TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Takaichi decries alleged Okinawa murder by U.S. Marine, urges cooperation
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday voiced Japan's strong protest over the suspected robbery and murder of a local woman in Okinawa by a U.S. Marine, calling on the United States to fully cooperate with the investigation and enforce strict discipline among its personnel.
In an address to parliament ahead of her policy speech opening an extraordinary Diet session, Takaichi called it a "heinous crime" that is "extremely regrettable." She urged Washington to prevent similar cases.
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Japan farm minister retracts controversial budget remarks, makes apology
TOKYO - Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kazuo Yana on Monday retracted recently revealed past remarks he made on local road budget cuts that suggested he was able to exert unfair political pressure over budget allocations, apologizing for the comments.
But Yana told reporters in Tokyo that he does not intend to step down from his post, saying that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had told him to "do your utmost" in the position. He is known as Takaichi's right-hand man on agricultural policy.
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Japan's Yakiniku King BBQ chain says over 10 mil. customer records leaked
NAGOYA - The operator of a Japanese barbecue chain said Monday that more than 10 million items of customer information were leaked following unauthorized access to its app for making reservations and earning rewards.
Monogatari Corp., which runs the Yakiniku King restaurant chain, said customer data such as email addresses and phone numbers were exposed, but added that no misuse of the data has been confirmed.
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Japan, Australia to launch annual finance ministers' talks amid uncertainty
TOKYO - Japan and Australia signed a memorandum of cooperation Monday to launch annual finance ministerial talks as they seek closer economic security ties amid growing uncertainty about the global economy.
Signed in Tokyo by Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, the memorandum calls for bolstering economic resilience in the Indo-Pacific region and boosting bilateral trade and investment.
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Hacked car-share service disregarded law, had 7-yr data retention policy
TOKYO - A major Japanese parking service operator that suffered a data breach exposing images of 1.6 million driver's licenses had a policy of retaining such images for seven years after memberships were canceled, disregarding Japan's data protection law, its officials said Monday.
The personal information protection act requires businesses to "endeavor to delete data without delay" once it is no longer needed, but Park24 Co. retained such data for years, potentially contributing to the scale of the leak.
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Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University opens in Ankara
ANKARA - Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University, a joint project agreed on by the two countries in 2013, opened Monday in Ankara, offering undergraduate courses in engineering and doctoral programs in artificial intelligence and earthquake science.
Around 80 students are enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering, with its electrical and electronics engineering and computer engineering programs attracting students with high exam scores, according to the university.
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Nikkei briefly tops 70,000 for 1st time since July
TOKYO - The Nikkei stock index briefly topped the 70,000 line on Monday for the first time since early July, led by heavyweight technology shares as fading expectations for a rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve lifted sentiment.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 1,637.40 points, or 2.40 percent, from Friday at 69,946.86. The broader Topix index finished 54.22 points, or 1.33 percent, higher at 4,145.22.
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Sumo: Yokozuna Hoshoryu performs ring-entry ceremony at exhibition meet
TOKYO - Yokozuna Hoshoryu, who has withdrawn from three consecutive grand sumo tournaments due to injury, performed a ring-entry ceremony at an exhibition meet Monday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Having undergone surgery on his right knee in late July, he expressed a sense of relief following the performance.
