoue reveals plan to win 5th division ahead of Cardenas bout LAS VEGAS - Japan's undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue revealed plans to conquer a fifth weight division Saturday on the eve of his world title defense against American Ramon Cardenas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Inoue and 29-year-old Cardenas briefly faced off after both cleared the 122-pound (55.3-kilogram) limit at a flashy weigh-in ceremony conducted in front of around 200 fans. Video: Giant float at Seihaku-sai festival in Ishikawa Prefecture
