TOKYO - The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Japan gov't sites partially suspended as patching of PHP flaws underway
TOKYO - Some Japanese ministry webpages have been partially suspended as a preventive measure following the detection of vulnerabilities in the widely used PHP programming language, the government said Thursday, as websites across the country were halted over the issue.
Confirming the suspensions to parts of websites including for the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular press conference in Tokyo that no damage to government websites related to the PHP flaws has been reported.
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N. Korea warns of countermeasures, loudspeaker broadcasts against S. Korea
BEIJING - Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Thursday warned that unspecified new countermeasures and loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts against South Korea will be ready in the near future, state-run media said, amid tensions over landmine explosions along the border.
The powerful sister, who serves as a senior ruling party official, issued the warning through the official Korean Central News Agency a day after she inspected the border area together with Marshal Pak Jong Chon.
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Kanagawa police possibly retained expired driving licenses for 30 yrs
TOKYO - Japan's National Police Agency said Thursday that security divisions at multiple police stations in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, may have retained expired driver's licenses collected during renewals for about 30 years.
The findings followed an incident earlier this year involving a staff member at a Kanagawa police station. The agency said security divisions may have used the licenses to compile profiles of individuals monitored by police, including left-wing and right-wing activists.
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River in northeastern Japan overflows, emergency warning issued
TOKYO - A river in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita swelled and overflowed on Wednesday, prompting the country's weather agency to issue its highest-level warning and urge residents to take safety measures.
Early Thursday, the emergency flood warning was downgraded to an advisory.
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Japan may allow cashless payments for minor traffic fines
TOKYO - Drivers and cyclists in Japan may be able to pay fines for minor traffic violations by credit card or mobile payment app as early as next July, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
The proposed nationwide service would cover fines under the "blue ticket" system, which allows offenders to avoid prosecution if they pay on time. The system was extended to cyclists aged 16 and older in April.
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Japan to set up curriculum to obtain teacher's license in 1 year
TOKYO - The Japanese government plans to establish a new postgraduate curriculum enabling people without prior teacher training to obtain a teaching license in as little as one year, as the profession struggles with a labor shortage, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.
Those in the program may be paid while gaining experience in schools as part of their study. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will aim to introduce the new pathway through revisions to law during the regular parliamentary session next year.
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Stolen peace bell gifted by Japan city recovered in Turkish sister city
ISTANBUL - A peace bell gifted to a Turkish city by its Japanese sister city has been recovered after being stolen last month, according to Turkish media reports Wednesday.
The bell has been in Yalova for more than three decades as a symbol of its friendship with Tonami in central Japan's Toyama Prefecture. Acting on statements from detained suspects, local police recovered the bell from a scrap yard that had purchased it.
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Gymnastics: Japan women secure worlds bronze to reach 2028 Olympics
ROTTERDAM - Japan women won the team bronze for their first podium finish at the artistic gymnastics world championships in 60 years on Wednesday, booking their berth at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Japan scored 164.063 points from four apparatuses in the final at Rotterdam Ahoy, where China scored 165.764 for its first win in 20 years and the United States finished second on 165.531 to miss its eighth straight title. The three nations qualified for the Olympics.
