TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan centrist opposition alliance may break up as members eye departure
TOKYO - Japan's centrist opposition alliance stood on the brink of falling apart Monday, with sources saying members who joined from the Komeito party just months ago could leave the group.
The development follows the collapse of talks on the incorporation by the Centrist Reform Alliance of members of Komeito and the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in a three-way merger to counter the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
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Fake data may activate Japan's emergency alert: expert
TOKYO - Japan's nationwide emergency alert system lacks the capability to encrypt data transmitted via satellites and verify the source, making it vulnerable to fake data that could activate the warning system, an expert said Sunday.
A source at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications admitted the flaw in the government's satellite-based J-Alert system, which issues early warnings to municipalities nationwide about natural disasters, including earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as overseas missile launches.
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Japan watchdog eyes investigating Sony Life over financial misconduct
TOKYO - Japan's financial watchdog is considering conducting onsite inspections on Sony Life Insurance Co. amid cases of financial misconduct, a source familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The Financial Services Agency's potential probe comes after it had ordered the firm to respond to allegations that some of its employees had swindled customers out of money.
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Visitor's belongings emit smoke at Tokyo Disneyland, none hurt
CHIBA, Japan - Smoke came from a visitor's belongings at Tokyo Disneyland on Sunday, but no one was hurt, local authorities said, with the park's operator saying the smoke came from a power bank.
An emergency call reporting the smoke at an eatery was made around 4:40 p.m., but an eatery worker contained the incident with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived.
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11 briefly trapped in ride at Legoland theme park
NAGOYA - Eleven people were briefly trapped inside a ride at Legoland Japan theme park in Nagoya on Sunday after the vehicle doors failed to open, according to local authorities and park officials.
The 11, including four children, were rescued from the Submarine Adventure ride vehicle by firefighters about half an hour later. None complained of feeling unwell or was taken to a hospital.
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Countries gear up to create lunar standard time amid global race on Moon
TOKYO - Countries are gearing up to establish a unified lunar time standard, with a key international conference in Paris set to take up the issue amid a global race to establish a presence on the Moon.
Member states will try to work it out at the plenary meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures, which decides global measurement standards, as operations including the construction of a permanent base and lunar navigation are expected to be in full swing from around 2030.
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Cat stationmaster gives hope to struggling Japan railway to draw visitors
CHIBA, Japan - A cat stationmaster at a local Japanese train station is drawing fans and boosting merchandise sales as the struggling railway operator banks on the feline's popularity to attract more tourists.
The female cat, tentatively named Nakano-san, found a home at Nakanocho Station in the port town of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, after being rescued by a staff member last October. Thin and suffering from a cold that kept her eyes closed, she gradually recovered and grew accustomed to people under the care of station personnel.
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Highest heavy rain warning issued in Fukui, central Japan, mudslides reported
TOKYO - Japan's weather agency issued Sunday a special heavy rain warning for some areas in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, and around 400,000 people have been urged to take emergency safety measures amid reports of mudslides and vehicles stranded on flooded roads.
The Level 5 warning, the highest for heavy rain, was issued for the cities of Fukui, Ono and Katsuyama, indicating that a disaster has likely occurred or is imminent. The Japan Meteorological Agency later lowered it to Level 4, but it still means residents should evacuate from affected areas.
