TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan ruling LDP urges tighter curbs on land purchases in sensitive areas
TOKYO - A ruling party panel on Thursday presented Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi with proposals including a permit system for foreign and Japanese nationals seeking to acquire land near important facilities and on uninhabited border islands.
According to a Liberal Democratic Party official, Takaichi responded by expressing her intention to submit, during the 69-day extraordinary Diet session starting Monday, a bill revising the important land survey act, which regulates the use of real estate in such areas.
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Ukraine seeks Japan's cooperation over anti-drone technology
KYIV - Ukraine wants to cooperate with Japan on developing drone interception technology and other areas as Russia's attacks continue, a former Japanese defense minister said Thursday after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials.
Itsunori Onodera, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters during his visit to Kyiv that the Ukrainian side had explained the situation regarding Russia's increased use of jet-powered drones and the difficulty Ukraine faces in countering ballistic missiles.
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Japan jobless rate rises to 2.5% in August
TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate in August rose to 2.5 percent from 2.4 percent in the previous month, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Friday.
The job availability ratio was unchanged from July at 1.18, meaning there were 118 jobs available for every 100 job seekers, according to separate data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
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Japan urges Iran's "constructive" response on navigation through straits
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Thursday to ensure Tehran responds "constructively" to efforts to restore free and safe navigation along key maritime routes amid signs of renewed talks between the United States and Iran to end their conflict, the Japanese government said.
In telephone talks, Motegi said it is important to secure safe passage for ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. A strategic island in the strait was seized by Iran-backed Houthi rebels last month.
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Trump says he discussed jailed H.K. media mogul Jimmy Lai with Xi
HONG KONG - U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he discussed the cases of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners, including U.S. citizens, with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two leaders met in Washington last week.
"I did, I did, with President Xi," he told reporters at the White House when asked whether he had raised their cases. "We talked, and I think we had some very, very important discussions. Hopefully, fruitful discussions."
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Japan acting envoy meets with Myanmar's foreign chief for 1st time
YANGON - Japan's Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Myanmar Shogo Yoshitake met Thursday with Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, according to the Foreign Ministry under Myanmar's pro-military government, making it the first publicly known meeting.
The two exchanged views on deepening cooperation between Japan and Myanmar, the ministry said.
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Japan to set up greenhouse gas data hub to help curb global warming
TOKYO - Japanese research institutions said Thursday they will establish a center to make greenhouse gas data and research findings more accessible to policymakers, businesses and the public to accelerate efforts to tackle global warming.
The Japan GHG Center, to be operated by the National Institute for Environmental Studies and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, among others, can provide "one-stop access" to observation data related to greenhouse gases and its analysis that have otherwise been dispersed across government agencies and other institutions in the country, their press release said.
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Asian Games: Japan surpasses Hangzhou gold tally with cycling, judo wins
NAGOYA - Japan won gold medals in cycling track, judo and other sports at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, pushing its tally to 60 and beyond the total it achieved at the previous games in Hangzhou in 2023.
Kaiya Ota defended his title in the men's sprint, while Tsuyaka Uchino and Maho Kakita retained their women's madison crown in track cycling.
