Kyodo News Digest: June 17, 2026

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G7 leaders vow increased sanctions on Russia's oil, gas sectors: statement

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - U.S. President Donald Trump and the other Group of Seven leaders said early Wednesday that they will strengthen sanctions on Russia, including those on its oil and gas sectors.

"We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as President Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz," the G7 leaders, who are gathering in France for an annual summit, said in their joint statement.

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Japan logs 378.6 billion yen trade deficit in May

TOKYO - Japan logged a trade deficit of 378.6 billion yen ($2.4 billion) in May for the first red ink in four months, government data showed Wednesday.

Exports rose 17.0 percent and imports climbed 12.5 percent from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

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Japan, Brazil announce start of Japan-Mercosur economic partnership talks

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - Japan and Brazil said Tuesday that Japan will begin negotiations on an economic partnership agreement with Mercosur, the South American trading bloc, by the end of this month as Tokyo seeks to strengthen ties with the resource-rich region and promote trade.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva confirmed the launch of the negotiations during a meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France, on the sidelines of the three-day Group of Seven summit through Wednesday.

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Japan to clear way for local gov'ts to effectively ban private lodgings

TOKYO - The Japan Tourism Agency plans to notify local governments that they may effectively ban "minpaku" private lodging in certain areas through ordinances to protect residential areas from noise, garbage and other nuisances, a source familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The notice to be sent later this month would mark a reversal of the agency's longstanding stance that banning private lodging is inappropriate from the viewpoint of promoting the service.

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Japan PM Takaichi welcomes U.S.-Iran agreement in brief meeting with Trump

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the U.S.-Iran agreement intended to end their war in a brief meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Sitting down for about five minutes after a session on Ukraine, the two leaders exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, according to the Japanese government.

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M5.5 quake jolts eastern Japan near Tokyo, no tsunami warning issued

TOKYO - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook eastern Japan including Tokyo on Tuesday, causing some disruptions to the country's transportation services, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The focus of the 7:46 p.m. quake was in Ibaraki Prefecture northeast of Tokyo at about 50 kilometers underground, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

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FOCUS: Yen, oil prices may pick up BOJ rate increase even after hike to 31-yr high

TOKYO - Facing a greater risk of faster price rises from a surge in oil prices coupled with a weaker yen, the Bank of Japan may need to accelerate the pace of policy interest rate hikes to guide inflation to its 2 percent target, economists say.

The Japanese central bank on Tuesday raised the policy rate to 1 percent, the highest since 1995, from 0.75 percent. The decision was the first hike since December last year and the fifth since the BOJ made the first increase in 17 years in March 2024.

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Football: Japan kept on toes by 2022 Costa Rica loss, Tunisia manager swap

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Having opened their World Cup campaign with a creditable 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, Japan players on Monday were determined to avoid repeating the second-match pitfall which saw the Samurai Blue upset by Costa Rica at the previous tournament.

A day after earning a valuable point against the European giants at Dallas Stadium, the players were also on high alert for Saturday's encounter with a Tunisian side who sacked manager Sabri Lamouchi in the wake of their 5-1 mauling by Sweden.