TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Trump says U.S. to resume blockade on Iran as ceasefire crumbles
WASHINGTON/TEHRAN - The United States will resume a blockade on maritime traffic to and from Iran's ports and coastal areas, President Donald Trump said Monday, at a time when fresh exchanges of fire between the two countries have raised fears of a return to war in the Middle East.
Trump said on social media that the United States will be the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz by reinstating the blockade, targeting only Iran's vessels or clients. The U.S. military said it will resume the blockade on Tuesday.
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Japan watching "with concern" U.S. campaign to disable ICC: gov't spokesman
TOKYO - Japan is "watching closely with concern" a campaign by its close ally the United States to use diplomatic pressure to disable the International Criminal Court's ability to operate, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.
The remarks by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at a regular press conference came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Monday a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat" that he said the ICC, whose current president is Japanese, poses to U.S. sovereignty.
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China's No. 4 leader to make 3-day visit to N. Korea from Wed.
BEIJING - The Chinese Communist Party's No. 4 official Wang Huning will make a three-day visit to North Korea from Wednesday, the two countries said, following North Korean Premier Pak Thae Song's trip to Beijing last week.
Wang, who serves as the country's top political adviser, will lead a delegation of government officials and members of the ruling Communist Party, the state-run media of the two countries reported Tuesday. During his visit through Sunday, Pak agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping to strengthen bilateral strategic coordination.
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No. of children wait-listed for after-school care in Japan down for 2nd yr
TOKYO - The number of pupils on waiting lists for after-school care in Japan has fallen for the second consecutive year, standing at more than 14,000 as of May 1, while the number of users continued to expand, government data showed Tuesday.
The number of elementary school-age children using the service hit a fresh record or 1,602,037, up 31,392 from the previous year, according to preliminary data from the Children and Families Agency.
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FOCUS: Manila upping resistance to China's control of shoal 10 yrs after ruling
MANILA - Ten years after an international arbitral ruling that found against China's sweeping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, the Philippines is stepping up efforts to prevent Beijing from solidifying its de-facto control over the Scarborough Shoal, one of the most disputed sites in the sea's waters.
The shoal, which lies within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, is claimed by Manila as well as China and Taiwan, but it has been under Beijing's control since 2012, with incidents of Chinese coast guard and naval vessels blocking or harassing Philippine civilian and government vessels sailing in the area.
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Man nabbed on suspicion of preparing to carry out random killing in Tokyo
TOYAMA, Japan - A man in central Japan has been arrested on suspicion of preparing to carry out a random killing in Tokyo, police said.
Katsumi Mori, 53, of Namerikawa, Toyama Prefecture, was quoted by police as telling investigators that he was planning the crime out of his desire to receive the death penalty.
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Turkish man dies during Tokyo police detention, ruled illness-caused death
TOKYO - A Turkish man arrested over an immigration-related violation died from an illness during detention at a Tokyo police station earlier this month, police said.
The 48-year-old man complained of a stomachache a few days after his arrest on June 25, and died July 2. A doctor who examined him on July 1 determined that he did not need to be hospitalized, according to the police.
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Baseball: Murakami hits 9 bombs in Home Run Derby won by Cardinals' Walker
PHILADELPHIA - Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami fell just short of the MLB Home Run Derby semifinals Monday after crushing nine long bombs in the first round at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park.
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker clinched the trophy after outgunning the local favorite, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, in the final on the eve of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.
