TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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North Korea says it tested "tactical cruise missile weapon system"
BEIJING - North Korea said Wednesday it carried out tests the previous day of a "multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system" as well as a lightweight, multi-purpose missile launch system.
The announcement through state media comes after South Korea's military said North Korea launched multiple projectiles, including a short-range ballistic missile, off its west coast on Tuesday.
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Japan, U.S. top diplomats reaffirm importance of stability over Taiwan
NEW DELHI - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as they discussed China-related issues and the situation in Iran during a meeting in New Delhi.
According to Motegi, Rubio briefed him on the recent U.S.-China summit. The 10-minute conversation marked the first face-to-face talks between key figures of the Japanese and U.S. governments since Donald Trump's trip to China earlier this month, the first visit by a U.S. president in nearly a decade.
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China aircraft carrier Liaoning spotted in Pacific: Japan Defense Ministry
TOKYO - Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning has been spotted sailing in waters southwest of Japan's southernmost island of Okinotori, with helicopters and fighter jets taking off and landing, the Japanese Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
The Chinese military announced last week that the Liaoning was heading to the Western Pacific for training purposes, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
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Japan's HTV-X cargo transporter likely reenters atmosphere, burns up
TOKYO - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's HTV-X cargo transporter likely reentered the atmosphere and burned up over the South Pacific on Tuesday, an agency official said, ending its mission to deliver supplies to the International Space Station and support scientific experiments while orbiting Earth.
The vehicle, the first of the HTV-X generation developed by JAXA, contained trash from the ISS astronauts' daily lives and experiments and was intended to burn up while traveling through the atmosphere, according to the agency.
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Ruling LDP seeks push for Japanese language program for foreign children
TOKYO - Japan's ruling party Liberal Democratic Party is proposing the government establish a blueprint for beginner Japanese language classes aimed at children of foreign nationals in the country to be used nationally, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
The draft report compiled by the LDP's Headquarters for Foreign Nationals Policy also includes plans to support a pre-arrival Japanese language and immersion program, as well as the development of a grant system for municipalities.
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China, Pakistan oppose resurgent militarism in veiled criticism of Japan
BEIJING - China and Pakistan said they oppose "any attempts by fascism or militarism to make a comeback," according to a joint statement issued Tuesday, taking a veiled swipe at Japan's efforts to boost its defense capabilities.
The document released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after Monday's talks between President Xi Jinping and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing came as Xi and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin directly criticized Tokyo last week for its "current course toward accelerated remilitarization."
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JAL to launch Moon payload service, aims to preserve heritage
TOKYO - Japan Airlines Co. said Tuesday it will launch a service to transport items of cultural significance to the Moon, citing the risks of losing them amid climate change, large natural disasters and conflicts.
Under an agreement between JAL group trading house Jalux Inc. and startup ispace Inc., the ARGO Trans-Lunar Heritage Project would carry payloads such as regional specialties and companies' signature products, with applications for transport slots to begin Wednesday.
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Basketball: Nagasaki beats Ryukyu in Game 3 to claim 1st B-League title
YOKOHAMA - Nagasaki Velca clinched its maiden Japanese basketball championship with a 72-64 win against the Ryukyu Golden Kings in the decisive Game 3 of the B-League finals on Tuesday.
Swingman Lee Hyun Jung scored a game-high 23 for Nagasaki, which had extended the best-of-three finals by winning Sunday's Game 2 after the Okinawa-based Golden Kings took the series opener.
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Video: Tao Okamoto and Virginie Efira meet the press in Tokyo after sharing the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.
