TOKYO -
The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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M5.6 quake hits Yamanashi in central Japan, nearby areas
TOKYO - A strong quake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 jolted the central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi and nearby areas on Friday, the weather agency said, with no tsunami warning issued and no abnormality detected in volcanic activity at Mt. Fuji.
The 10:29 p.m. quake, at a depth of around 20 kilometers, measured lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi.
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Japan decision on food consumption tax cut may not come in June as planned
TOKYO - Japan's ruling party led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is increasingly likely to miss its envisioned end-of-June deadline to reach a decision with other parties on cutting the consumption tax on food and beverages due to outstanding differences, a source close to the matter said Friday.
A cross-party council on the issue was supposed to compile by next Tuesday its view on lowering the tax rate from the current 8 percent to 1 percent for two years starting April 2027, but it has become hard due to opposition parties' backlash, the source said.
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Japan PM to visit India early July, declaration on economic security eyed
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will make a three-day trip to India next week to meet with her counterpart Narendra Modi, with a focus on advancing cooperation to achieve economic growth, her government said Friday.
During her planned visit to New Delhi from Wednesday, the two countries are also arranging to release a joint declaration on economic security, which is likely to mention their opposition to economic coercion, a Japanese government source said, apparently with China's export controls in mind.
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Trump threatens 100% tariff on any country imposing digital services tax
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on exports from any country that implements a digital services tax on American companies.
Trump complained on social media that many European countries have been exploring such a tax, which would affect the revenues of U.S. tech giants in Europe.
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Small airplane likely crashed into Beijing's tallest building: reports
BEIJING - A flying object, likely a small airplane, crashed into Beijing's tallest building on Friday, Hong Kong media reported, with videos and images of the incident going viral on Chinese social media.
Pieces of glass and metal were scattered on roads around the CITIC tower building, while many police officers were mobilized in the area, witnesses said.
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Japan affirms ties with IAEA, appreciates Fukushima recovery support
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed Friday with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi to strengthen cooperation on nuclear energy and nonproliferation issues while thanking him for efforts to support the recovery from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster.
"I appreciate very much the cooperation offered toward the decommissioning (of the plant) and the reconstruction of Fukushima," Takaichi told Grossi, who visited the crippled nuclear complex in northeastern Japan on Wednesday.
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S. Korea's Lee, head of Japan lawmakers group agree to deepen ties
SEOUL - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and the head of a Japanese group promoting ties between Seoul and Tokyo agreed Friday that closer bilateral cooperation is needed amid rapidly changing international circumstances.
"At times like this, when international relations are becoming complex and volatile, significantly improving South Korea-Japan ties would be beneficial for both nations," Lee said during the meeting, adding that he hopes the two countries could enjoy "ever-closer" relations.
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Unauthorized sale of Japan-developed seedlings suspected in China, S. Korea
TOKYO - Seedlings of about 50 Japanese-developed farm product varieties, including prized citrus and strawberries, are suspected to have been sold online without permission, a farm ministry survey showed Friday.
The findings from the survey, conducted between July and September last year, come as the Japanese government steps up efforts to tackle the unauthorized outflow of farm products overseas by seeking passage of a revised plant variety protection law during the ongoing ordinary parliamentary session.
