TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
----------
Japan PM says consumption tax cut will not be extended for economic reasons
TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday her government will not extend a cut in consumption tax on food and beverages beyond the planned two years from April for economic reasons, as parliamentary deliberations on the bill for the policy began.
Asked whether she intended to "seek public mandate" on whether the rate should be returned to its original 8 percent from 1 percent, Takaichi told the Diet she plans to end the tax measure in March 2029.
----------
Security firm finds China-linked AI agent behind Japan cyberattacks
TOKYO - A China-linked artificial intelligence agent was identified as having been used in cyberattacks targeting several dozen firms in Japan, according to an investigation by a security firm, following a spate of leaks of personal data across various industries.
In recent weeks, a growing number of Japanese companies have reported unauthorized access and subsequent information leaks or possible leaks. Artex, the AI agent concerned, has been allegedly also used in recent cyberattacks against South Korean financial institutions, according to a separate investigation.
----------
Japan urges Russia to immediately release detained national: minister
TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi urged Russia on Tuesday to immediately release a Japanese national detained there and called it "regrettable" that consular access to him has not yet been allowed.
A Japanese journalist was taken into custody on Sakhalin in the Russian Far East on suspicion of espionage, Russian's security agency said on Oct. 13. A bilateral treaty provides for the right to consular access within four days of a person being taken into custody, Motegi said.
----------
Tokyo area condo prices top 100 mil. yen in April-Sept. for 1st time
TOKYO - The average price of a new condominium in Tokyo and its three surrounding prefectures in the first half of fiscal 2026 hit a record high for the fourth straight year, topping 100 million yen ($630,000) for the first time for the period, a research institute said Tuesday.
The average price in the capital and the neighboring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama between April and September rose 21.1 percent from a year earlier to 114.94 million yen, amid higher construction costs due to rising material prices and labor shortages, according to the Real Estate Economic Institute.
----------
Japan ministry asks University of Tokyo to review president selection
TOKYO - Japan's education ministry on Tuesday asked the University of Tokyo to review the selection process of its next president, who placed second in a vote by faculty and staff but was still chosen for the post last month.
The ministry said it was the first time it had requested a university to conduct such a review, citing questions raised both inside and outside the country's top academic institution about the selection.
----------
Japan, Philippines confirm cooperation toward Manila ASEAN summit meetings
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed Tuesday their intention to work together toward November's summit meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.
In phone talks lasting around 20 minutes, Takaichi also conveyed the importance of countries cooperating under the Asia Zero Emission Community, a Japan-led decarbonization vision, to strengthen economic and energy resilience amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
----------
Record-high applications filed for state's defense tech research funding
TOKYO - Japan's Defense Ministry said Tuesday applications for a program that grants funds for projects on technologies that could have military use hit a record 560 for the current fiscal year.
The sharp increase from 340 the previous year comes despite persistent worries among the science community that the program, launched in fiscal 2015, would promote academic involvement in military research, as it repents wartime military cooperation.
----------
Asian Para Games: Judoka Nishimura falls short of gold on home tatami
NAGOYA - Local judoka Atsumi Nishimura expressed regret after settling for silver in the women's J1 70-kilogram event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Paris Paralympic champion Junko Hirose secured bronze in the women's J2 60-kg category despite being injured.
