TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Okinawa marks 81 years since end of WWII ground battle
NAHA, Japan - Okinawa on Tuesday marked 81 years since the end of a fierce World War II ground battle between Japan and the United States that took the lives of more than 200,000 military personnel and civilians.
Efforts to preserve memories of the battle are at a crossroads as the number of survivors dwindles. The island prefecture continues to bear the heavy burden of hosting United States military bases, even more than 50 years after the reversion from U.S. rule.
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Japan, U.S. finance officials hold online talks as yen nears historic low
TOKYO - Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama held an online meeting with a U.S. Treasury official on Monday night, a source familiar with the development said, as the yen neared a historic low against the dollar.
The talks came as the yen traded in the 161 range per dollar on Monday, already beyond the level at which Japanese authorities intervened to sell the dollar and buy the yen beginning in late April.
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North Korean leader criticizes Japan as turning into "war state"
BEIJING - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticized Japan as turning into a "war state," in a speech during a three-day meeting held through Monday, official news media said Tuesday.
"Japan, a defeated country in Asia, has openly turned itself into a war state by taking the present disturbing circumstances as an opportunity to get rid of all shackles restricting its moves to become a military power," he said, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
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JAPAN BIZ: Bear deterrent products in high demand amid rising encounters
TOKYO - With an increase in bear sightings and attacks in Japan, a variety of new bear protection and safety goods and equipment have hit the market.
Bear repellent sprays, artificial intelligence-driven detection systems and deterrent alarms equipped with flash devices are now available.
In May of last year, Biosiense Co., a Japanese animal drug maker based in Tokushima Prefecture, released Kumaichimokusan, a rare domestic bear spray, as such sprays are mostly imported.
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Japan university eyes clinical trials for womb transplants
TOYOAKE, Japan - A medical university in Japan's Aichi Prefecture said Monday it will prepare to conduct clinical trials for womb transplants within the next few years.
Fujita Health University said it is considering the transplants for three women who cannot conceive or give birth naturally, including at least one born without a uterus.
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Japan business groups visit Beijing expo featuring AI amid strained ties
BEIJING - Representatives from several Japanese business groups on Monday visited a Beijing expo featuring artificial intelligence, with some voicing hope for improved Sino-Japanese ties strained over remarks Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made on Taiwan.
Small-scale delegations from the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Kansai Economic Federation, the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry attended the five-day China International Supply Chain Expo through Friday.
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Woman gets 27 years for murder of high school girl in Hokkaido
ASAHIKAWA, Japan - A Japanese court on Monday sentenced a 23-year-old woman to 27 years in prison for killing a high school girl by forcing her from a bridge into a river in Hokkaido in 2024.
Riko Uchida was charged with murder, sexual misconduct resulting in death and confinement of the 17-year-old student. The Asahikawa District Court matched the 27-year prison term sought by prosecutors.
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Japan PM Takaichi to skip NATO summit amid packed schedule: sources
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to skip the annual NATO summit in July due to a packed parliamentary schedule, government sources said Monday.
The prime minister had been seeking a way to attend the military alliance's summit scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Turkey, but a plan to send Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi instead has been floated, they said.
