TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Kumamoto quake death toll rises, search efforts continue
KUMAMOTO, Japan - The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan earlier this week has reached 28, including those suspected to be disaster-related, the top government spokesman said Thursday.
Search operations continued at Nippon Paper Industries Co.'s plant in Yatsushiro where one person remained missing. The Kumamoto prefectural government's tally, meanwhile, put the total of confirmed deaths at 17, including eight at the paper plant and five at an Aeon shopping mall in Kashima that was rocked by an explosion following the magnitude 7.1 quake two days prior.
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Japan PM intends to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday expressed her intention to seek a cut in the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting next April, according to an official of her party, as households continue to struggle with high prices.
The tax cut plan, which would be coupled with cash handouts to low- to middle-income earners to effectively eliminate the tax burden to zero, was conveyed during a meeting of ruling Liberal Democratic Party executives. It would be the first time that the consumption tax rate would be lowered since the system's introduction in 1989.
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BOJ set to keep policy rate steady to gauge impact of hike to 31-yr high
TOKYO - The Bank of Japan is likely to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at its two-day policy meeting from Thursday to assess the impact of its recent rate hike to a 31-year-high and the recent strong earthquake in southwestern Japan.
Many BOJ watchers expect the Policy Board to maintain the rate at 1.0 percent after raising it from 0.75 percent in mid-June, with the central bank also seen as wanting to assess the impact of higher crude oil prices and the weaker yen on inflation and businesses.
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Toyota remains top automaker in 1st-half global sales for 7th yr in row
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday retained top spot in first-half global sales in 2026 for the seventh straight year, with its group companies selling 5.39 million vehicles worldwide to outperform German rival Volkswagen AG.
Global sales in the January-June period, however, fell 2.8 percent from a year earlier, marking the first year-on-year decline in two years, reflecting sluggish demand in China hit by higher gasoline prices amid tensions in the Middle East.
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Gov't cuts Japan's FY 2026 GDP growth outlook to 0.9% on higher oil prices
TOKYO - The Japanese government on Thursday cut its economic growth outlook to 0.9 percent for the current fiscal year, which began in April, down from an earlier estimate of 1.3 percent as higher crude oil prices have hit the import-reliant economy.
In its midyear report, the government said that the weaker yen against the U.S. dollar and elevated oil prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East pose risks to the Japanese economy, despite the fact that wage growth and a rise in personal consumption have been bolstered by government subsidies for energy costs.
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U.S. says ready to help Japan after deadly earthquake
WASHINGTON - The United States is prepared to assist Japan after a deadly earthquake struck its southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, the State Department said Wednesday.
"The U.S. government is closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Kumamoto," a State Department spokesperson said in response to an inquiry from Kyodo News. "We extend our sympathies to those affected by the earthquake."
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U.S. Fed keeps key rate steady even as Iran war adds inflation pressure
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged, even as a renewed spike in oil prices, triggered by the intensifying war in the Middle East, has added more upward pressure on prices.
At a two-day monetary policy meeting, the Fed decided in a 9-3 vote to keep the federal funds rate, which commercial banks charge each other for overnight loans, within the range of 3.50-3.75 percent, where it has remained since December.
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Rugby: Naturalized players urge fairness in League One nationality dispute
TOKYO - Naturalized players challenging Japan Rugby League One's new eligibility rules share the goal of developing more homegrown talent but want a fair transition that recognizes their contributions to the game and keeps their existing status, former Brave Blossoms standout Timothy Lafaele said Thursday.
The Kobe Steelers center is among a group of 24 foreign-born players with Japanese citizenship who are mounting a legal challenge against League One's classification change that places most of them into a different category with fewer playing opportunities than their Japanese-born counterparts.
