TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan marks 81st anniv. of WWII end, without "remorse" in PM's address
TOKYO - Japan on Saturday marked the 81st anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledging peace while not mentioning the nation's "remorse" in her speech at a memorial held in Tokyo with 4,180 attendees to mourn the war dead.
Along with bereaved family members, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako also took part in the government-sponsored ceremony to mourn the approximately 2.3 million military personnel and about 800,000 civilians who died in the war that ended in 1945.
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Japan PM shuns Yasukuni shrine visit, but 4 ministers go on war anniv.
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Saturday skipped a visit to Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni shrine and sent an offering instead, but Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and three other Cabinet members went there on the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II.
Despite Takaichi, a conservative, staying away from the shrine that honors convicted war criminals along with the war dead, China said it "deplores" and strongly protests the moves. South Korea also expressed regret and protested. Both countries suffered under Japan's wartime aggression.
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Japan foreign minister arranging trip to Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Slovakia
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is arranging a trip to Turkmenistan, Slovakia, Austria and Mongolia from late August to early September, government sources said Saturday.
Economic cooperation, energy security and regional affairs will be on the agenda, the sources said.
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M7.7 earthquake in central Indonesia kills 38, tsunami detected
JAKARTA - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit central Indonesia on Saturday morning, killing at least 38 people, local authorities said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 5:58 a.m. at a depth of 10 kilometers in East Nusa Tenggara Province. The epicenter was 68 km north-northwest of Ende on the province's Flores Island.
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Taiwan welcomes new high-speed train from Japan
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan - Taiwan's high-speed rail operator on Saturday welcomed its first new-generation N700ST train from Japan, marking the latest chapter in nearly two decades of cooperation rooted in Japanese shinkansen technology.
The new train is slated to enter commercial service as early as July 2027. The N700ST, based on the N700S model used on the Tokaido Shinkansen Line connecting Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, was presented at a ceremony at Kaohsiung Port in southern Taiwan.
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Football: Marinos beat S-Pulse for 1st win of J1 season
SHIZUOKA, Japan - Yokohama F Marinos beat Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 on Saturday for their first win of the new J.League first-division season.
The visitors finally broke the deadlock in the 79th minute through Taisei Inoue's right-footed shot at IAI Stadium.
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Rugby: Japan routed 56-17 by Australia in test match
TOWNSVILLE, Australia - Japan were routed 56-17 by Australia in a test match on Saturday, remaining winless in nine all-time meetings with the Wallabies.
The defeat came a week after the 12th-ranked Brave Blossoms were edged 35-32 by eighth-ranked Australia at home.
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Baseball: Japan, S. Korea batting champion Baek In Chun dies
SEOUL - Baek In Chun, who won batting titles in both Japan and South Korea's professional baseball leagues, died Saturday, local media reported. He was 82, according to data on the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization's website.
Baek, the only player to hit .400 in a South Korean professional baseball season, had been receiving treatment for a brain hemorrhage after being found in cardiac arrest at his home Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the Korea Baseball Organization.
