TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Heavy rain expected over wide swath of Japan as rainbands develop in Kyushu
TOKYO - Japan's weather agency on Thursday warned of heavy rains across a wide stretch of the country from east to west, with torrential downpours observed mostly in western Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency urged caution against landslides in the northern part of Kyushu, the country's southwestern main island, after so-called rainbands formed in five of its prefectures -- Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Oita and Saga.
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Japan assures visiting top Ukraine diplomat of support, Russia sanctions
TOKYO - Japan will continue imposing sanctions on Russia and providing support to Ukraine in coordination with the international community as efforts continue toward achieving a lasting peace, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Wednesday.
During a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Tokyo, Motegi reaffirmed Japan's position that unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force are unacceptable, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The two agreed to strengthen bilateral ties including in security areas.
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Japan Football Association eyes asking Moriyasu to stay on as manager
HOUSTON - The Japan Football Association is looking to ask Hajime Moriyasu to stay on as manager after the national team were eliminated in the round of 32 at the ongoing World Cup, its president said Wednesday.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto told reporters that while no official steps have been taken yet, "We would have to make preparations to that end."
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China arrests 2 Japanese Fuji Electric workers over rare earths: sources
BEIJING - China has formally arrested two Japanese employees of the Fuji Electric group who were detained in May in the northeastern port city of Dalian in connection with alleged attempts to take rare earth-related products overseas, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Local customs authorities separately arrested the two in mid- and late June on suspicion of violating a law on the smuggling of prohibited imports or exports, after they were detained over the same case on May 18 and 25, respectively, the sources said.
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Xi shows resolve to achieve unification with Taiwan at ruling party anniv.
BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed his resolve to achieve unification with Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island claimed by Beijing, in a speech to an event celebrating the 105th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party's founding.
"Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing China's complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment" for the ruling party, said Xi, who has served as its general secretary since 2012.
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U.S. declines to extend 3-way trade pact with Canada, Mexico
WASHINGTON - The United States on Wednesday declined a 16-year extension of its free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico in its current form, deciding instead to engage in trilateral negotiations over its fate.
The uncertainty over the future of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or the USMCA, which went into effect in 2020 during President Donald Trump's first term, will likely make it more difficult for companies doing business across the continent, including Japanese automakers, to formulate investment plans.
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Mosasaur fossils found in Japan in 1990s may be of new species: research
OSAKA - A research team from Okayama University of Science and other institutions said Wednesday that fossils of a mosasaur, a large marine reptile that lived between 80 million and 65 million years ago, found in Osaka Prefecture in the early 1990s may be of a new species.
The fossils, discovered in Kaizuka between 1990 and 1992, have been kept at the Natural History Museum, Kishiwada City, in Osaka Prefecture. But a thorough analysis had not been conducted because of a lack of equipment capable of removing the surrounding rock.
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Fujifilm to launch new QuickSnap disposable cameras amid retro boom
TOKYO - Fujifilm Corp. said Wednesday it will release new products in its single-use film camera QuickSnap series for the first time in 20 years, banking on a resurgence in popularity among young people who are generally more used to taking photos with smartphones.
The release of the waterproof model "Active" and the black-and-white film model "Black and White" comes as the Tokyo-based company marks the 40th anniversary of the debut of the series sold under the brand name "Utsurundesu" in Japan.
