TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Takaichi Cabinet approval rate hits record low at 49.1%: Kyodo poll
TOKYO- The approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet fell to a record low of 49.1 percent, down 4.3 percentage points from last month, a Kyodo News survey showed Sunday.
The plunge in the support rate comes as Takaichi effectively dismissed her scandal-hit farm minister Kazuo Yana earlier this month amid mounting pressure from opposition parties for his removal.
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Gov't warns of lightning, wind gusts in east, west Japan through Tues.
TOKYO - Japan's weather agency has warned of lightning, violent wind gusts and sudden heavy rain in eastern and western Japan through Tuesday due to a weather front.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said Sunday that a low-pressure system accompanied by a front is expected to move from the Sea of Japan toward the Sea of Okhotsk, with the front lingering near eastern and western Japan.
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Japan PM adviser visits war-linked Yasukuni shrine for autumn rite
TOKYO - A special adviser to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on national security issues on Sunday visited Yasukuni shrine, viewed by Japan's neighbors as a symbol of its past militarism, during the three-day autumn festival.
The visit by Kenji Wakamiya, a lawmaker who has served in posts such as senior vice foreign and defense minister, comes after Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the shrine in Tokyo and economic and fiscal policy minister Minoru Kiuchi paid a visit there on Saturday, the start of the festival.
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Japan's Defense Minister Koizumi hails troops back from Indonesia fires
TOKYO - Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Sunday praised Self-Defense Forces personnel who had returned from fighting forest fires in Indonesia, saying, "I am truly delighted that you completed your mission admirably."
Koizumi was quoted by the Defense Ministry as saying at a homecoming ceremony it was an "unprecedented firefighting mission carried out under harsh conditions overseas" and he is "truly delighted that you have returned home safely."
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Princess Kako calls for greater understanding of hearing loss
TOKYO - Princess Kako on Sunday called for greater understanding of hearing loss at a national welfare convention in Kyoto, expressing hope for a society where everyone can communicate with confidence.
At the ceremony, the second daughter of Crown Prince Akishino said, "I hope everyone can access a wide range of information, communicate their thoughts to one another with peace of mind and live together."
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ANA unveils jet decorated with characters from Japanese manga "Chiikawa"
TOKYO - All Nippon Airways Co. unveiled Sunday an aircraft decorated with characters from the popular Japanese manga "Chiikawa," marking the first time for a domestic airline to collaborate with the franchise.
The Boeing 767 features characters including Chiikawa, the titular protagonist, against the backdrop of motifs inspired by Japan's four seasons. It will fly on domestic routes.
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Toyota to offer mobile toilet for wheelchair users at Asian Para Games
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. will offer portable toilets for wheelchair users during the Asian Para Games opening later Sunday, to help provide barrier-free facilities to athletes.
The mobile toilet, towable by a car, features a flush system and a floor low to the ground with its entrance accessed by a 5-degree, 80-centimeter-wide slope. Six mobile toilets owned by Toyota and local governments will be installed at competition venues such as for badminton and shooting.
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Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games kick off with record 45 countries, regions
NAGOYA - The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games got underway Sunday with an opening ceremony, with around 4,000 athletes and officials from a record 45 countries and regions set to participate in the continental sporting event.
The host nation will field about 280 athletes across all 18 sports, contested primarily in Nagoya and other cities in Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, during the weeklong games through Saturday.
