TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Imperial Palace eyed for former emperor's farewell ceremony
TOKYO - The Imperial Household Agency is considering holding a farewell ceremony for Japan's former Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace upon his death as part of efforts to scale back the ceremony, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
The plan would make the ceremony substantially smaller in scale than that held for Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, reflecting the emperor emeritus' wish to minimize the impact on civilian life.
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Japan's ruling party secretary general likely to stay on in execs reshuffle
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is likely to retain Shunichi Suzuki as secretary general of her Liberal Democratic Party in a leadership reshuffle expected later this month, government sources said Wednesday.
Aso's backing is vital as Takaichi seeks reelection as LDP president next year and looks to maintain firm control of the party, the sources said.
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Tohoku Shinkansen resumes after partial suspension over maintenance delay
TOKYO - Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train service has been partially suspended between JR Nasushiobara Station in Tochigi Prefecture and JR Morioka Station in Iwate Prefecture, due to a delay in maintenance work, JR East said Thursday.
The operator expects service to resume shortly.
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G20 ministers adopt statement expressing resolve on tech innovation
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina - Ministers from the Group of 20 countries ended a two-day meeting in North Carolina on Wednesday after adopting a statement expressing their resolve to advance technological innovation.
The event's host, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, told a news conference that the statement reflects the determination of the countries to advance investment and economic growth as well as tech innovation through their economies as a whole.
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Most Japan clinics favor telling children of donor sperm or egg origins
TOKYO - A government survey released Wednesday showed that 96.5 percent of responding medical clinics believe children conceived through assisted reproductive technology using donated eggs or sperm should be informed of their biological origins.
The figure was based on responses from around 400 assisted reproductive technology clinics nationwide to a survey conducted by a research team at the Children and Families Agency.
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Mitsubishi Motors unveils revived Pajero model after 7 yr hiatus in Japan
TOKYO - Mitsubishi Motors Corp. unveiled Wednesday a new Pajero, reviving the iconic model line after a seven-year hiatus in Japan and relaunching it as the company's flagship sport-utility vehicle.
The company plans to launch the new model first in Thailand, followed by Japan and Australia by March 2027, before releasing the SUV in about 100 countries, including those in Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, from the next fiscal year.
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China opts out of joining other G20 members on rectifying global imbalances
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - China on Tuesday refused to accept a U.S.-drafted joint statement summarizing the results of a Group of 20 finance meeting, deciding not to work with other members on rectifying global trade imbalances.
Because China objected to parts of the communique language, the United States instead issued a G20 chair's statement after the two-day meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, saying, "We agree that countries should take steps to eliminate nonmarket policies and practices that exacerbate imbalances."
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Japan mulls allowing police to remotely access phones used in crime
TOKYO - An expert panel of Japan's national police on Wednesday recommended giving investigators the power to remotely access smartphones of criminal groups' members and monitor communications to prevent crimes before they occur.
The recommendation by the panel of the National Police Agency follows a series of armed robberies carried out by people including teens and unemployed individuals recruited by crime rings via social media, though allowing such investigative methods could draw criticism over invasions of privacy or infringement of the constitutional right to "secrecy of communications."
